Black Thought Explains Why His J Cole Collab Album Never Happened

Black Thought is as respected as a rapper can get. The frontman of The Roots is regularly cited as one of the dynamic lyricists of all time, so anybody who plans to keep up with him better be nice. J Cole thought he was up to the challenge. Black Thought recently appeared on This Week In White Supremacy Podcast (bold name, we know) to reveal that Cole approached him about doing a collab album. The rapper admits he considered the idea. Ultimately, though, the collab album never came together.

Black Thought was asked about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle that’s taken the music world by storm. What rapper hasn’t been, right? The host pointed out that nobody has ever dared beef with Black Thought, and the rapper confirmed this theory. He was then asked about J. Cole’s decision to apologize to K. Dot following the release of his diss. He didn’t pick team Drake or Lamar, but he commended Cole for his actions. He described the apology as “beautiful,” and felt like it showed “humility and nobility” on J. Cole’s part. “When the plane’s going down,” he asserted. “You gotta situation your own oxygen mask first.”

Read More: Black Thought Reveals His Top Five Favorite MCs

Black Thought Thinks He “Scared” J. Cole Off

Black Thought’s high opinion on Cole led to him dropping a bombshell about their previous encounter. He told the host that the Dreamville rapper approached him for a full-length project a few years back. Thought was into the idea. “He and I had talked about doing music together,” The Roots rapper noted. “Beginning of 2018, he hit me like, ‘Yo, let’s do an album.’ I told him to send me some music. It was like let me see what you’re thinking.” Black Thought ultimately felt like Cole wanted to make something that was identical to what he was already doing with The Roots.

“He sent me a batch of beats and they all just felt so close to something Roots-centric,” Thought noted. “At the time, I was trying to sort of step outside of what I’d done in The Roots and I just didn’t feel like we were lining up.” Thought theorizes that he scared Cole off when he messaged him back and asked for a different batch of instrumentals. “I think I scared him off,” he explained. “Maybe like some of the trigger words I was using, ‘I want something hard.’” Thought and J. Cole have yet to officially collaborate, but hopefully they get lined up at some point in the future.

Read More: Black Thought Recalls Nearly Coming To Blows With Questlove

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J. Cole Appears To Be Living His Best Life After Exiting The Kendrick Lamar Beef, As He Was Just Spotted Chilling At The Beach

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After Kendrick Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” Cole fired back with “7 Minute Drill.” Cole quickly had a change of heart, though, removing the song from streaming services and calling it “the lamest sh*t I did in my f*ckin’ life.”

Since then, Lamar has left Cole alone while going all in on Drake. Through it all, there have been jokes that Cole is living worry-free and enjoying life at the moment, certainly more than Drake is. It appears the jokes are pretty much true, according to one fan’s supposed interaction with the rapper.

Per Complex, a fan named Lale shared a photo of herself and Lamar at a beach, where she says she happened to spot the rapper. In the photo, Lamar is wearing headphones plugged into a laptop.

Lale says she had a 30-minute conversation with Cole, and he apparently told her he was working on a new album. She apparently asked about the Drake side of the Lamar feud and he reportedly said he “doesn’t like beef.”

It certainly seems like Cole is having a better time than Drake is at the moment. Lamar has repeatedly gone after him with diss track after diss track, and his response didn’t get rave reviews online.

J Cole Spotted Enjoying Relaxing Beach Day Amid Kendrick Lamar & Drake’s Heated Beef

There is still a lot of debate swirling around J Cole’s decision to drop out of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. The original narrative was that the German-born lyricist was weak and did not want to embrace the competition. Now, it has shifted, as hip-hop fanatics have grown to understand his choice to gracefully step away. Part of that is because of how serious the shots have been between the two heavyweights. The Might Delete Later creator is all about working to be the best. But when he apologized for “7 Minute Drill” it showed his true colors. He is not and will never be about disrespecting people he admires. That is why J Cole is going to the beach instead of writing his next verses for a diss response.

