J. Cole

Tony Yayo & DJ Vlad Debate Whether Or Not J Cole Is A Humble Rapper

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Tony Yayo recently sat down for yet another conversation with DJ Vlad on VladTV, and the two colleagues got around to a lot of topics, as usual. One of them was the recent controversy surrounding Kendrick Lamar and Andrew Schulz, specifically the latter’s comments about the former having a victim complex. As a retort to that point, the G-Unit affiliate posited that K.Dot and J Cole are the most humble rappers in hip-hop due to the lifestyle that they lead and champion in their music and personal lives. Vlad, however, disagrees due to their massive wealth and success within the rap game and beyond.

“Kendrick ain’t for the negative s**t,” Tony Yayo remarked. “He’s not a victim. He’s just not going to be negative. Look at J. Cole. J. Cole rides a bike, man. […] If I see J. Cole in a Mercedes Benz, I probably would fall into shock. These are the most humblest guys in hip-hop, bro. […] When have you seen [Cole] with a chain, a watch? Kendrick is the most humblest – these guys are the most humblest guys in hip-hop. So, yeah, in the world’s eyes, they can’t do no wrong, bro. They humble.”

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Tony Yayo & DJ Vlad Discuss J Cole’s Humility

Then, DJ Vlad told Tony Yayo of when he linked up with Don Lemon, who also rides bikes and takes trains, and how he couldn’t believe he was taking that risk. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have or don’t have to make you a humble person,” Tony argued, pointing out the difference between people with no money who are prideful and people with a lot of money who are more grounded. Of course, things get more complicated with J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar’s huge fanbases and platforms, but Yayo’s got a point.

In any case, the “Keep Heaven Dancing” MC never wavered from his lifestyle so far, and we doubt that J. Cole will ever cease to display this humility in his daily life. We’re sure that all the millions help, but the main difference that Tony Yayo and DJ Vlad discussed here is attitude and mindset. It’s hard to be a GOAT, but even harder to be a humble one.

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Daylyt Recalls Advising J Cole To Follow His Instincts Before Deleting Kendrick Lamar Diss

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Daylyt has spoken a lot about his alleged insider knowledge about the Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and – for a moment – J Cole beef, given his closeness to all the artists. During a recent appearance on The Apollo Podcast, he revealed that Cole actually expressed grievances to him about his K.Dot diss “7 Minute Drill,” which appeared on his surprise Might Delete Later project. As you know, that title became 2024’s most ironic statement, but before pulling the plug on it, the battle rapper apparently advised the Dreamville MC to follow his instincts and take a stand if he felt like there wasn’t any real beef there.

However, Daylyt also expressed that he did not know that J. Cole would take this to the stage and publicly apologize at Dreamville Fest before deleting “7 Minute Drill” from streaming platforms. At the end of the day, though, despite his battle rap side thinking that this was a wild move, he has a lot of respect for Cole’s decision and commends his humility. They apparently linked up in the studio recently, so they might have more collabs on the way.

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Daylyt Advised J Cole To Follow His Intuition

Beyond J. Cole, though, Daylyt also has some other stories and allegations about the battle, such as a FaceTime call with Kendrick Lamar after a Drake diss had dropped. “It’s a FaceTime call, so I ignore the first one,” he told The Apollo Podcast. “He call again. I’m like, ‘Oh, it must be important.’ So, I’m thinking like it’s an emergency because Ab-Soul don’t really FaceTime me, especially not that early. I pick up, it was Dot bro. N***a was just looking at the camera and hung up. The smirk that the n***a had on his face. The last time I seen that was when I was doing shenanigans. It was evil. He about to go to no return with this s**t.”

As for J. Cole, Daylyt’s respect for him may not reflect every fan’s feelings on the apology, but many of them share that sentiment. He also closed 2024 out on a much higher note thanks to his tenth anniversary re-release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive with eight new bonus tracks.

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J Cole Shows Why He’s A Master Of Storytelling & Introspection On “Keep Heaven Dancing”

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It’s clear that a lot of J Cole fans preach that the 2014 Forest Hills Drive era is the MC’s best ever. Additionally, a lot of folk’s label the project the best of his career too. Well, if there were any remaining doubters out there that needed some convincing the 10th Anniversary Edition of the tape should sway them that way. After initially rolling out two vinyl variants, a CD, and then a digital release for it, Cole decided to give everyone a chance by putting it on DSPs. All eight bonus tracks have arrived and there a lot of amazing throwaways, which just proves how much heat Cole had in the vault.

It’s a shame a song like “Keep Heaven Dancing” missed the final cut, but at least it’s here now. Cole’s storytelling and introspection on it is truly the stuff of legend. On it, he raps with a wide scope lens about his past growing up in North Carolina and everything he witnessed. Whether it was a love, violence, friends not making it out of the hood, he excellently sums up what shaped him today. It’s riddled with elite penmanship, stank face-inducing flows, and clever double entendres. It’s truly got it all and we highly recommend you give “Keep Heaven Dancing” a careful listen.

