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 is getting his groove back. The rapper went down a few notches in most people’s books after he decided to bow out of the “Big Three” battle. It didn’t help that he followed up this weak showing with a head-scratching verse on Cash Cobain’s “Grippy.” But Cole has been regaining the plot in recent weeks. He skated on ASAP Rocky’s “Ruby Rosary.” He killed it on Daylyt’s “A Plate of Collard Greens.” And he’s electric on the new Tee Grizzley song, “Blow for Blow.” J Cole’s new album is on the way, and Rory and MAL think a major collab is destined to happen.
Rory and MAL dropped an episode of their podcast on September 27. They discuss J Cole’s impressive run of features, and theorize who could be a feature on his album, The Fall Off. One name came to mind for both: Kendrick Lamar. “I think Kendrick Lamar will be on The Fall Off,” Rory asserted. “I can’t wait to hear the song, because I love both of them.” The host took it a step further by claiming that Drake is well within his rights to diss Cole on his next release. “Cole can’t sit there and go ‘why you shooting at me?,” he said. “Because you doing music specifically with people I don’t f**k with.”
MAL chimed in, claiming he really wants to see what happens if Lamar is on The Fall Off. “I hope he on that motherf**ker,” he asserted. “His a*s is on the chopping block… Cole, you next!” Rory and MAL have leaned pro-Drake throughout the “Big Three” battle. MAL, in particular, has a seemingly close bond with the 6 God and has relayed alleged messages from him on the podcast. Neither man claims to have info on J Cole’s plans for The Fall Off, but they do seem confident in their prediction. Their producer, Julian Delgado, agreed. “Kendrick’s gonna be on Cole’s next album,” he announced.
J Cole and Kendrick Lamar have had a contentious relationship since the whole “First Person Shooter” fiasco, but the former has really bent the knee for King Kunta. He took his lukewarm “7 Minute Drill” diss off streaming. He apologized in front of his own festival crowd. And he’s been working exclusively with artists who are anti-Drake, to support Rory’s point. Cole has worked with Rocky, Future, Metro Boomin and Daylyt in just a few short months. That’s a long list of 6 God enemies for it to mean nothing. We’ll see what happens.
There are still a lot of projects we and a lot of fans are wanting to drop before the end of 2024. We are waiting on releases from A$AP Rocky, maybe Kendrick Lamar, Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, just to name a handful. Arguably, though, J Cole’s The Fall Off is near the top of that wish list. It’s been teased on multiple occasions for the last couple of years, but this year feels a little different thanks to Might Delete Later. The surprise April mixtape kind of feels like a collection of teasers for this hyped-up offering.
However, with just about two months to go, we are still waiting in the wings. But Trae Tha Truth is providing a little bit of insight on what the plan is for J Cole, according to HipHopDX. Recently, the Houston rapper made an appearance on The Breakfast Club and he says that “his album coming”. That’s sort of just lip service, but around the 33:00 mark, the “Trae Tha Truth in Ibiza (Remix)”collaborator claims that most aren’t going to expect some things Cole has ready.
“And when the album coming, it’s probably gonna shock a lot of people. Remember what I tell you all the time: a lot of people form opinions on a lot of things and they don’t fully know the situation. He’ll be aight. Before it’s too late, you never know what bro what may do”. This is an allusion to Cole and Kendrick’s complicated relationship and the apology that set a lot of people off. Trae has been a defendant of the North Carolina MC over the entire beef, so his intel may have weight when it’s all said and done.
What are your thoughts on Trae Tha Truth’s beliefs about J Cole’s The Fall Off? Do you think we get the album by the end of the year, why or why not? What do you think we will come to learn in regard to him and Kendrick Lamar’s relationship? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Trae Tha Truth, J Cole, and Kendrick Lamar. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
There haven’t been many updates on J. Cole’s supposed final album, The Fall-Off, since before he involved himself in the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Though he later recused himself from said beef, he has seemingly been lying low for the past few months. However, fans may have learned a new detail about the long-awaited album from an unexpected source.
