J. Cole Archives - Page 6 of 81

J Cole Praises “Favorite Artist” Kanye West Amidst Ongoing Feud

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole is taking stock of his career and his place in the rap game. The Dreamville founder recently launched the podcast Inevitable. It will give Cole the chance to talk about the making of his most iconic songs, as well as build anticipation for his final album, The Fall Off. Naturally, the rapper kicked things off by discussing his debut mixtape, The Warm Up, Vol. 1. It was during the discussion of this tape that Cole decided to wax poetic on the importance of Kanye West. An artist who has mocked him repeatedly in the last eight months.

Kanye West’s influence on J Cole has never been a secret. The latter rapped on three West beats for The Warm Up, Vol. 1. Cole also used Ye’s classic “Last Call” as the template for his 2009 mixtape, The Warm Up, as well as his 2014 album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. J Cole is, and always will be, a son of Kanye West, and he said as much during the first episode of Inevitable. “He became my favorite artist,” Cole recalled. “He kinda cracked my mind open. Kanye was the first time I saw myself in somebody.” J Cole went on to praise West for expanding the parameters for what a hip hop song could.

J Cole Credits Kanye West With Changing His Life

“He just made it possible to talk about your life or regular perspectives in a way that’s appealing,” J Cole added. “I didn’t know how to talk about my life. And then, f**king Kanye West happened.” It was touching to hear the Dreamville honcho reflect on such a formative moment in his career. It’s also a somewhat odd time to share this information. After all, Kanye West insulted J Cole on the “Like That” remix in April. “Play J Cole, get the p**sy dry,” he rapped. Play this sh*t back a hundred-thirty times.” West doubled down on this stance during an appearance on The Download podcast.

West felt that Cole was a “p**sy” for apologizing to Kendrick Lamar amidst the Big Three beef. “F*ck all that sh*t. Because, like that n**ga J Cole went on tour with Drake, he know what it is. You can’t put Cole and ‘up’ in the same sentence.” J Cole’s comments on the Inevitable podcast mark the first time he has spoken about Kanye West since these insults were made. Obviously, the rapper is opting to take the high ground and focus on cementing his legacy.

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J Cole Rereleases Debut Mixtape “The Come Up, Vol. 1” On Streaming

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole is preparing fans for The Fall Off. The rapper has been teasing his final album, and subsequent retirement, for a couple years now. Cole’s decision to launch a podcast series on November 18 has made this seem like concrete, however. The rapper launched Inevitable on streaming platforms, which details the making of each of his projects. Naturally, he kicked things off with his first mixtape, The Come Up, Vol. 1. What fans didn’t expect, though, is that the podcast would coincide with the streaming debut of the 2007 tape.

J Cole delighted fans around the world on Tuesday, when he uploaded his very first project to Apple Music and Spotify for the first time ever. The Come Up, Vol. 1 sees him establish a lot of the song titles and trends that he would perfect in the years to come, such “Dollar and a Dream” and “Simba.” The tape also sees Cole work out his talents while emulating the rap icons who came before him. JAY-Z and Kanye West influence is all over The Come Up, Vol. 1. J Cole freestyles over three classic West beats, as well as JAY’s “Dead Presidents.” Fans also get to hear Cole’s first batch of instrumentals under his own name, as opposed to his original moniker, Therapist. It’s great to see The Come Up, Vol. 1 on streaming.

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.

J. Cole Reminds Fans Of His Musical Origins

Intro
Simba
I’m the Man
School Daze
Dollar and a Dream
Throw It Up
Quote Me
College Boy
Split You Up
Plain (Skit)
The Come Up
Mighty Crazy
Dead Presidents
Lil Ghetto N**ga
Homecoming
Carolina on My Mind (featuring Deacon)
Can’t Cry
Goin’ Off
Rags to Riches (At the Beep)
Get It
I Do My Thing

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J. Cole Is Taking Fans On An ‘Unfiltered Voyage’ With ‘Inevitable,’ The New ‘Limited Audio Series’ He Just Announced

November 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J. Cole die-hards are in for a real treat: The rapper just announced Inevitable, which sounds like a new podcast, even if Cole isn’t specifically calling it that.

