Jay-Z’s first solo album in three years, Kingdom Come, is slated for release on November 21. Hov’s comeback has been just about the worst-kept secret in the music industry over the past several weeks.

When he announced his retirement three years ago with the release of The Black Album, few believed it was the end of Jay’s recording career. He continued to tour, release collaboration albums with R. Kelly and Linkin Park and appeared on many other artists’ tracks. Jay gave details to Entertainment Weekly for its upcoming Fall Music Preview.

“It was the worst retirement, maybe, in history,” Jay tells EW. “I believed it for two years.”

Some of his loosed-lipped friends