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“Keep Heaven Dancing” – J Cole

Quotable Lyrics:

I miss Aiesha, had the caramel features and a lot of hair
Sometimes, I wonder where she at now
Imaginin’ the way she look and how she act now
Did the hood get her? Have a baby by a hood n****
Give ya two good guesses where he at now
But, you never know maybe she overcame

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Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole Return On Our New “Fire Emoji” Playlist Update

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and hip-hop still has some gifts to give us on our latest Fire Emoji playlist update, which rounds up the genre’s best releases this week. Leading the way is one more Kendrick Lamar track before his dominant 2024 comes to an end, and it’s another SZA collab on her SOS Deluxe: LANA, “30 For 30.” Unsurprisingly, they share a lot of vocal chemistry and charisma over an easy-going beat that fuses melodic rap flows with a bouncy clap beat. They both sound heavenly on the cut, closing out their year on a sweet, fun-loving, and confident note.

Speaking of “the Big Three,” our Fire Emoji update also highlights J. Cole’s tenth anniversary streaming re-release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. It includes eight new bonus cuts that are really resonating with fans during this celebratory time, especially the hard-hitting and gritty “Die Together.” It features the North Carolina MC’s trademark vivid picture-painting, casual but solid rhyme schemes, and impassioned delivery. In other words, these tracks show everything that made 2014 Forest Hills Drive such an enduring and beloved record.

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HNHH Fire Emoji Playlist

For those looking for some more relatively underground gems on Fire Emoji, we’re happy to say that one of 2024’s most prolific runs had one more chapter to cover. Following three other collaborative LPs with other producers, Boldy James dropped off the Hidden In Plain Sight EP with beat wizard whothehelliscarlo, and it’s a succinct but fittingly grimy unwinder. However, the title track, which features Conway The Machine and Styles P, is a good example of how the dusty and street-based vibe of the project can also mix beautifully with more soulful sounds.

As for new singles this week, we’d be remiss not to mention Gunna’s new single “GOT DAMN” and its chilled, calming, and dreamy synth atmosphere. While the trap drums are simple and not much happens here melodically, Wunna’s voice fills in the empty space for the most part. Finally on Fire Emoji, we wanted to shout out the new Tee Grizzley remix of “Diana,” which features Flo Milli. The drill swing courtesy of BNYX and the more auto-tuned delivery are a welcome change of pace for the Detroit spitter, whereas the Alabama femcee skates on the beat in breathy but engaging fashion.

Read More: Hip-Hop Albums That Grew On Us The Most In 2024

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J Cole Answers The Call And Releases “2014 Forest Hills Drive (10th Anniversary Edition)” To Streaming

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He’s done it J Cole fans. After a couple of weeks, the Dreamville head honcho has put the 10th Anniversary Edition of 2014 Forest Hills Drive onto streaming platforms. His acclaimed third studio album turned a decade old on December 9 and the North Carolina MC wanted to give it some extra special treatment. It started just a couple of days prior to the official milestone with him dropping two vinyls with four bonus tracks on each one. Only 2,014 units were available, so a lot of folks missed out. But Cole wound up giving a lot more fans a chance not too long after they sold out.

A digital copy with all eight deluxe cuts was made obtainable through his Inevitable audio series website. You can still buy it for $10.00 USD, and it will take you to the EVEN platform. It allows fans the chance to directly support the artists’ work. But out of nowhere, J Cole has gone a step further and released 2014 FHD to all streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and etc. Unless there was an announcement in one of the episodes of his “podcast,” this is a pretty shocking but welcome surprise. Like the digital copy, all eight songs are here. Go check it out with the links below.

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2014 Forest Hills Drive (10 Year Anniversary Edition) – J Cole

2014 Forest Hills Drive (10 Year Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:

Disc 1

  1. Intro
  2. January 28th
  3. Wet Dreamz
  4. 03′ Adolesence
  5. A Tale Of 2 Citiez
  6. Fire Squad
  7. St. Tropez
  8. G.O.M.D.
  9. No Role Modelz
  10. Hello
  11. Apparently
  12. Love Yourz
  13. Note To Self

Disc 2

  1. Home Soon
  2. Die Together
  3. Judgement Day
  4. Winter Wonderland
  5. Keep Heaven Dancing
  6. Miles (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
  7. Black Man in Hollywood
  8. Obviously

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J. Cole Teases A Potential Release Date Range For His Long Anticipated Album ‘The Fall Off’

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J Cole 2022 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (1024x437)
Getty Image

Yesterday (December 16), J. Cole celebrated the tenth anniversary of his critically acclaimed album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive with a sold-out show at Madison Garden in New York City. Although fans have been in full support of his walk down memory lane of his older records and mixtapes, they desperately want a new body of work. Well, the wait is nearly over.