That is not some metaphor, the North Carolina rapper was actually spotted at a beach recently. An X account by the name of Modern Notoriety, shared a photo of the peacemaker at some sandy location with a female fan. The supporter posted a TikTok after the experience, saying, “Me: goes to the beach to clear my head. Me: casually meets J. Cole.” In the picture they are sitting next to each other, as Cole is wearing headphones that are attached to a laptop.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Claims New Drake-Kendrick Lamar Diss Was Delayed After Shooting

J Cole Is At Peace On The Beach

There is a possibility that he could be working on some tracks for the long-awaited The Fall Off. Fans have been waiting on his supposed final album for the last couple of years. However, not much is known still. What we can say is that J Cole is just enjoying himself and keeping his own sanity and that is wonderful to see.

What are your thoughts on J Cole spending a day at the beach during the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef? Do you think that he made the right decision by removing himself from the rap battle, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding J Cole and the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar beef. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar & Drake’s Rap Beef Overshadows Taylor Swift On Apple Music Charts (hotnewhiphop.com)

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Benny The Butcher Commends J Cole For Kendrick Lamar & Drake Beef Exit

“Everyone owes J Cole an apology” is one of the most common sentiments following the escalation of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. After the North Carolina MC had tapped out of the battle following his “7 Minute Drill” diss and apologizing for it two days later, many clowned his decision and expressed disappointment or even anger towards him due to his exit. Well, now we know exactly what he was avoiding, and we can’t imagine that he would’ve been cool with the drama-filled, seriously accusatory, and relentless nature of this war. Benny The Butcher was one of many MCs to agree with Cole’s exit, speaking to Hype Fight recently on why he understands his decision.

“That’s my dog,” Benny The Butcher labeled J. Cole, who had previously worked with him on the excellent Tana Talk 4 cut “Johnny P’s Caddy.” “Honestly, you can see how gossipy and everything that this battle’s turned into. Do you blame him for not wanting to be a part of this at this moment? Do you blame him? I don’t. I probably would’ve went about it in a different way, but it’s like a gossip battle. It’s not like a rap battle, it’s like a ‘telling each other’s business’ type of thing, so I wouldn’t want to be a part of that.”

Read More: Benny The Butcher Lists Tyler, The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, And More As His Dream Collaborators

Benny The Butcher’s Thoughts On J Cole Refusing The Kendrick Lamar & Drake Beef

Furthermore, this take a little ironic considering Benny The Butcher’s off-wax issues with Freddie Gibbs, but even that was more of a personal tussle than it was targeted at families and circles. As has been painfully clear to see, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have no such boundaries. In fact, this feud has reopened a lot of conversations on whether rap beef ever goes too far in its lyrical nastiness, and on what it means for these MCs -– scratch that, grown fathers -– to trade blows like this. No matter where you fall on that side of the debate, certain Internet corners are far less concerned with their lyricism now.

On that front, though, Benny The Butcher and J. Cole are still two highly respected pen-wielders. The former even thinks that the latter is the best rapper alive, which is high praise coming from another candidate in that race. If fans are lucky, they’ll meet in the studio once more. You don’t need accusations to craft cutting verses.

Read More: Benny The Butcher Claims To Have Turned Down A Meeting With Donald Trump

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Chuck D Thinks Drake And Kendrick Lamar Should Tour Together

Chuck D was one of the most controversial and combative rappers of all time during his prime. He had no problem taking it to anybody that criticized his message. That being said, the Public Enemy rapper is not one to promote division for division’s sake. He’s been watching the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle like the rest of the world, and while there are aspects he’s enjoyed, he’d prefer to see the two stars make up. Chuck D went as far as to suggest that they should reunite with J Cole and take the “Big Three” on tour.

