Joe Budden broke down J Cole’s apology to Kendrick Lamar from the Dreamville Festival on the latest episode of his eponymous podcast. In doing so, he found “good” and “bad” to take away from the incident. The apology arrived after Cole already dissed Lamar on the outro to his new mixtape, Might Delete Later.
“I’m all for J Cole’s mental health being well,” Budden began while discussing the positives. “I said last pod that anybody who wants to bow out of this thing please feel free to because this is not for the weakhearted. It’s not. It comes with a lot more than 1000 phone calls. If you not ready to move in a different capacity, if you not ready to speak in a different capacity like I said earlier, risk some relationships, if you not ready to see n****s that you thought were friendly turn unfriendly– This is before you get to anybody laying a bar. Your lifestyle has to change.” From there, he listed his credentials in the game. He further described Cole’s decision as a “bold, mature move for hip-hop.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 28: Joe Budden attends Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club 18th Anniversary celebration at 40/40 Club on August 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
As for the bad, Budden explained that had he talked to any veterans such as JAY-Z, they would’ve advised against his move. “This is totally unacceptable,” he said of the way Cole handled the entire situation. He added that Cole’s lack of energy on “7 Minute Drill” and subsequent backtracking only made “Like That” sound even harder. Check out Budden’s full comments below.
Joe Budden Addresses J Cole’s Apology
Joe Budden Critiques J. Cole Apology at Dreamville Festival about his response to Kendrick Lamar on ‘7 Minute Drill pic.twitter.com/duuUNvJB0T
Drake has still yet to respond to Lamar, but fans think a diss track is imminent. Be on the lookout for further updates on Joe Budden as well as Drake and Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.
When J. Cole titled his new mixtape Might Delete Later, fans had no idea how literal that name would end up being — or how quickly the prophesy would come to pass. Just three days passed before J. Cole declared one of the songs, “7 Minute Drill,” the “lamest sh*t I did in my f*ckin’ life.” The song, built around a halfhearted response to Kendrick Lamar’s fiery call-out on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” received a somewhat lukewarm response from the hip-hop community, who questioned the premises of many of its positions on Kendrick Lamar’s musical output along with the wisdom of J Cole chucking those particular stones from the inside of a glass mansion.
After he apologized for the song, are likely wondering whether he intends to withdraw it from streaming completely. And while that wouldn’t be completely unreasonable… it would be utterly horrible optics.
The last time J. Cole got into a simliarly sensational tiff with another rapper was in 2020, when he released “Snow On Tha Bluff” and stumbled backwards into an ill-advised beef with Noname. In that case, he was met with the concise but stern response “Song 33,” as well as disapproval from peers who called him out for distracting from more meaningful discussions at the time. Notably, although both rappers expressed regrets for the short-lived feud, both songs are still on streaming.
Should J. Cole retract “7 Minute Drill” completely when he did not do the same for “Snow On Tha Bluff,” the contrast would almost certainly call scrutiny to his questionable views toward women; some commenters have already noted that he apologized for dissing Kendrick (this after subtly and overtly inviting battle for years) but not for lyrics perceived as transphobic elsewhere on Might Delete Later. On “Pi,” he taunts a straw opponent, “I’m seeing hints of a trans fella / In cancel culture’s vicinity, he’s no killer, trust me / Beneath his chosen identity, there is still a pussy.” Fans on Twitter have rightly noted that this is just the latest example in a pattern of lyrics with demeaning views of queerness (see also: the Born Sinner intro “Villuminati,” with multiple uses of a gay slur).
So, as of now, it doesn’t look like J. Cole plans to remove “7 Minute Drill” from streaming, but there are certainly quite a few other tracks in his discograpy that could also use some pruning and apologies.
50 Cent is one of the most legendary rappers of all time. Throughout his career, he has been involved in plenty of feuds. However, he has been able to win the vast majority of them. Overall, you will be hard pressed to find a time when Fif didn’t come out on top. Having said that, he is the perfect person to comment on rap beef, or even give some advice. As of right now, the current beef seems to be between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. We even got a response track from J. Cole, who opted to apologize on Sunday.
For most of Monday, Fif had missed out on this news. Instead, he was mostly preoccupied with the Diddy and Yung Miami sex worker stuff. However, once he caught wind of the J. Cole apology, he decided to take to Instagram. This is where he offered a bit of a message to Cole. Instead of any public advice, it looks like Fif wants to talk with him directly. From there, 50 Cent can impart some wisdom that might make Cole think twice about apologizing in the future.
“WTF how I miss this, @realcoleworld call my phone right now!” 50 Cent wrote. Whether or not Cole actually calls him, remains to be seen. Based on the apology, it does seem like Cole is against moving this any further. Instead, it is going to be up to Drake to say something. After all, that is who Kendrick was mostly addressing on “Like That.”