As the “Port Antonio” rapper closed his Forest Hills Drive 10th Anniversary concert, J. Cole teased a potential release date range for new music. While, Cole didn’t explicitly say it, fans have assumed the onstage declaration (viewable here) is about The Fall Off.

“New York City, until the next time,” he yelled to the crowd. “I’ll see y’all at Dreamville Fest [2025] if you’re coming. Hopefully, I’ll have something new to perform for y’all. Good night.’”

Dreamville Fest 2025 is scheduled to take place between April 5 and 6, 2025. With it being the multi-day’s last installment, J. Cole fans hope that The Fall Off will send the event out with a bang. Another hint supporters used to cite their speculation is The Alchemist’s recent admission that he produced several songs on the project.

As for what has been holding up its release, J. Cole might have answered that too, when he said: “2024’s been absolutely insane, you know what I mean?”

For Cole, that includes his insertion then abandonment of the heated rap beef between his friends Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

J Cole Teases “The Fall Off” Release Date During Anniversary Concert

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J Cole continued to delight longtime fans on December 17. The rapper put on a one night concert to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his classic album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. It marked the end of a run that has seen Cole look back at the first several releases of his career. He’s detailed the making of his mixtapes and albums through the podcast Inevitable. He also put his first three mixtapes on streaming for the first time ever. As the concert drew to a close, though, J Cole hinted at plans for a future release.

J Cole delighted fans with a setlist that included deep cuts, fan favorites, and hit singles. It was when the rapper prepared to exit the stage, though, that excitement kicked in for what was next. J Cole alluded to the upcoming Dreamville Fest. He old fans that he plans to have new music out by the time the festival rolls around. “See y’all at Dreamville Fest,” he explained. “Hopefully I have something new to perform for y’all.” Dreamville Fest is slated for April 2025. This means Cole wants to have his next project out during the first quarter of the year.

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J Cole Hinted At A First Quarter Release Date

This is a thrilling revelation, but not an altogether surprising one. J Cole has been taking stock of his career, and looking back for the bulk of 2024. The “Big Three” battle, and the subsequent fallout, led Cole to step back, and focus on getting his legacy in order. He’s already confirmed that the upcoming Dreamville Fest will be the last. He’s also claimed, on several occasions, that The Fall Off is going to be his final album. Fans have known about the album since 2018. That was the year J Cole released “1985 (Intro to The Fall Off)” at the end of KOD.

J Cole claimed the album was almost done as far back as February. During the Tampa leg of the It’s All a Blur tour, the rapper told the crowd that they will be getting it very soon. “Right now, I’m at the tail-end of working on this album,” he explained. “I’ve been working on for a long time. It’s called The Fall Off.” In a moment that now scans as supremely bizarre, Drake chimed in and claimed The Fall Off will be a classic. It’s hard to imagine Drizzy endorsing a Cole album now, but we’re excited to hear it either way.

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J Cole Thanks Fans For Supporting His Re-Released Mixtapes On Streaming

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J Cole may have had a pretty turbulent 2024 given the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, but he’s closing it out on the highest of notes. Moreover, he launched a new audio series – Inevitable – touching on his career, he announced a 2014 Forest Hills Drive tenth anniversary show in Madison Square Garden in New York City (plus a special physical edition with previously unreleased bonus tracks), and he also re-released his old mixtapes The Come Up, The Warm Up, and Friday Night Lights on digital streaming platforms for the first time ever. The North Carolina MC expressed gratitude for his loyal and supportive fanbase in late November.

“This is a very special moment for me,” J. Cole tweeted. “Been waiting patiently for this day, like a lot of yall have. I wanna say Thank you to everybody out there that kept these projects alive, even during all the years they were not on streaming services, especially this project right here. ‘Friday Nights Lights’ finally available now on all platforms. […] To have a full idea of what this means for me personally, you would have to know the whooole journey. This Inevitable series we doing, is that. […] Love to everybody tuning in, it’s really something special. The Come Up, The Warm up, and Friday Night Lights all up finally. Thank you.”

Read More: J Cole Helps Out Fans Who Missed Out On Tickets To His “2014 Forest Hills Drive” Concert But With A Catch

J Cole Thanks His Fans

Elsewhere, J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim Hamad confirmed the bittersweet news that next year’s Dreamville Fest in North Carolina will be the last-ever iteration of the festival. It’s a very reflective moment for the whole collective, but a lot of it is probably falling on Cole’s shoulders as its flagship artist. The battle certainly adds to that context, but it’s nice that he can indulge in this nostalgia alongside his die-hards.