Chuck D hopped on X (formerly Twitter) May 5 to set the record straight on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. He clarified that he was team Lamar, but felt that both men would be better serving the genre by banding together and presenting a unified front. He included J. Cole in his hopes. “These fantastic 3 rappers (I’m biased for KL) have songs that never will get this public attention,” he noted. “Hence this low hanging kid sh*t turns casuals heads.” Chuck D felt the best possible outcome for hip-hop fans would be a tour. “Get them all on a TOUR so we can pick seats,” he added.

Read More: Chuck D Reacts To Joe Biden’s State Of The Union Address: “Pay Attention”

Chuck D Thinks A Reconciliation Would Benefit Hip-Hop

The Public Enemy rapper also noted the difference between rap now and when he got into the game. He pointed out how he was considered “old” when he hit his 30s, yet Drake, Cole and Lamar are all pushing 40. “I didn’t make music for kids, but if they got it, it wouldn’t ROT them,” he explained. “When I turned 30, I was old in Rap. Same with 40, 50, 60. Now, with all going on in the world, 40 year olds asking me about 3 millionaire great rappers beefing.”

There have been lots of veteran rappers who have weighed in on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. Memphis Bleek voiced his support for Lamar, as did Rodney O from the duo Rodney O & Joe Cooley. Bun B didn’t pick a side, but he had a more positive take on the situation than Chuck did. He took to Instagram to say that as long as there isn’t violence involved, rap beef is entertaining for the fans. “Fans get more music done on a high level,” he asserted. “No one is physically hurt. Enjoy it! I know I am!”

Read More: Chuck D Net Worth 2024: What Is The Public Enemy Icon Worth?

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J. Cole Reportedly Advised by ScHoolboy Q to Exit Kendrick Lamar Beef

J. Cole's "7 Minute Drill" Officially Removed from Streaming

J. Cole infamously bowed out of beefing with Kendrick Lamar. The forfeit came after dropping the “7 Minute Drill” diss record, and many fans asked why. We may now have a reason.

According to AllHipHop, ScHoolboy Q, seemingly a friend to Cole and a well-known associate of Lamar, reportedly slid a word of advice during the Dreamville Festival.

AllHipHop notes: “Allegedly, ScHoolboy Q had a conversation with J. Cole at the Dreamville Festival. Our writer confirmed that ScHoolboy Q was at the festival and that they did have a conversation. She couldn’t corroborate what they talked about, but sources are telling me that they gave him a warning.”

You can read more details here.

Following up on his statement from the Dreamville Festival, J. Cole has deleted “7 Minute Drill” from the Might Delete Later project.

While the song is gone now, it’s worth noting that “7 Minute Drill” completed a whole week of tracking so it could be included in Billboard stats before being removed. The track’s removal came five days after he said he would erase it.

Live on stage at his Dreamville Festival, a spot where a rapper currently embroiled in beef would get a Summer Jam moment off, Cole dubbed the diss “the lamest shit I did in my fuckin’ life.”

Speaking to the capacity crowd, Cole called Lamar “one of the greatest motherfuckers to ever touch a microphone,” while revealing the diss doesn’t sit right with his spirit.

It went a bit further; Cole said he was moving incorrectly and, “I got my chin out. Take your best shot. I’ma take that shit on the chin,” welcoming any diss that was coming his way.

Additionally, Cole instructed his manager to delete the song from streaming services.

You can hear it all from J. Cole below.

On “7 Minute Drill” he rapped:

“Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic
Your second shit put n-ggas to sleep, but they gassed it
Your third shit was massive and that was your prime
I was trailin’ right behind and I just now hit mine.”

Cole also evoked some of JAY-Z’s bars to Nas, rapping,”

I’m hesitant, I love my brother, but I’m not gonna lie
I’m powered up for real, that shit would feel like swattin’ a fly
Four albums in twelve years, nigga, I can divide
Shit, if this is what you want, I’m indulgin’ in violence

The post J. Cole Reportedly Advised by ScHoolboy Q to Exit Kendrick Lamar Beef first appeared on The Source.

