Hip Hop News

J. Cole’s “The Off-Season” Is Here: Fans React To 21 Savage’s Verse, & More

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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.

J. Cole, The Off-Season
Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images

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.

Diddy really took hands from J. Cole over Kendrick Lamar

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Dreamville’s J. Cole didn’t hold back on his The Off-Season album. One standout song from the project references a rumored 2013 altercation between himself and music icon Diddy. Diddy really took hands from J. Cole On Cole’s “Let Go Of My Hand,” he clearly name-drops Diddy and doesn’t hold back on what went down 8 […]

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Amber Rose wipes her Instagram clean except for 1 post

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Vixen Amber Rose is either doing some serious Instagram maintenance or gearing up to completely deactivate her account. Muva has practically wiped the page clean with the exception of one post. Amber Rose wipes her Instagram page Heading into Friday, Amber’s account went from content-filled posts with millions of combined likes to practically just a […]

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Ma$e shares epic pic of B.I.G. + Michael Jackson together

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New York rapper Ma$e is keeping his social media pages pumping with content. The former Bad Boy Records star has returned with G.O.A.T talk and an up-close look at late music icons Notorious B.I.G. and Michael Jackson together. Ma$e shares epic pic of a couple G.O.A.T.S Mason hit up his Instagram page with the must-see […]

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Drake + Lil Wayne help Nicki Minaj take over rap game again

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OVO Sound boss Drake and Lil Wayne have Barbies feeling like the Young Money movement is back in full effect. The hip-hop duo helped ignite a mighty music comeback for Nicki Minaj by appearing on the first-ever streaming release of her 2009 Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape. Drake + Lil Wayne help Nicki Minaj’s return […]

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J. Cole Stakes His Claim At The Top On “Applying Pressure” From “The Off-Season”

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“Took years to get this form. The Off-Season,” J. Cole tweeted just as his album made its way to streaming services at the stroke of midnight on Friday (May 14). The leader of Dreamville began rolling out the album a little over a week ago after teasing the project for months. Cole spent the better part of 2020 moving in silence, for the most part, and only recently has it been revealed that aside from running a record label and penning a new album, he was getting his sports career on track with the Africa League.

The Off-Season in its entirety is a stand-out and there are more than enough options for tracks to highlight, but we’re going to start off with “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e.” It would be easy to call this “boastful bars,” but J. Cole isn’t necessarily spending the entirety of the record bragging as much as he plays observer and commentator of Rap culture. The track also shares the same name as Cole’s recently released documentary.

Stream “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e” and let us know what you think of this The Off-Season cut.

Quotable Lyrics

Verses hit hard, never pitched hard or played the streets
These n*ggas whips are behind closed doors, can’t pay the lease
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with livin’ check to check ’cause most have to (I ain’t sayin’ that)
Instead of cappin’, why don’t you talk about being a broke rapper? (I ain’t sayin’ that)
That’s a perspective I respect because it’s real
What it’s like to be nice as f*ck, but got to stress to pay the bills

J. Cole Confirms His Rumored Fight With Diddy On ‘Let Go My Hand’ － Which Features Diddy

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Getty Image

Fans everywhere are rejoicing over J. Cole’s new project The Off-Season, which arrived more than three years after his last solo effort. While some believed the project would drop without features, it turns out its guests — 21 Savage, Cam’ron, Lil Baby, and more — were just unlisted on the tracklist. As listeners continue to take in the new album, one of its tracks is causing many to take a trip down memory lane, one that brings them back to the summer of 2013.

On “Let Go Of My Hand,” J. Cole raps, “My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would’ve thought it? / I bought that n**** album in seventh grade and played it so much / You would’ve thought my favorite rapper was Puff.” This, of course, confirms a rumored fight that Cole had with Diddy at an after-party event for the MTV VMAs. Diddy himself appears on the outro of the song to deliver one of his signature prayers, “Lord, please guide our steps / Watch us, cover us / So that every move we make is in alignment with your will.”

While the cause of the fight was never confirmed, rumor has it that it started when Diddy, who was heavily intoxicated, began an argument with Kendrick Lamar at the party about his infamous “Control” verse and the TDE rapper’s claim that he was the “King of New York.” Diddy eventually tried to pour a drink on Kendrick, an action that upset Cole, a close friend of Kendrick. As a result, Cole allegedly took it upon himself to fight Diddy for trying to douse Kendrick, which led to their respective crews going at it. Nearly eight years later, it’s good to see that they’ve patched things up.

Press play on “Let Go Of My Hand” above to hear the line yourself.

The Off-Season is out now via Dreamville/Roc Nation. Get it here.

Drake Praises Nicki Minaj On IG Live: “We Really Miss You, We Miss The Bars”

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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.

Nicki Minaj, Drake, Dennis Graham, Lil Wayne, Instagram Live, Beam Me Up Scotty, Seeing Green
Ethan Miller / Staff / Getty Images

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.”

Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Drake, Beam Me Up Scotty, Seeing Green
Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images

“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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A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & Rowdy Rebel Collide On “9 Bridge”

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Rowdy Rebel has been making the most of his time as a free man. After serving six years behind bars, the rapper was released from prison back in December. He was quick to hit the studio and has shown up on tracks like “Re-Route” with Funkmaster Flex and the remix to CJ’s “Whoopty” where he and French Montana made appearances.

On Friday (May 14), fans received “9 Bridge,” a single that finds Rowdy linking up with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. The pair share the spotlight on the track but the song is rumored to be featured on the latter’s forthcoming album, A Boogie vs. Artist. The project is the follow-up to A Boogie’s 2020 Valentine’s Day release Artist 2.0, a record that landed at the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s U.S. Rap Chart.

Fans are loving “9 Bridge,” so check it out and let us know what you think of this pairing.

Quotable Lyrics

They catch me drippin’ in front the Barclay
Catch me flying down the Parkway
Smokin’ backpack, broccoli
It’s just me and Boogie, back-to-back
In a Maybach, n*gga, pardon me
Got my feet up with my heat tucked
If them woo n*ggas start me, but it’s