Let us know what you think of this message from 50 Cent, in the comments section down below. Do you think he will be able to get through to Cole? If he does talk to the rapper on the phone, what do you think he will end up saying? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
If you were already exhausted by the so-called “rap beef” (ugh) between J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar after the past week, don’t worrry; you’re in good company. J. Cole himself was apparently done before his diss song, “7 Minute Drill,” was a full 72 hours old. During his set at Dreamville Festival, he straight-up apologized to his good buddy Kendrick and called the track the “lamest sh*t” of his life.
For what it’s worth, his assessment probably came after seeing the less-than-lukewarm response the track received from rap fans online, who questioned his decision to call Kendrick’s Grammy-winning album To Pimp A Butterfly sleep-inducing after that’s been the primary argument against his music on Twitter since before everybody on there became a fake activist in 2014.
It’s also probable that J. Cole realized that he and Kendrick had no real prior animosity and he was just the victim of splash damage from Kendrick’s incisive call-out on Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” Although Kendrick declared “motherf*ck the Big Three / It’s just big me” most of his shots were seemingly reserved for Drake, against whom he has been pitted by rap fans almost since their near-parallel ascensions from the blog era of the late aughties.
In any case, it appears that Cole didn’t really want smoke, was equally disappointed in his own conribution to the three-way feud, and has decided to let the two actual contenders duke it out without his input. If only he’d realized this BEFORE he dropped Might Delete Later, this whole mess could have been avoided.
Just a few days ago, J Cole shocked the hip-hop world by dropping off a new project called Might Delete Later. This new project just so happened to contain a diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar, called “7 Minute Drill.” Overall, the diss track contained mixed reviews. Many felt it was weak, while others thought it was a good way of scrutinizing Kendrick’s body of work. However, Cole has undone his diss. On Sunday night at Dreamville Festival, Cole offered an apology to Kendrick. As it turns out, writing the diss track had him feeling awful.
“I’m so proud of that project except for one part,” Cole said. “There’s one part of that sh*t that makes me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest sh*t I ever did in my f*cking life.’ And, I know this is not what a lot of people wanna hear. I can hear my n****s up there right now like, ‘Nah, don’t do that.’ But, I gotta keep it 100 with y’all. I damn near had a relapse.” This prompted reactions from TDE members such as Punch and Reason. As you can see, they weren’t so amused.
Punch took to Twitter where he simply wrote “lol.” Meanwhile, Reason said “idk man, i just…idk.” This is in line with how many other hip-hop fans are thinking right now. At the end of the day, Cole probably should have just stood on his diss track. Instead, we got an apology that could very well be legacy-threatening. Only time will tell how long it takes before fans forget that this ever happened.
Let us know what you think of the J Cole apology, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that this was a big mistake from Cole? Do you think the rap world is actually that scared of Kendrick Lamar? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
J Cole admitted he regrets dissing Kendrick Lamar while performing at Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday night. Taking a pause during his headlining set, Cole began by explaining how proud he is of the work he put into his new mixtape, Might Delete Later, but revealed the closing song, “7 Minute Drill,” isn’t sitting right with him.
“I’m so proud of that project except for one part,” Cole said. “There’s one part of that sh*t that makes me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest sh*t I ever did in my f*cking life.’ And, I know this is not what a lot of people wanna hear. I can hear my n****s up there right now like, ‘Nah, don’t do that.’ But, I gotta keep it 100 with y’all. I damn near had a relapse.” From there, he admitted that he’s “blessed” to know both Drake and Lamar.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 02: J. Cole performs during the 2023 Dreamville Music festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 02, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
“I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I know I don’t really feel a way,” Cole continued. “But the world wanna see blood… so I say all of that to say, in my spirit of trying to get this music out, I moved in a way that spiritually feels bad on me. I tried to jab my n***a back and I tried to keep it friendly. But at the end of the day, when I listen to it and when it comes out and I see the talk, that sh*t don’t sit right with my spirit. That sh*t disrupts my f*cking peace. So I want I want to say tonight, in the midst of me doing that, and in that sh*t, trynna find a lil angle and downplay this n***a’s f*cking catalog and his greatness… I wanna say right here tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest muthaf*ckas to ever touch a microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar correct? As do I.” Check out the full speech below.
J Cole Reflects On “7 Minute Drill”
J. Cole apologizes to Kendrick Lamar for dissing him on ‘7 Minute Drill’ at Dreamville Fest…
“How many of y’all think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest ever to pick up a mic”
“I haven’t been sleeping right the last few days… Ib, we taking that diss off streaming… pic.twitter.com/gafW1g6Hw9
The back and forth began when Cole labeled himself, Drake, and Lamar as hip-hop’s “big 3.” Lamar fired back on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” by suggesting he’s in a league of his own. Drake has yet to respond to the drama. Be on the lookout for further updates on J Cole on HotNewHipHop.
