Yesterday, rapper J. Cole apologized to former collaborator, Kendrick Lamar, for his response to Kendrick Lamar’s and Future track, “Like That,” where K. Dot disses Drake and J. Cole.
Cole’s response was “7 Minute Drill,” which was the antithesis of the reverence he had previously shown for Kendrick Lamar. During his Sunday night headlining set at the Dreamville Fest, Cole opened up to the audience about regretting his response to “Like That.” Many commenters who disagree with his perspective have not reached Cole’s numbers in age, album sales, or I.Q. points but are somehow well-versed on what and how he should be moving. J. Cole talked about being proud and happy when moving on his own accord, an accord that has clearly guided him well, but felt immense pressure to respond to Kendrick’s diss record, most specifically the line, “F-ck the Big Three: It’s Just Big Me,” which is a wild response to someone showing you reverence.
Humility is a lost art. peace requires less energy but is always harder. https://t.co/BaCjshoToL
— Kyla Jenée Lacey (@Kyla_Lacey) April 8, 2024
Cole has six straight number one albums and was the first rapper in 25 years to go platinum without a feature, feats Kendrick Lamar has yet to achieve.
Kendrick does not have to respect him, but I don’t see why he doesn’t. Many people are calling Cole’s choice to end the feud amicably career suicide or implying that he will lose fans. I think it is an interesting thing to lambast artists for being fake and ‘not about that life’ and to then turn around and lambast them for their authenticity. Artists should be allowed to grow and become better people organically; I’m not seeing how that is so controversial. It is a weird thing to be mad when rappers promote negative stereotypes and then be mad when they actively promote positivity. Rappers from yesteryear who were the hardest in the game, allegedly, are now the complete opposite of their original personas.
Y’all want rappers to be real life gang bangers. That man is going home to his wife and kid. The OG rappers who allegedly lived that lifestyle are now on Tucker Carlson, Law & Order SVU, making commercials with Martha Stewart, and selling overpriced headphones in the Apple Store. pic.twitter.com/Fj5sKv0iR2
— Kyla Jenée Lacey (@Kyla_Lacey) April 8, 2024
You have the professed “cop killer,” now playing a cop on television, Dick Wolf is hilarious for that, by the way. You have a N*gga Wit Attitude (which is such a hilarious name 30 years later) on Tucker Carlson and working with Donald Trump, after he gets off the set from making kids’ movies. You have one who was on trial for murder, who is working with Martha Stewart, who would be the only one with street cred because she’s an actual felon. You have one who sells overpriced headphones at the Apple store.
Why is J. Cole’s evolution, while still actively a rapper, less appealing?
Even with all these complete deviations from what originally made these rappers famous, somehow showing humility and apologizing to your associate is considered career suicide.
Cole has number one albums without any diss records, but he is not a complete stranger to calling out rappers, in his past. His callouts have been few compared to his contemporaries and rappers who have yet to outsell him. His song “Lost Prophets,” laments his respect for a rapper who drastically changed for the worse, and his error in idolizing him. Additionally, he speaks about a friend who doesn’t get the respect he deserves but calls out the possibility of that being an obsession. Do I think the last callout was fair, no, but he and Wale still maintain a relationship, and there was no real feud that came of it, even after Wale’s response. In fact, he has gone on to publicly address and end feuds, as well as support pretty much every rapper with whom he had some negative interaction. Cole took issue with himself, and that’s the problem that many people in this world have; they think that they are above accountability, or that evolution is a process that does not require humility. “They are battle rappers,” was a common statement made to justify rap fans’ need for a feud. Are they, Stink? So few of J. Cole’s songs are diss records, so it is easy to surmise that he would still be successful as f-ck without them.
Are you incapable of enjoying music without drama?
Cole’s lyrics from the diss song that he later regretted even state, “Boy, I got here off of bars, not no controversy,” and while that was clearly not the worst thing he said, I think it’s worth noting that feuding, and more importantly, holding a grudge, have not usually been his modus operandi. Also, during the address, Cole said that his response reminded him of how he moved ten years ago. Clearly, he is not the same person he was and does not want to be. You do not have to like his evolution, but honestly, you have to really ask yourself, why a feud is necessary for you to be entertained? What is that feeding inside of you? Hip-hop is not the only genre where words of violence occur, but it is a reasonable assessment that it is quite common. Hip-hop’s legacy should not include its inability to mature beyond fostering negativity. I can’t definitively say if Cole and Kendrick are friends or not, but from past actions, including the song that led to the diss, Cole has always respected Kendrick. He was the same person who jumped in between Diddy and Kendrick when Diddy took issue with K Dot’s proclamation of being “the King of New York.” Diddy can’t even rap so that’s crazy, but nonetheless, this seems like an extension of his reverence for someone with whom he shares a profession and a middle name.
With all the exploitation that is being exposed behind the curtain of hip-hop, why is something peaceful met with just as much vitriol?
Cole literally has a charitable foundation. He turned his childhood home into a women’s shelter. While people are bemoaning Glorilla being invited to the White House and rappers of yesteryear becoming Magats, this is a person who has remained committed to his community and acknowledging his mistakes.
A hip-hop artist should not have their authenticity questioned the minute they deviate from the boundaries of negativity. If you don’t care that these people are not actually out here in the streets for real, or that you are aware that it is entertainment, then why do you care when they acknowledge it isn’t real?
Do you really think Drake is a goon? Let’s be real, the only gunfight he ever got into was the one that put him in a wheelchair. These people go home to their big mansions in white ass neighborhoods, (even though SWAT raided J. Cole’s, thanks to his neighbors), their significant others, and their children.
When J. Cole goes home, he should still be able to live with himself, too.
