We talked to Malik about Kanye's big news -- which Yusef says is coming tomorrow -- and he gives us more than just a hint about what it will involve. If you guessed it has something to do with Ye's hometown ... give yourself a pat on the back.

But that's not all. Malik, who's also based in Chicago, tells us Kanye's enormous impact on the city already -- both musically and culturally -- is just a start ... and what he has planned for Chi-town is a microcosm for the whole country.