However, many don’t believe it compares to Lamar’s brutal guest verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s track “Like That.” Joe Budden so happens to be one of those people. Today (April 7), in the latest episode of the mogul’s namesake podcast, he shared his unfiltered thoughts.
“This is not ok,” he yelled. “Cole, call Royce [Da’ 5’9″]. Call a killer. You’re just too nice. It’s the tone…That’s my issue with this narcoleptic-sounding sh*t. That is my issue. It sounds like if I was actively trying to cop fentanyl…[7 Minute Drill] is what I would put on.”
When asked what he wanted from Cole, Budden replied: “I want him to sound alive.”
But he did praise the beat selected for the track. “The first half [of the track] is giving me Latto,” he said. “The first half sounds like he was having a lot of fun on that tour with Drake. That first half sounds like a hit if he sounded alive, and then Drake came on right after.”
Watch the full episode of the Joe Budden Podcast above.
T-Minus, who worked with J. Cole on his new song, “7 Minute Drill,” reflected on the making of the track at a Dreamville Festival panel with Complex‘s Jordan Rose on Friday. In doing so, he explained the title and how it stems from a writing drill Cole likes to use. The track is the closing song to his new mixtape, Might Delete Later.
“Cole likes to do these writing drills,” he began. “He calls them ‘seven-minute writing drills.’ He’ll write a joint for like seven minutes and see how far he can get, but he also does it with production. So over the last few years, when we cook up, he’ll be like, ‘Yo, make a beat in seven minutes. Go.’ Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘You do a verse in seven minutes.’ So after I did my seven-minute beat, I was like, ‘It’s your turn.’ He’s like, ‘Yo, give me a word.’ So I looked at my FL Studio system and I saw the word ‘light,’ so I was like, ‘light.’ He took it from there and started with ‘light.’”
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 02: J. Cole performs during the 2023 Dreamville Music festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 02, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Despite the title, it actually took Cole slightly longer than seven minutes, as T-Minus added: “I left the room, gave him seven minutes and came back. He’s like, ‘Yo, just give me another seven minutes. I think I’ve got something going.’ And, you know, the rest is history.” The track is making waves on social media for the lyrics, with which Cole disses Kendrick Lamar. The two have been feuding since Lamar took aim at Cole and Drake on Metro Boomin and Future’s hit song, “Like That.”
T-Minus Discusses Making “7 Minute Drill”
T-Minus on the making of “7 Minute Drill”
– J. Cole’s verse came from one of his 7-minute exercises. – T-Minus made the beat in 7 minutes. – J. Cole asked T-Minus to give him a word to start the song with…
Check out T-Minus’ comments on the making of “7 Minute Drill” above. Be on the lookout for further updates on J. Cole and his feud with Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.
Two weeks after Kendrick Lamar challenged J Cole and Drake on “Like That,” the “MIDDLE CHILD” offered a fitting response. On “7 Minute Drill,” the final track on his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later, he clapped back at Kendrick’s shots with non-subliminal force. Cole questioned his artistic output, called out his frequent absence from the rap game, and claimed that he’s craving attention.
However, “7 Minute Drill” also contains admissions of this not being a real hip-hop “beef” per se, but rather a creative and art-centric battle. Kendrick Lamar adopted a similar philosophy with his feature on Metro Boomin and Future’s album WE DON’T TRUST YOU, so this is truly tat-for-tat. But how do the actual bars on this brand-new J. Cole diss stack up?
J Cole’s Direct Responses To Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” Bars
While Kendrick Lamar is never explicitly called out by name on “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole makes his subject very clear, thanks in part to some direct responses to “Like That.” “Light work, like it’s PWC,” Cole raps at the very beginning, possibly alluding to Kendrick saying that his “best work is a light pack.” In addition, “I told him chill out, how I look having henchmen? / If shots get to popping, I’m the one doing the clenching” seems to be a response to Mr. Morale mentioning his bodyguard on “Like That,” suggesting that he’s not really being upfront by hiding behind a security guard. As such, the “Neighbors” spitter is challenging his “Savior” counterpart to make this a purely one-on-one clash, and telling up to step up to the plate and back his words up.
Not only that, but J. Cole also comments on Kendrick Lamar’s “best work” being a “light pack” as well, another direct rebuttal. He called good kid, m.A.A.d. city a “classic,” Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers “tragic,” said that To Pimp A Butterfly “put n***as to sleep,” and that DAMN. was “massive” and his “prime.” Cole additionally uses classic rap beef history to question the worth, significance, shelf life, and release-related inconsistency of Kendrick’s artistic output, taking a play out of Jay-Z and Nas’ infamous feud. “Four albums in twelve years, n***a, I can divide” Cole raps, referencing Jay-Z’s “Takeover.” Nevertheless, the apparent exclusion of Section.80, instead naming GKMC as “the first s**t,” is a curious choice that many fans will likely invalidate.