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Kendrick Lamar Refused To Appear On Drake’s “First Person Shooter”

Kendrick Lamar hates Drake. It used to be a speculative statement, but after the release of his diss track “Euphoria,” it’s been validated as a fact. The rapper hates the way Drake talks and acts, and according to DJ Akademiks, he hates the way Drake tried to play nice and clique up. The internet personality dropped a bombshell revelation during his May 2 live stream when he revealed that Drake asked Lamar to appear on his 2023 hit “First Person Shooter.”

“First Person Shooter” is the song that kicked off the Drake vs. Lamar battle. The song features J. Cole and the 6 God swapping bars about being the best of their generation, and the former shouts out Lamar for being the third in the so-called “Big Three.” Evidently, this reference is a glimpse of what the original version of “First Person Shooter” was going to be.

According to DJ Akademiks, Drake asked J. Cole and Lamar to contribute verses, but Lamar wanted nothing to do with him or the song. He was so put off by the offer, in fact, that it led to him writing the “Like That” diss.

Read More: Drake Trolls Kendrick Lamar With “10 Things I Hate About You” Clip

Kendrick Lamar References The Offer On “Euphoria”

“Drake hit up Kendrick,” Akademiks said. “Now, if you think about this entire timeline and beef with that in mind, makes sense… I’m hearing that ‘First Person Shooter’ was a song intended to be with the ‘Big Three.’ I’m hearing that verses were reworked because Kendrick Lamar did not respond to the feature request.” Drake is not the source of these claims, but Ak assured viewers that he’s gotten his info on good authority.

The “First Person Shooter” theory has actually been circulating online since the release of Lamar’s “Euphoria” diss on April 30. On the third verse of the song, the Compton rapper references a feature request that Drake made. “Surprised you wanted that feature request,” he spit. “You know that we got some sh*t to address.” It was widely assumed that “First Person Shooter” was the feature in question, but Akademiks has now confirmed it.

DJ Akademiks had a busy May 2. In addition to sharing the “First Person Shooter” story, the internet personality shot down a rumor that Drake was going to drop a diss on May 3. DJHed claimed that the Toronto rapper was going to clap back at Lamar mere days after “Euphoria” released, but Ak shut the hype train down. He hopped on the phone with Kai Cenat and told him there was no diss coming that soon. “Drake’s not dropping tonight,” he stated. “He’s dropping soon though, but not tonight.”

Read More: DJ Akademiks Hypes Up Drake’s Alleged Response Diss “Hi Whitney”

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The Game Criticizes J Cole For “Watering Down” Rap Battles

J Cole cannot catch a break. He was roasted by the rap community after he decided to apologize to Kendrick Lamar and take his diss track off streaming platforms. He was clowned by Kanye West on the “Like That” remix despite no longer being involved in the battle. Now, another Compton icon, The Game, has decided to take shots at Jermaine Cole on social media. The Game responded to a comment from Officially Ice by blaming the current state of rap battles on Cole. He really didn’t hold back.

Officially Ice is a panelist on the Joe Budden Podcast, which means he’s entrenched in the battle going on between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. He also remembers what it was like when The Game was going to war with the likes of 50 Cent and G-Unit. He remembers when Game was dropping classic diss songs like “300 Bars N Runnin” in the mid-2000s. “I want one of these rap n**gas to diss Game,” Ice tweeted. “Just so y’all can what a proper diss record looks like.” The Game responded to the post by saying his approach to battles is outdated because it doesn’t follow rules.