A synopsis for the show reads, “In this raw and reflective limited audio series, Jermaine Cole takes listeners on an unfiltered voyage through his life, career, and personal evolution, using both released and unreleased music to guide the story. Through conversation with Ibrahim Hamad and Scott Lazer, Season 1 finds Cole recounting his journey from his early days as a young, aspiring rapper to finally seeing his dreams become a reality, despite the many hurdles and pitfalls he faces along the way.”

Cole went into more depth in an Instagram post, writing:

“It’s hard to write a caption to describe what this is. I really don’t even know what to call it. We settled on calling it an ‘audio series’ but to me it plays like a movie in the form of a conversation.

First, me and Ib spent mad days talking to Scott, recapping the whole journey up to present day. Front to back. It was new, it was fun, it was emotional and more than anything, it was therapeutic.

After that Scott took the conversation and did his thing with it… then it was time to listen back. When I heard it with fresh ears, I was glued to the story as if it was somebody else’s. At times I could feel my adrenaline rush when hearing about the ups and the many downs and how it all played out in the end.

I got so much clarity from it, and I understood more than ever the power of having a dream, the power of fueling that dream with strong vision, the magic that happens when we stay in alignment with God, and the darkness that can come in the times that we don’t.

As the years of my career grew I found myself much more hesitant to share details of my life with the world. Even as I type this, I feel the last little bit of resistance. ‘You sure you want to do this?’ But if I was a younger version of myself, I know that I would get so much fuel from hearing this from somebody that went for theirs and ‘made it.’ For that reason, I think it’s worth sharing.

So, if you rocked with me at any point so far on my journey, I hope this will give you even more perspective and fill in a lot of blanks. If you have your own dream in life that you hope to achieve, in any field, I hope that this will feed your spirit, giving you confidence to believe in that dream and the encouragement to push through the tough times. To go for it even when you may be afraid to.

Please enjoy Season 1 of ‘Inevitable’

First episode available 11/18 @ 6pm ET.

www.inevitable.live.”

Learn more about the show here.

Ab-Soul Was ‘A Little Upset’ With J. Cole Over ‘Pi,’ But Not For The Reason You Might Think

October 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

A week after Top Dawg Entertainment President Punch Henderson debunked rumors of beef between rappers on his label and J. Cole, TDE’s Ab-Soul has admitted that he was upset with Cole over their collaboration “Pi“… but not for the reason fans might think.

“Pi,” which appeared on Cole’s April mixtape Might Delete Later, raised fans’ antennae for potential beef, as it appeared on the tape with “7 Minute Drill,” Cole’s response to Kendrick’s incendiary verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” After K. Dot called out J. Cole and Drake for supposedly “sneak dissing” him on their collab “First Person Shooter,” Cole was the first to accept the challenge. However, featuring K. Dot’s former labelmate and Black Hippy band member Ab-Soul on “Pi” had some listeners wondering if there was some petty gamesmanship on Cole’s part.

As it turns out, no, there wasn’t. Cole decided his heart wasn’t in it, deleted “7 Minute Drill” from streamers, and moved on eventually addressing things on “Port Antonio” early this month. However, at the same time, Soul dropped his own new song “Squeeze 1st 2,” with lyrics listeners believed were shots at Cole for involving him in the “beef” with Kendrick. However, Punch clarified on Twitter that all the involved verses and songs had been recorded before the “beef,” and that “Squeeze 1st 2” had little to do with “Port Antonio.”

Yesterday, Ab-Soul appeared on DJ Hed’s SiriusXM show, Effective Immediately, and reflected on his real issue with “Pi” — that he wasn’t informed by Daylyt, the third collaborator on the song, about Cole’s involvement until after the fact. “I’m lowkey hot,” he joked. “I’m like, ‘Lyt, bro, this is one of the best rappers in the world… I’m on his head like, ‘Bro, you have to let me know if you’re gonna send this shit off. He ate us up.’” Soul also made absolutely clear that “Cole is the homie, for real,” but that he was only upset because he wanted the North Carolina rapper to appear on his song “F*ck Out My Face [FOMF],” but rather than delivering the 12-bar verse that needed, issued 48 bars on “Pi.”