West Coast producer The Alchemist, whose work has been in higher demand than ever in recent years, hinted that he might be a part of The Fall-Off during a Twitter Q&A with fans. After one fan asked directly whether he had any beats on the upcoming album, Alchemist replied with a zipper-mouth emoji rather than a flat “no,” which could be an indicator that he’s got info he’s not allowed to share (on the other hand, he’s been known to reply with some pretty trollish answers during these chats with fans, so there’s a possibility he’s just stirring the pot).
Cole might not be the only Dreamville artist that Alchemist is working with, either. When another fan asked if he would ever “consider collaborating with JID,” he replied with “stay tuned and find out.” It certainly sounds like the producer’s customer pool is expanding — he also recently produced Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams” and Big Sean’s “Together Forever” — so work with Dreamville certainly isn’t out of the question.
J Cole may have landed a collaboration with The Alchemist for his upcoming album, The Fall Off. Answering questions from fans on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Alc replied with a zipper-mouth face emoji when a user asked if he produced any tracks on the highly-anticipated project. He also addressed working with another Dreamville artist in JID. “Stay tuned and find out,” he remarked of that possibility.
In responses to the post, fans demanded to know when The Fall Off will actually be dropping. It’s been over three years since Cole’s last studio album, The Off-Season, although he did release the mixtape, Might Delete Later, back in April. Other fans joked that the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 may end up releasing before fans get their hands on Cole’s next effort.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 07: J. Cole performs at the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 07, 2024 (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage)
Daylyt, who appeared on the Might Delete Later cut “Pi,” revealed that he heard The Fall Off back in April. “Cole is going out with a nuclear missile, I’m telling y’all that,” he said on Instagram live at the time. “It’s his last go-around and he literally was like, ‘I don’t give a f*ck about radio; I just wanna show the world my pen before I die.’ I heard it, all of it. It is the most amazingest rapping I have seen and heard thus far.”
The Alchemist Might Be Teaming Up With J Cole
Alchemist’s Q&A on X comes after he announced a new concert series, ALC & Friends, the first installment of which will be taking place in Los Angeles in October. He’ll be bringing along Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano, Armand Hammer, and Navy Blue. Be on the lookout for further updates on J Cole and The Alchemist on HotNewHipHop.
J Cole has been through the wringer over the last month or so. He has had to deal with severe amounts of backlash from fans and peers alike for how he has gone about handling the Kendrick Lamar diss. The apology really turned a lot of people off, while a small group was fine with it, as it is his not what drives him as a rapper. So much so, that he went and removed “7 Minute Drill” from his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later. Additionally, Kanye West recently piled on the lyricist with his “Like That” remix, saying, “Play J. Cole, get the p***y dry.” But the comeback for J Cole could be massive, as one of his recent collaborators, Daylyt, reveals that he was thoroughly impressed with The Fall Off.
The rumored send off album has been mercilessly teased for years, as we are still awaiting an official release date for it. But with the recent vlogs on YouTube showing some behind the scenes of the album, the hope is it will be out sooner than later at this point. Daylyt, who was a feature on the Might Delete Later cut “Pi,” recently heard The Fall Off and had nothing but glowing reviews for it. A YouTube channel screen recorded the Instagram live session in which Daylyt spoke about it and has us even more excited for what is to come.
If you want to skip to the comments about it, fast forward to around the 17:45 mark. “Ima say it loud and clear. I heard ‘The Fall Off,’ I’m spillin’ the beans, it’s one of the best levels of rapping I have ever witnessed,” Daylyt said. “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.’”
What are your thoughts on Daylyt saying The Fall Off is “one of the best levels of rapping I have ever heard?” Do you think this will be the best album that J Cole ever drops, why or why not? When do you think we are getting this album? 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 Fall Off. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
J Cole had himself in a weird situation on Sunday night. Overall, it was all because of the apology he gave to Kendrick Lamar. Just a couple of days prior, Cole dissed Kendrick and his discography on the song “7 Minute Drill.” However, it seems like Cole had an immediate change of heart as he realized his head just wasn’t in this feud. Instead, he wanted to show unity with Lamar, knowing that Kendrick is one of the greatest artists of this generation. Unfortunately for Cole, his decision came with a whole lot of scrutiny, and a questioning of his legacy.
