In his music, Grammy Award-winning emcee J. Cole often prides himself on mentoring the new generation of rappers. As a veteran in the game, the Dreamville Records head honcho advocates for peace amongst the new wave of entertainers. However, it looks like he’s unintentionally been roped into one of the culture’s biggest feuds. Never one to back down from the opportunity to lyrically spar with other acts, Cole seemingly decided to address the matter on his new track with Lil Yachty. So, did J. Cole diss NBA YoungBoy on “The Secret Recipe?”
Although he doesn’t directly mention YoungBoy by name, it surely seems like that’s who he’s talking about. In his verse, J. Cole raps, “Studio steppers movin’ extra on songs, fakin’ rep / Only breakin’ bad in the lab, thought y’all was makin’ meth / N****s makin’ threats and I laugh, that’s ’cause you ain’t a threat / Don’t ask how I feel ’bout no rappers, sh*t, they okay, I guess / Incomin’ call, press the button, the one that say accept / He FaceTime to ask for a feature and saw the face of death / I’m on your song, your streams goin’ up, not quite the Drake effect / But don’t complain, b*tch, take what you get and cut the label check.”
Cole has had public spats with Kanye West, Diddy, and even Lil Pump, but given YoungBoy’s recent jab, there is little room for anything else to be considered. “J a ho’, that n**** played it cold, like he was gon’ do a feature,” rapped YoungBoy on his recent song “F*ck The Industry Pt. 2.”
Based on both YoungBoy and Cole’s lyrics, their friction could be tied to a potential collaboration gone sour. However, fans online believe that the war of words kicked off after J. Cole appeared on his longtime rival and fellow rapper Lil Durk’s song “All My Life.”