Of course, there’s still plenty of new music on the way, as Daylyt might have another track coming after he and J. Cole were spotted in the studio. So Dreamville fans don’t have to enter a mourning period just yet, especially during this celebratory time with his older material. It was a tough year at times, but 2024 proved to be a pretty awesome stretch for Cole fans all things considered.

Read More: J Cole Fulfills Fans Wishes By Making Special Edition Of “2014 Forest Hills Drive” Widely Available… Sort Of

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Daylyt Teases New Release After Being Spotted In Studio With J Cole

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Daylyt and J Cole are responsible for some of the best rap singles of the year. The two rappers linked up with Ab-Soul for “Pi,” which represented Daylyt’s first song on the Billboard Hot 100. They followed it up with another stellar outing, “A Plate of Collard Greens.” It’s obvious that J Cole and ‘Lyt have outstanding chemistry on the mic together. And now it’s looking like the two might be gifting fans with a new song for the holiday season.

It all started with footage of J Cole and Daylyt in the studio. The two rappers were spotted recording together as far back as September. Some of the footage was posted by the NFR Podcast on Twitter on December 11. An hour later, Daylyt hopped on social media to confirm that something was coming. “So that I am not cryptic and y’all don’t think this is about bro,” the rapper explained. “I Daylyt Am Dropping Something On December 23rd. Ft…” The Tweet did not specify who was featured on the song, but the timing of the post has fans assuming that Cole is involved.

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Daylyt Confirmed He’s Dropping On December 23

The question, of course, is whether or not Daylyt is the featured artist, or has a feature on a song of his own. It’s clear the rapper wants to have fun with his fans, given his tantalizing message. Fans have been waiting on J Cole’s The Fall Off for years, and some have even speculated that the “drop” could be from the hallowed album. Daylyt has seemingly confirmed his involvement with the album, dating back to this April. The rapper claimed that fans aren’t ready for the level of rapping J Cole has in store.

“Ima say it loud and clear,” Daylyt said during an Instagram Live. “I heard The Fall Off, I’m spillin’ the beans. It’s one of the best levels of rapping I have ever witnessed. Cole is goin’ out with a nuclear missile, I’m tellin’ y’all that… he literally was like ‘I don’t give a f*** about the radio, I just wanna show the world my pen before I die.” J Cole is still in the midst of his podcast series Inevitable, which recounts all of his releases to date, so the wait for The Fall Off will likely carry over to 2025. That said, new Daylyt right in time for Christmas sounds like a win no matter who the featured artist is.

Read More: Daylyt Addresses Rumor He Helped Drake Write “Back To Back”

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Wiz Khalifa Weighs In On J Cole’s Legacy After Kendrick Lamar Apology

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Wiz Khalifa dropped by Club Shay Shay to discuss the current state of hip hop. He’s an established star, following the same meteoric rise and subsequent transition to stoner celebrity as Snoop Dogg. It can be easy to forget, however, that Wiz Khalifa came up during the same blog rap era that produced the likes of Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole. He may no longer be as relevant as the “Big Three,” but he’s uniquely qualified to speak on their careers. This qualification is what made his opinion on J Cole so interesting.

Shannon Sharpe asked Wiz Khalifa how he felt about Cole’s apology. The Dreamville veteran infamously took down his diss against Kendrick Lamar, and deemed it the “wackest sh*t” of his career. Wiz was not expecting the question, but he gave a measured response. He admitted that, as a rapper, he wasn’t very into what J Cole did. “In hip hop, according to the rules,” Wiz Khalifa posited. “Nah, hell nah. You’re not supposed to do that.” However, the Pittsburgh legend felt that what J Cole did was the smart move on a human level. “In real life, you can take back some sh*t that you said,” he admitted.

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Wiz Khalifa Dubbed J Cole The “Bigger Man”

Wiz Khalifa also felt J Cole proved himself to be the “bigger person” by apologizing. “It takes a bigger man to actually be like, ‘I don’t want no problems,’” he explained. “In real life, I f*ck with it… I’ll let other people do the hip hop thing.” Wiz Khalifa falls into the majority of rappers when it comes to assessing J Cole’s apology. While it was generally frowned upon at the time, Cole’s decision to apologize has since been praised for being a mature decision. Charlamagne Tha God was someone who initially clowned J Cole but subsequently changed his tune. “I’m a spiritual being living a human existence has nothing but respect for what J. Cole did,” he said.

Wiz Khalifa also weighed in on the third person in the “Big Three” discussion, Drake. He was asked what he thought about the 6 God’s motions against UMG and Spotify. Without missing a beat, the rapper said that Drake has always been the same person. “Naw, it sounds like a Drake move to me,” he quipped. Wiz did praise the rapper’s business acumen, though. “He’s a musician and a businessman in my eyes,” the rapper added. “I mean it’s a smart thing to do.”

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