J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar perform at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2014. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Rather than sticking to albums, J. Cole claims Kendrick Lamar is not as strong or relevant as he used to be, whether due to his actual moves or, perhaps most importantly, a lack of them. Bars like “He still doing shows, but fell off like The Simpsons” and “He averaging one hard verse like every thirty months or something” point to Kendrick Lamar keeping quiet and losing his skill. Still, others like “Lord, don’t make me have to smoke this n***a ’cause I f**k with him / But push come to shove, on this mic, I will humble him” establish this as an artistic competition about who the best MC is out of the Big 3. They both collaborated on the “Black Friday” singles, which saw Cole ironically spit over the beat to Kendrick’s “Alright” off of TPAB.
With this in mind, neither MC wants to hinge on their past successes. But J. Cole thinks his claim to the throne is more pure in rap than Kendrick Lamar’s explosive moments and claims of greatness. “Boy, I got here off of bars, not no controversy / Funny thing about it, b***h, I don’t even want the prestige / F**k the Grammys ’cause them crackers ain’t never done nothing for me,” he spits against a frequent Grammy winner. Through this exchange, the Dreamville boss insinuates the former TDE MC is more concerned with accolades, grandiose acclaim, and worship than with proving his worth through verses. It’s an underdog narrative that uses Cole’s constant output and participation as proof of his lyrical and artistic superiority.
K.Dot Is Seeking Attention & Can’t Keep Up, Jermaine Thinks
Furthermore, many lines in “7 Minute Drill” highlight this contrast in consistency, presence, and earnestly earned attention rather than provocative proclamations, albeit with an admission of K.Dot’s previous reign. “I was trailing right behind and I just now hit [my prime] / Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want something with me.” This particular bar sees J. Cole calling Kendrick Lamar a clout chaser. “If he wasn’t dissing, then we wouldn’t be discussing him” and “Your arms might be too short to box with the god / Who live his life without the pressures of a constant facade” are killer standouts claiming Kendrick is faking the funk, as well as joking about their height difference. Long story short, Cole thinks the pgLang creative is not that guy anymore.
Overall, this all contributes to J. Cole looking at his war of words against Kendrick Lamar right now as “swatting a fly” despite his love for him as a fellow rapper. He also dismisses that this beef is important compared to what they really go through, which Kendrick is accused of not really wanting to engage in. “The rap beef ain’t realer than the s**t I seen in Cumberland” suggests that K. Dot lost sight of not just the futility of rap beef, but also their history as individuals and peers. As a final nail, Cole calls the 36-year-old out for switching sides “like the tassel on the cap and the gown,” as he helped Kendrick link with Dr. Dre. With the promise of “dropping two classics right now” and with The Fall Off on the way, Jermaine is decidedly unafraid on “7 Minute Drill.”
Earlier today, J Cole took fans by surprise with a new album, Might Delete Later. The drop has already elicited countless responses from fans and critics alike, who’ve been particularly vocal about the last track on the LP, “7 Minute Drill.” On the song, J Cole disses Kendrick Lamar, picking apart the rapper’s discography and throwing jabs about various albums. Of course, this is believed to be his response to Kendrick’s “Like That” verse, in which he goes after Cole and Drake.
As the reactions continue to pour in, some of Top Dawg Entertainment’s finest have taken to social media to share their takes. Reason seems to be impressed, hopping on Twitter/X this morning to praise both Cole and Kendrick. According to him, they’ve managed to make rap “fun again.”
I hope y’all understand this sport and don’t take it too seriously, at least from dot and Cole. This just gon be friendly sparring. I’m exciting to hear both get the shit off with no real issues! Just rap!
Clearly yall don’t understand what “friendly sparring” means lol niggas will rap! It just won’t go pass that or get super personal, that’s what I’m saying. But I think both of them will GO!!!!
“I hope y’all understand this sport and don’t take it too seriously, at least from dot and Cole. This just gon be friendly sparring. I’m exciting to hear both get the sh*t off with no real issues! Just rap!,” he also wrote. “Clearly yall don’t understand what ‘friendly sparring’ means lol n***as will rap! It just won’t go pass that or get super personal, that’s what I’m saying. But I think both of them will GO!!!!”
While Reason’s response was fairly positive, one of TDE’s co-presidents appears to disagree. Moosa shared his own, more critical response to the back and forth in a recent Tweet. “Naw that ain’t it,” he said simply, attributing the quote to Charlamagne Tha God.
What do you think of J Cole going after Kendrick Lamar on his new album, Might Delete Later? What about Reason and Moosa’s reactions to “7 Minute Drill”? Are you surprised they disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
