J Cole recently released his classic and beloved 2010 mixtape Friday Night Lights on streaming services for the first time, and fans are rejoicing as a result. It’s a big unexpected hit of nostalgia amid a pretty interesting year for the Dreamville boss, such as a new reflective audio series, a brand-new mixtape, and a Kendrick Lamar battle that seems to shift in public perception with each new update. But none of that would be possible without Cole’s talent, one that he displays on “In The Morning.”
It’s a pretty smooth and steady romantic cut that leans more lustful than languid, and features the other big piece of the Kendrick Lamar battle: Drake. He and J. Cole are in a pretty vague spot right now, mostly because Drizzy himself hasn’t really responded to the North Carolina MC’s defense of him in any significant way. But their chemistry on this Friday Night Lights cut is quite solid, and it’s one that they definitely improved upon 13 years later with tracks like “Evil Ways.”
Meanwhile, J. Cole is seemingly closing out 2024 on a reflective note, looking back at his career through the Inevitable audio series. With that in mind, listening to “In The Morning” really brings that retrospection to life. With The Fall Off still on the way and new chapters emerging in the 2024 rap war seemingly every day, it looks like 2025 will also be a busy year for Cole. In any case, we’re excited to see him tackle it.
Quotable Lyrics You see, my intentions with you was clear, I’m learning not to judge a woman by the s**t that she wear, Therefore, you shouldn’t judge a n***a off the s**t that you hear, Get all defensive, apprehensive, all because my career
J Cole has been in legacy mode lately. He launched the podcast Inevitable as a means of rehashing his monumental achievements in the rap game. He’s been running through his run of mixtapes in the lead up to his final album, The Fall Off. The best part of this rollout, however, has been the fact that his mixtapes have been released to streaming platforms in conjunction with the podcast. The Come Up and The Warm Up were released, and now, Cole’s mixtape opus, Friday Night Lights, is available.
Friday Night Lights remains one of the finest showcases of J Cole’s career. It sees him produce the lion’s share of songs, and elevate his rapping from the already elite level he was at on The Warm Up. “Back to the Topic” is a dense lyrical showcase, as is his nod to Kanye West, “Villematic.” The collabs are sparse on here, but they are spectacular nonetheless. Wale delivers a show stopper of a verse on “You Got It,” Omen sobers the listener up on “Enchanted.” Most notable, however, is the classic Drake collab, “In the Morning.” It was recycled for J Cole’s major label debut, but hearing it now, with the context of the “Big Three” drama, it’s a reminder of simpler times. Friday Night Lights remains a classic release for those who grew up on Datpiff. Now, it’s available for all.
Let us know what you think of this brand new album, in the comments section down below. 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.
The “Big Three” has really imploded in 2024. Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole declared war on each other, and chaos has ensued. Drake and Cole’s careers have suffered, and Lamar has become the new king of the genre. Kanye West, meanwhile, looms over the “Big Three.” He’s a major influence on all three artists, and has had complicated relationships with each of them over the years. He even got on a remix to “Like That” to throw shots at Drake and Cole. This combativeness was not always the case, though. A tweet from 2020 shows that Kanye West had other plans in mind for the talented trio.
West’s 2020 post about Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole has gone semi viral in the wake of Drake’s legal drama. He praised all three artists, and claimed that he wanted to get them all in the same room in the interest of doing something great for the genre. “We need J Cole Drake Kendrick all in a room 2gthr,” Kanye West wrote. “It’s time to get free… we will not argue… while somebody we don’t know in Europe is getting paid.” It’s a fascinating idea, given how fractured the relationships between all four of these men have become in the last few years.
Kanye West Wanted To “Free” Drake, Kendrick And Cole
A tweet from Ye in 2020 has resurfaced and gone viral.
In it, he mentions J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar.
“We need J Cole Drake Kendrick all in a room 2gthr… it’s time to get free… we will not argue… while somebody we don’t know in Europe is getting paid.” pic.twitter.com/EQ4u9DtFy5
Kanye West’s tweet is also fascinating given its business implications. The rapper has been rallying against the traditional label system for a decade. He’s suffered financial losses as a result, but he has also claimed to be “free” as a result. Conversely, he called out Drake for being a product of the label machine, and someone who did the biding of those in power. Kanye West suggesting that the biggest rappers in the world team up is so powerful because he alludes to taking back power. He wants to see the men he influenced break “free” of the system.
