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Last night, J. Cole delivered his sixth studio album The Off-Season, a project that may very well have played a role in crashing Spotify and TIDAL upon its release. Featuring production from Timbaland, DJ Dahi, Boi-1da, Jake One, T-Minus, and more — not to mention guest appearances from Morray, Lil Baby, and 21 Savage — many have already been quick to praise the project based on the early listening experience. 

One recurring point centers around J. Cole being at the top of his game, specifically at a technical level. Though the project is only a few hours old, it’s evident that Cole’s penmanship has elevated to yet another stage; few emcees can structure verses with such a dynamic approach, sliding in unexpected flow schemes without sacrificing the integrity of his lyricism.

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Case in point, the storytelling-driven standout “Let Go My Hand,” which finds Cole taking listeners on a stroll down memory lane, culminating in a direct reflection on his infamous fight with P Diddy:

“Kept a tough demeanor on the surface but was mostly just pretendin’/And luckily my bluff was workin’ way more often than not / But sometimes a ni*ga pulled my card, tryna expose me for a fraud/And with my reputation at stake, I was scufflin’ just to save face/Couple wins, couple losses/Some broken up too quick to call it/My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would’ve thought it?/I bought that ni*ga album in seventh grade and played it so much/You would’ve thought my favorite rapper was Puff/Back then I ain’t know shit, now I know too much.”

Beyond the rare exploration of masculinity in hip-hop, a refreshing admission from Cole in its own right, many were excited to hear the rapper finally address on that fateful night at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Complex sources explained that the conflict stemmed after Diddy confronted Kendrick Lamar over his “king of New York” comments on “Control.” When Puff reportedly tried to pour a drink on Kendrick, Cole stepped in and the situation got physical between the rappers and their crews. 

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Afterward, Cole’s longtime right-hand man Ibrahim Hamad implied that much of the coverage surrounding the incident was overblown, though it was clear there was more to the story. Now, Cole took it upon himself to finally address his Diddy fight, providing a bit of context surrounding what might have driven him to scrap in the first place. “But sometimes a ni*ga pulled my card, tryna expose me for a fraud / with my reputation at stake, I was scufflin’ just to save face,” he spits, a telling and refreshing bit of honesty.

Check out “Let Go My Hand” now, and be sure to check out The Off-Season in full right here. 

LISTEN: J. Cole – Let Go My Hand

J. Cole’s long-awaited album, The Off-Season, has finally arrived and fans have had a lot to say about the 12-track project on social media. 

Thus far, HotNewHipHop readers are loving Cole’s KOD follow-up. On HNHH, the album has an 89% positive rating from fans with comments declaring Friday to be Cole’s day, despite another highly-anticipated release from Nicki Minaj.

“Cole didn’t not [sic] disappoint, this is just what the game needed,” one user wrote.

Other users celebrated the all-star lineup of producers who worked on the project. Timbaland, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, Jake One, Frank Dukes, Tae Beast, Maneesh, Wa1o, Sucuki, Coleman, Tommy Parker, Mario Luciano, T-Minus, and Cole, himself, are all credited.

“DIFFERENT PRODUCERS FINALLY,” another user cheered.

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An early favorite on the tracklist appears to be “9 5 . s o u t h,” the Cam’ron assisted introduction to the album. Maneesh, COLEMAN, and Boi-1da are credited with the song’s production.

“The last :35 seconds of 95 south has me ready to beat up everybody in my house,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

Cole averted expectations by bringing in 21 Savage, Lil Baby, and others to appear on the album, a decision that fans seem to be loving.

Some fans are even suggesting that 21 and Cole should do a full project together: “If we can’t get the cole and kdot album we need cole and 21.”

Listeners were also shocked to hear Cole confirm that he got in a fight with Diddy, a story he references on “Let Go My Hand.”

Check out more responses below.

She teased that she had something big coming on Friday (May 14), and Nicki Minaj wasn’t kidding. The beloved New York rapper has been taking a break from social media to tend to more pressing concerns like becoming a new mother, but there has been much more on the rapper’s agenda. Her Barbz have been anxiously awaiting news about her next album, a follow-up to Queen that was shared back in 2018. Minaj has been reluctant with sharing information about the project, but her Friday drop will keep her fans occupied in the meantime.

Just ahead of midnight, Nicki Minaj surprised her fans on Instagram Live and revealed that her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty would hit streaming services. The DJ Holiday-hosted record is hailed as Nicki’s breakout project that helped put her on the mainstream map, so it makes sense that it should make an appearance on streaming services.

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However, fans will find the tracklist has been amended and some songs weren’t included, like Nicki’s Rihanna, Busta Rhymes, and Brinx-assisted track “Mind on My Money.” Three unreleased songs lead the tracklist, including “Seeing Green,” a song that finds Minaj reuniting with her YMCMB family, Drake and Lil Wayne. While on Livestream, Drake made a rare appearance when he shared a screen with Minaj and revealed that he was the one who sent her the record.

“What made you think that I would sound good on that?” Nicki asked Drizzy. He answers with a smile, “I mean, it was just…can I say who else is on it or no?” Nicki said she wanted to keep it a surprise. “Okay, alright. Well, it’d just been a really long time since—it was just, it didn’t feel right with you not being on it,” said Drake. “That’s the best way I could put it. Like, it was fun the other way, but it’s epic this way.”

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“So, we just…you know I had some real heart-to-hearts with you lately, just about the fact that it’s like, it’s just your world. Nobody does this sh*t better than you,” he added, mentioning that he gets that right now her priority is her son. “When you’re gone, I’m not gon’ lie, I’m trying to speak for everybody. We really miss you. We really miss your presence. We miss the bars. We miss the excitement that you bring.”

Drake continued to say that he’s been putting a bit of pressure on Nicki to get back to her pen game, and she admitted that he helped get her out of her writer’s block. They will apparently see each other face-to-face this weekend when he visits her at her home. Check out Nicki Minaj’s Live below and watch her exchange with Drake near the end.

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