Read More: The Game Defends Justin Bieber For Crying On IG: “He’s Human”

The Game Thinks Cole Hurt The Genre By Apologizing

“My level of disrespect has no limit and I can actually rap rap,” Game wrote back. “Fans gone choose up with whatever artist is currently safe for the culture to love as a whole.” The Compton hitmaker went on to denigrate the way things have changed in the last two decades, before turning his attention to J. Cole. “Hip hop/Rap or whatever y’all calling it these days was already watered down,” he asserted. “Then Cole apologized and turned this sh*t to Kool-Aid wit no sugar.” This is actually the first time that The Game has spoken on the J. Cole apology. Given the rapper’s combative history, though, it’s not a surprise to learn he hated it.

The Game may be from the same city as Kendrick Lamar, but the rapper has collaborated with both Dot and Drake in the past. Drake even threw subliminal disses at Lamar when he appeared on the rapper’s 2015 single “100.” The Game posted a Drake quote on Instagram shortly after the battle started, which led many fans to theorize that he was choosing the 6 God’s side. He’s since clarified that he’s a fan of Lamar, and thinks he’s an “incredible” rapper. None of this reverence, however, applies to J. Cole.

Read More: The Game Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Rapper

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Was Kendrick Lamar Supposed To Be On Drake And J. Cole’s ‘First Person Shooter?’

Kendrick Lamar Primavera Sound 2023
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The people have been waiting. A couple weeks ago, Drake decided to diss Kendrick Lamar with “First Person Shooter,” and onlookers have been anticipating how Lamar would fire back. Finally, Lamar did today (April 30) with “Euphoria,” in which he goes all out on Drake for six minutes.

There’s so much about this song to dissect, but there’s one lyric fans have been looking at that prompts the following question:

Was Kendrick Lamar Supposed To Be On Drake And J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter?”

“Euphoria” certainly has some believing that’s the case. On the track, Lamar raps:

“I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk
I hate the way that you dress
Surprised you wanted that feature request
You know that we got some sh*t to address.”

This comes after earlier this month, Joe Budden indicated that he heard Lamar was originally supposed to be on the song.

Meanwhile, the song is full of other barbs, including, “You not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bеing accepted / Tommy Hilfiger stood out, but FUBU nеver had been your collection,” and, “My first one like my last one: it’s a classic, you don’t have one / Let your core audience stomach that; didn’t tell ’em where you get your abs from.” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams breaks down some of the best ones here.

Rapsody Claps Back At Rap Blogs For Their Coverage Of Her Kendrick Lamar Comments

Earlier this week, Rapsody broke her silence on Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole’s beef. Kendrick originally dropped a guest verse on the Future & Metro Boomin song “Like That” where he took shots at both Cole and Drake. Though Cole was the first to respond he quickly went back on his comments and even went as far as to remove the song he dropped from streaming services entirely. While the focus of the beef has shifted towards Drake especially following Kendrick’s newly released “Euphoria” diss track, fans are still digesting takes on the situation at large.

That includes Rapsody, who has collaborated with both Cole and Kendrick in the past. Most notably, she appears on the song “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” from Kendrick’s album To Pimp A Butterfly. While the album is widely regarded as a masterpiece Cole took shots at the beloved project in his diss track. “It’s one of the greatest albums ever created. It’s one of my favorites of all time, even taking me off it, I feel that way. I thought about that when Cole made his apology. And when he did it, I was like, ‘I would never approach it, going at [Kendrick Lamar’s] discography.’ But the art of war is just, war is war,” she explained. But in the wake of those comments she took issue with some of the ways it was reported on by rap blogs. Check out her newest post criticizing them below.

Read More: Rapsody Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Rapper

Rapsody Calls Out Rap Blogs For Clickbaiting

While it’s unclear specifically which blogs or what angles she takes issue with, Rapsody clearly isn’t happy about the way her comments were reported. “I miss good journalism. Not into the click bait bloggers, podcasters and passive readers” she said in a tweet made earlier this week.

What do you think of Rapsody claiming that the blogs reporting on her comments about Kendrick Lamar were using it as clickbait? Did you see any of her comments being misleadingly reported? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Rapsody’s “Please Don’t Cry” Tracklist Features Hit-Boy, Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, And More

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