It’s a sentiment that Kanye West expressed far more negatively during a 2024 appearance on The Download podcast. He claimed Drake had a “rich baby daddy” at UMG named Lucian Grainge. Drake’s decision to file a lawsuit against UMG and Spotify seemingly supports West’s comments. It’s interesting to think of an alternate timeline in which West, Drake, Kendrick and Cole did get a room together around 2020. It’s impossible to say whether or not the “Big Three” battle would have been avoided, but it’s fun to ponder regardless.
Global superstar J. Cole and Dreamville, the renowned entertainment brand and multi-platinum record label he co-founded, have officially announced the return of Dreamville Festival to Raleigh, North Carolina. The two-day event will take place on Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Dorothea Dix Park.
Presales for the 2025 festival begin Wednesday, December 11, at 9:00 a.m. EST, offering General Admission, GA+, and VIP packages. These presale tickets will be the most affordable, with prices increasing as the event approaches. Any remaining tickets will be available during a general on-sale.
The festival’s 2024 edition drew 100,000 fans from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and over 20 countries to J. Cole’s home state, generating an economic impact exceeding $145 million for the Wake County area. Next spring, Dreamville Festival will once again celebrate music, culture, and community with a lineup of immersive experiences.
Attendees can enjoy dozens of local food trucks, artisans, and muralists across the festival grounds. Highlights include the Dreamville Ferris Wheel, offering scenic views of downtown Raleigh, site-wide art installations, and the Dreamville Foundation’s Nonprofit Row, connecting fans with local organizations.
This year’s event will support the Dreamville Foundation and Dix Park Conservancy, with a portion of proceeds benefiting these nonprofit partners. Organizers extend gratitude to the sponsors and partners who help bring this celebrated festival to life each year.
Mark your calendars and prepare to experience the magic of Dreamville in the heart of North Carolina next spring.
J Cole’s 2024 has been very interesting, controversial, and exciting all in one. As of recently, it’s been the latter as the North Carolina native is in the middle of his audio series, Inevitable. The 10-episode podcast-like saga is giving fans a closer and more personal look at the superstar’s journey from a hungry young buck to his biggest album to date, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. It looks like more seasons/volumes of this will be coming, with the potential pot of gold at the end of the rainbow being The Fall Off. Along the way, Cole has been officially rereleasing his three earliest mixtapes along with the episodes named after them.
The last of those is Friday Night Lights and if all goes according to plan, it will be on streaming sometime tomorrow. However, things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Jermaine, especially in the first third of the year. His fourth Dreamville Fest arrived during that stretch, which was awesome. However, his apology at his event to Kendrick Lamar was quite a divisive moment to say the least. The tune on that decision has since changed, but it left some feeling off following that installment of his beloved festival.
Hopefully, things will be a bit smoother and a whole lot more epic next year when the outdoor spring festivities return. To be exact, Dreamville Fest will be back starting April 5 and running through the 6th. It will be held once again in Raleigh, NC at Dorothea Dix Park, with tickets going on sale soon. According to a recent press release, a presale will land on Wednesday, December 11 at 9 a.m. EST.
What customers will be able to get their hands on are general admission tickets, general admission plus passes for both days, as well as a few VIP packages. There is another major detail to remember, and its this: “These will be the least expensive tickets available to the general public,” the release reads. “Prices [will increase] as the event date approaches. If any presale tickets remain, a general ticket on-sale will follow.” So, don’t say we didn’t warn you! Make sure you circle your calendars!
Following last year’s edition with headliners SZA and Nicki Minaj and over 100,000 attendees, J. Cole‘s Dreamville Festival is returning in 2025. The artist-led music festival will be held at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6, 2025.
The lineup for Dreamville Festival 2025 hasn’t been announced yet, but ticket presales begin on Wednesday, December 11 at 9:00 a.m. ET with two-day GA, GA+, and VIP packages. If any presale tickets remain (here’s a tip if you’re thinking of going: they won’t), a general ticket on-sale will follow. You can find more information here.