You can watch the full interview above to get Ab-Soul’s hilarious story.

Punch Dispelled Rumors Of Beef Between TDE And Dreamville Artists After A Viral Fan Theory About J. Cole’s ‘Pi’

October 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Ever since Future and Metro Boomin added Kendrick Lamar to their combative single “Like That,” the rap game has been in shambles, with bloodlust among rap fans fueling pernicious rumors of beef between their favorite entertainers. Case in point, the song “Pi” from J. Cole’s new mixtape, Might Delete Later, has been the center of rumored beef between rappers affiliated with Kendrick’s former label, TDE, and J. Cole’s label, Dreamville. However, TDE President Terrence Henderson — aka Punch — stepped in to dispel that myth before it spread any further.

After a rap fan on Twitter (never calling it “X”) wrote, “Ab-Soul threw jabs at J. Cole after Cole did him dirty by adding him & Daylyt to a song with a verse dissing Kendrick on ‘Pi’,” Punch did some fact-checking on the inaccurate speculation. “I hate to clear up rumors,” he wrote in response. “I usually let them fester and see how far they go, but ALL verses on ‘Pi’ were recorded long before ‘Like That.’”

I hate to clear up rumors, I usually let them fester and see how far they go, but ALL verses on Pi were recorded long before Like That. https://t.co/qLuJIwx7PG

— Punch TDE (@iamstillpunch) October 14, 2024

It’s fair to say that fans have let their excitement get the best of them in the past. That, combined with the vagueness of some rappers’ battle raps, gives plenty of room for conspiratorial thinking and jumping to conclusions. However, there’s a big difference between fan theories on the internet and what really goes on behind the scenes — and Punch’s tweet is a reminder that many of those theories are usually missing key pieces of information. In this case, the fans in question appear to have overlooked the fact that Daylyt and J. Cole have collaborated since on “Plate Of Collard Greens,” and that even Ab-Soul appears to be rooting for Drake to have a soft landing.

J. Cole Addresses Leaving The Drake And Kendrick Lamar Beef On ‘Port Antonio,’ But Some Aren’t Buying His Explanation

October 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Last night (October 9), J. Cole unexpectedly unveiled a new song, “Port Antonio.” Notably, it sees the rapper addressing his decision to bow out of the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

On the second verse, he raps in part (per Genius):

“I pulled the plug because I’ve seen where that was ’bout to go
They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow
They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke
I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro
I woulda gained a foe, and all for what? Just to attain some mo’
Props from strangers that don’t got a clue what I been aimin’ for?
Since the age of 14, Jermaine is no king
If that means I gotta dig up dirt and pay the whole team
Of algorithm-bot n****s just to sway the whole thing
On social media, competin’ for your favorable means
To be considered best of live and rest, the weight of both things
I understand the thirst of being first that made ’em both swing
Protecting legacies, so lines got crossed, perhaps regrettably
My friends went to war, I walked away with all they blood on me.”

Naturally, the track has generated many reactions online, and a lot of people aren’t buying what Cole is selling. One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “I refuse to let J Cole rewrite history as if he didn’t make 7 Minute Drill and we all didn’t hear how sh*t it sounded.” Another said, “I have no problem with J. Cole bowing out of that beef. You don’t get to come back 4 months later and tell me how you would’ve won though. Shut that up forever!”

Listen to “Port Antonio” above.

Drake Shows Love To J Cole After Being Referenced In New Song

October 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been the dominant rap story of 2024. For good reason. They are the two defining artists of their generation, both in terms of acclaim and success. Drake and J Cole are a similarly fascinating story, though. The duo have been working together since 2010, and they reunited on the hit single “First Person Shooter” in 2023. You know, the one that ignited the whole “Big Three” war to begin with. J Cole ducked out of the war, leaving Drake to go at Kendrick Lamar on his own. Cole said as much on his new song, “Port Antonio.” And Drake seemingly listened.

J Cole dropped “San Antonio” out of the blue on October 9. Fans were excited to get new music, but no one could have predicted the lyrical topics that Cole takes on. He addresses the “Big Three” beef head on, and even calls out Drake by name during one of his verses. He makes it clear that he doesn’t dislike the 6 God, and acknowledges how much help he’s given him in his career. “They say I’m picking sides, don’t you lie on me, my n**ga,” J Cole spits. “The start of another war, hey Drake, you’ll always be my n**ga. I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n**ga.” The Toronto rapper seemingly respected what Cole had to say. He liked the Instagram post that initially uploaded the song.

Drake Liked J Cole’s “Port Antonio” Post On IG

The timing of the shout out is interesting. Drake recently made headlines for less than stellar reasons. He made an appearance at a public event in Toronto, and proceeded to talk about how those he considered friends have stabbed him in the back. “My real friends are definitely in the building,” the 6 God explained to the crowd. “You’re going to come to a point in life where people you thought were friends, or people you thought were close to you, switch up.” Based on the fact that J Cole not only apologized for dissing Kendrick Lamar, but proceeded to work with several of Drake’s enemies, it’s safe to assume he is among the fake friends Drake mentioned.

J Cole spent the rest of the song explaining why he didn’t want to beef with Drake and K. Dot. In his estimation, he didn’t want to be remembered for ragging on people he considered peers. He also was opposed to digging up dirt on people he’s known well for years. “Jermaine is no king,” he raps. “If that means I gotta dig up dirt. And pay the whole team of algorithm bot n**gas just to sway the whole thing on social media, competing for ya favorable memes.” Here’s hoping J Cole’s olive branch is enough to mend things between him and Drake.

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J Cole Breaks Silence On Drake And Kendrick Lamar Beef In New Song

October 9, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole caught a lot of flack for his handling of the Big Three beef. He dropped a diss record against Kendrick Lamar, then took it back. He took it off streaming platforms, and apologized to the rapper during Dreamville fest. Fans didn’t know what to do. Cole was criticized for not having the stuff to complete with Lamar and Drake. It didn’t help that he followed up the whole fiasco with a bizarrely horrible verse on Cash Cobain’s “Grippy.” Don’t worry, though. J Cole is back to clear things up.

J Cole dropped a new song titled “Port Antonio” on October 9. The only warning he gave ahead of time was that he cleared his Instagram. He wiped everything he’d posted before, and kicked off what looks to be a new era with an electric single. “Port Antonio” is a quality listen through and through, but the verse that has turned the most heads has to do with Drake and Kendrick Lamar. He sets the record straight on why he sat the whole conflict out. “I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go,” he rapped. “They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow.”

J Cole Claims Drake And K. Dot Battled For ‘Clicks’

J Cole saying that would have been enough to quiet fans. But he kept going. The Dreamville veteran said that he didn’t want to lose friends over a beef, and prioritized his personal life over his professional life. “I wouldn’t have lost the battle, dog, I would’ve lost a bro,” he asserted. “I would’ve gained a foe, and all for what?” It gets deeper. J Cole proceeds to criticize Drake and Kendrick Lamar for digging up dirt on each other. He felt that it was beneath two artists who are held in such high regard. By him and by the fans. If digging up dirt is what it takes to wear the crown, he doesn’t want it.

“Jermaine is no king, if that means I gotta dig up dirt,” the rapper asserted. “And pay the whole team of algorithm bot n**gas just to sway the whole thing on social media, competing for ya favorable memes.” Cole has gone out of his way to emphasize the quality of his music in recent weeks. His guest verses on songs by ASAP Rocky and Tee Grizzley have fans once again questioning whether he’s the best of the Big Three. “Port Antonio” is going to add fuel to the fire. It will also be fascinating to see and hear if the other rappers involved, Drake and Dot, respond. Both men are expected to drop projects before the end of the year.

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