Outside of the music, Dreamville Festival, which brings in over $145 million to the local economy, features local vendors, food trucks, artisans, and muralists spread across the festival grounds. Attendees will also be able to enjoy “site-wide art installations; learn more about local community organizations through Dreamville Foundation’s Nonprofit Row; [and] ride the iconic Dreamville Ferris Wheel, which provides unparalleled skyline views of downtown Raleigh and the sprawling festival grounds.”
It has been fascinating to see how differently Kendrick Lamar’s ostensible rivals Drake and J Cole have reacted to the Compton prophets’ devastating 2024 run. Their disparate approaches have varied wildly; while Drake apparently sought legal recourse for his public embarrassment (to the disappointment and disapproval of fans online), Cole has taken another, seemingly more apologetic tack. In the latest episode of his nostalgic “not-a-podcast” podcast Inevitable, J. Cole shared a pair of previously unreleased collaborations with Kendrick.
“Shock The World” and “Temptation” were recorded in 2010, around that time everyone thought they would release a joint mixtape together. Cole recounted how their meeting at a 2010 U-N-I release party (now, there is a name I haven’t heard in quite some time), which led to Cole giving K. Dot a few beats to mess around with — including the aforementioned titles and the 2011 Section.80 standout “HiiiPower.”
“When I played them for him, I was like, ‘Bro, you can have these if you want,’” Cole recalls. “I remember he said — and it always stuck with me ’cause I had never heard nobody say this to me before — he was looking at me like, ‘N****, are you sure you want to give me these?!’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, go ahead, take them.’ He was like, ‘Bro, you sleeping on yourself.’ It struck me because it was actually the stone-cold truth of my reality at that time. I was so focused on getting this unicorn hit for my album that I was actually sleeping on the shit that I did well.”
It seems inevitable that this will prompt another round of fan requests for that joint tape (which is, perhaps, Cole’s intention after he flubbed his chance to outrap Kendrick earlier this year), but it also seems equally unlikely that the GNX rapper will be taking requests for the foreseeable future.
You can hear the full story on Inevitable, which you can listen to here.
J Cole and Kendrick Lamar have a fascinating relationship. They are two of the most revered rappers of their generation, and two thirds of the “Big Three.” They’ve shown love to each other, and then dissed each other. It’s all very messy and recent, but J Cole is not shying away from the history between him and Dot on his new podcast Inevitable. Cole not only spoke on Lamar during a recent episode, but he previewed two unreleased songs from a joint album they worked on circa 2010.
Long time J Cole and Kendrick Lamar fans will recognize these songs. We’re going back to the Datpiff days with these ones. J Cole previewed “Temptations” and “Shock the World,” which were previewed for attendees of a record store release back in 2010. There’s video footage of Kendrick Lamar rapping to the songs alongside fans on YoTube. The audio quality, though, as long time fans can attest, is rough. Fans can be heard cheering and exclaiming in the background of the recordings that do exist. J Cole decided to give the public (those who remembered, at least), what they wanted with CDQ versions during via his podcast.
“Temptations” sees J Cole and Kendrick Lamar swap stellar verses over a harp-driven Cole beat. “Shock the World,” meanwhile, features both rappers and a chorus sung by former TDE affiliate BJ the Chicago Kid. Not only do fans get to hear what these songs sound like in their official form, but they get to hear the context of how the songs came together. Cole discusses their making, and the musical chemistry that was immediately recognizable between him and Lamar in the studio.
These songs obviously hit different in light of songs like “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.” The J Cole and Kendrick Lamar relationship has grown increasingly frayed in the last year. Cole recently dropped “Port Antonio,” which is an extended explanation of what went down between him, Drake and Lamar, and why he chose to bow out of the feud. Cole’s reputation has arguably taken the biggest hit of the “Big Three.” The fact that he’s looking back, though, and seemingly at peace with his relationship with both rappers, means that we can get fascinating peeks into an alternate history courtesy of these unreleased collabs.
It feels like there’s a thin line between coincidences and calculated moves, at least for Kendrick Lamar. He’s often a few steps ahead of most, and the release of his new album, GNX, has been one of the year’s most anticipated albums, even though no one knew whether it would drop in 2024. It marked his first official project since Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and his first album release post-TDE.
Context is important for this album. His historical beef with Drake is at the fore of this feud, especially after “Not Like Us” dominated the summer. However, this album isn’t strictly about Kendrick’s grievances with his peers–he’s coming for what’s his and destroying anything in his path. It all begins with “wacced out murals,” the blistering intro track that serves as the “Bomb First (My Second Reply)” to Kendrick’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The first line alone addresses reports that one of his murals in Compton had been defaced in the wake of his Super Bowl halftime show announcement but this stands as a metaphor for the backlash he received following the news. Regardless, Kendrick is out for blood, and below, we’re breaking down the lyrics for the intro to GNX.
Despite the overwhelming amount of unity and support on the West Coast these days, there may have been a few individuals who just weren’t feeling Kendrick’s “Not Like Us.” The defacing of the artwork at Compton’s Honduras Restaurant Mi Sabor was seemingly handled by an OVO supporter, who X’d out Kendrick’s eyes, wrote the letters T and F, along with “OK,” before finishing with the acronyms of Drake’s October Very Own brand, XXL reports.
Drake
Of course, much of “wacced out murals” addresses the aftermath of his beef with Drake as early as the first verse when he raps, “It used to be f*ck that n***a but now it’s plural,” and “Put they head on a Cuban link as a monument,” which is an undoubted declaration of his unanimous win in the feud earlier this year. Much of the contention in the song–and the album at large– is directed at Drake or at the very least, what the Canadian rapper represents. However, the third verse of “wacced out murals” directly addresses a few talking points from the beef including a callback to “6:16 In L.A.”:
“N***as from my city couldn’t entertain old boy Promisin’ bank transactions and even Bitcoin I never peaced it up, that shit don’t sit well with me Before I take a truce, I’ll take ’em to Hell with me If that money got in the hands of a crash dummy Could jeopardize my family and burden the ones who love me”
These lines refer to the rumors that Drake tried to put money out in the streets for dirt on Kendrick Lamar. Alleged Kendrick affiliate, Coolee Bravo, claimed that he fed Drake false information for $150K. This has yet to be confirmed but Kendrick suggests that Drake was playing with fire, especially since someone could’ve taken things too far and caused physical harm to Kendrick’s family.
Lil Wayne
Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction,not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love
While many have debated whether or not Lil Wayne was dissed on GNX, Kendrick clearly had no issues taking his foe’s boss to task following the NOLA rapper’s complaints about the Super Bowl. “Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud/ Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” he raps in the second verse. Not only a reference to J. Cole’s “Let Nas Down” but this line serves as a direct response to Weezy and co. (Nicki Minaj etc.) who leaped to criticize Roc Nation and the Super Bowl without congratulating Kendrick Lamar.
For obvious reasons, the Young Money crew didn’t feel compelled to acknowledge Dot’s success after he duked it out with Wayne’s most notable protegé. This probably stung even more considering Kendrick once released a whole mixtape in dedication to Weezy. In fact, the intro of the project includes a glowing endorsement from Lil Wayne.
A few lines later, Kendrick seemingly takes digs at Lil Wayne’s musical output as of late. “Quite frankly, plenty artists, but they outdated/ Old-ass flows, trying to convince me that you they favorite,” he raps. It’s unclear if this is a shot at Wayne but most would agree that Wayne is far from his prime these days.
In response, Lil Wayne expressed confusion in a post on X. “Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction,not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love,” he tweeted.
Snoop Dogg
K dot new album GNX It was the edibles west west king
The West Coast’s never been as unified, though it seemed like Snoop felt like he was above the politics. Following the release of Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle,” where he used AI to replicate Snoop Dogg and Tupac and taunt Kendrick, the Doggfather seemingly crossed a line by posting the song on his Instagram and co-signing Drake’s effort, despite the backlash. “Snoop posted ‘Taylor Made,’ I prayed it was the edibles/ I couldn’t believe it, it was only right for me to let it go,” Kendrick raps on the song. Kendrick evidently felt some type of way about Snoop Dogg’s praise for Drake, especially since Snoop passed the West Coast torch to Dot. In response, Snoop tweeted, “K dot new album GNX It was the edibles west west king.”
In the midst of the Super Bowl halftime show fallout, only a few people emerged with congratulatory messages for Kendrick Lamar. One of which was Nas, who also congratulated Kendrick on the release of GNX shortly after its release. “Always inspired by my brother KL. Keeping the essence of this shit alive and at the forefront. Salute King!” Nas captioned his latest post.
Diddy
Though his name appears to be omitted, Kendrick seemingly acknowledged the reckoning that the music industry is currently facing.
“Okay, f*ck your hip-hop, I watched the party just die N**gas cackling about— while all of y’all is on trial N**gas thought that I was antisocial when I stayed inside of my house You better off to have one woman, everything tricky right now”
Some interpreted this as a shot at Diddy while others speculated that Kendrick might be referring to Young Thug and Lil Durk. However, Diddy’s trial has produced several unsavory memes, such as the term “No Diddy,” the baby oil memes, or the speculation surrounding “Diddy parties,” which makes this more likely the reference. Moreover, his claims against Drake on “Not Like Us” and “meet the grahams” seemingly mirror some of the allegations against Diddy in his court cases.
J. Cole
In another one where names aren’t mentioned, Kendrick seemingly takes a few digs at J. Cole who has willingly taken more Ls than Drake this year. With the release of “Port Antonio,” Cole attempted to address his position in the feud and his fear of “losing a bro” while maintaining that he’s a formidable opponent in the booth.
Twice on “wacced out murals,” Kendrick seemingly addresses J. Cole’s attempt to both sides his way through the beef. First, he mentions, “F*ck apologies, I wanna see y’all geeked up,” which feels like it could reference Cole’s initial statements at Dreamville Festival where he vowed to pull “7 Minute Drill” off of DSPs and offered an apology to Kendrick. The second time in the song where Kendrick appears to reference the feud is in the third verse when he raps, “Ayy, fuck anybody empathetic to the other side, I vow/ A bitch n***a love bitch n***as, they exist with ’em in style/ Exterminate ’em right now.” Since “Port Antonio” was Cole’s attempt to thwart the narrative surrounding his decision to bow out, it appears that Kendrick isn’t giving J. Cole as much grace as he’d like.
Andrew Schulz
Andrew Schulz reacts to Kendrick Lamar seemingly dissing him on his new album ‘GNX’
Even Andrew Schulz caught a stray on “wacced out murals.” Toward the end of the song, Kendrick seemingly references Schulz’s controversy with James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu, the British podcasters who apologized after engaging in some edgy misogynoir banter on the Flagrant podcast. “Don’t let no white comedian talk about no Black woman, that’s law,” Kendrick says. “Is this guy too woke to understand a joke?” Schulz said in response to the line, according to DJ Akademiks.
Katt Williams
Before the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake exploded, Katt Williams set the tone for 2024, and it appears that Dot channeled that spirit. Katt Williams sat down with Club Shay Shay at the beginning of the year for an explosive interview where he aired out his grievances with the entertainment industry, calling out everyone from Steve Harvey to Diddy. So when Dot raps, “Make Katt Williams ‘nem proud, the truth ‘bout to get loud,” we can imagine that he’s readying the world for a rude awakening.
J Cole has been fulfilling fans’ aspirations over the last few days since dropping his audio series, Inevitable. People were hoping that the North Carolina luminary would reissue some of his earliest works of his career once they saw the titles of some of the episodes. “The Come Up” went on to spawn his first mixtape that same day. Then, on Friday, he would drop off want many view to be his first true classic project, The Warm Up (2009). It’s also one of his most important releases of his journey to superstardom thanks to some key tracks.
“Lights Please,” also one of his earliest hits, was essentially the record that convinced the almighty JAY-Z to sign J Cole to Roc Nation. We can see why this was the one to win him over, as the wordplay and storytelling are top notch. The frustrating accounts of the Dreamville boss being with a woman who only wants her desires met while he tries to develop the relationship by sharing his dreams and stresses is heartbreaking. Because of this, it’s one of Cole’s best “love” records too, if you even want to call it that. There’s no wonder why he put this on The Sideline Story just two years later.
I told her all about how we been livin’ a lie And that they love to see us all go to prison or die Like, “Baby, look at how they show us on the TV screen” But all she ever want me to do is unzip her jeans Then all I really want is for her to get on top Before you know it, she workin’, jerkin’ it nonstop
(@unsexiest)
west west king 