In the aftermath of all of this, J Cole fans are certainly feeling the heat. In fact, some of them are coming up with unique conspiracy theories to try and justify why Cole did what he did. Simply put, his fans are currently fighting for their lives. In fact, one fan took to Reddit where he concocted an interesting theory about Cole and his upcoming album, The Fall Off. Essentially, this fan is of the belief that Cole is simply playing a character. This character is that of a rapper falling off, and his first act was apologizing to Kendrick.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) April 9, 2024
On Reddit, the theory was roasted by fans who told him that he was losing his mind. Furthermore, the post was shared on Twitter, where even more ridicule was rained down. Needless to say, any Cole fan who tries to argue in favor of his apology, will be struck down by the internet. It is a sad sight, but at the end of the day, this is rap beef. Apologies are usually going to be clowned upon, and that is no different with a superstar such as Cole.
Let us know what you think of this J Cole theory, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that this theory is actually plausible? Do you believe that the apology is going to affect Cole in any substantial way? 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 recently teased his upcoming album The Fall Off with a vlog titled Might Delete Later Vol. 2. The video follows a similar format to Vol. 1, and offers fans a glimpse into Cole’s day-to-day studio sessions, collaborative partners, and even provides a brief snippet of unreleased music. These breadcrumbs have kept fans hyped for his upcoming long-awaited seventh studio album. Let’s take a moment to dive into the content presented in the latest volume of J Cole’s vlog series, and highlight some of the most interesting and important moments shown in the brief outing.
J Cole’s Might Delete Later Vol. 2 features a series of retro-style video editing choices, with grainy footage reminiscent of early MTV documentaries, and old-school video game graphic menus serving as interstitials to the clips shown. The whole piece is very similar in feel to JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown’s visual release of the Scaring The Hoes: DLC pack last July. For now, it remains unclear whether these editing choices are thematically relevant to J Cole’s upcoming body of work or if they simply serve as artistic flourishes to give the “Might Delete Later” series a bold and unique identity.
Elsewhere in the vlog, J Cole shoots hoops in his prototype pair of Dreamer Indie 5000’s. The sneakers appear to be a new fully independent venture from Cole, without collaboration or oversight from any major clothing retailers. While little information is available about the sneakers currently, they offer an old-school aesthetic that complements the retro video style of “Might Delete Later Vol. 2.” Fans speculate that the shoes will release around the same time as The Fall Off, as Cole has been wearing the Indie 5000’s on stage during recent performances and courtside at various NBA games.
In the video, J Cole reveals that he has spent so much time fine-tuning and perfecting The Fall Off that he has produced nearly 6 albums’ worth of material, some of which will likely never see the light of day. Luckily, the 39-year-old rapper has plenty of talented peers to parse through the drafts with him, as “Might Delete Later Vol. 2” showcases a wide array of popular rappers and producers popping into the studio. While it’s never made clear if any of the other big names in the video are laying guest verses on J Cole’s upcoming music, or just stopping by to hang out, Might Delete Later Vol. 2 sees appearances from the likes of Drake, Lil Yachty, Central Cee, Bas, and Benny The Butcher, as well as a first-time meeting between Cole and Sexyy Red.
J Cole can also be seen nodding his head to a vibrant Conductor Williams beat, which fans would surely be hyped to hear the Dreamville head rapping over. Rumors suggest that The Fall Off may feature production from Metro Boomin. However, this collaboration could be in jeopardy since Metro has teamed up with Kendrick Lamar on the diss track “Like That,” aimed at Drake and J Cole.
Several New Previews Can Be Heard Throughout The Vlog
Like the first edition of Might Delete Later, J Cole previewed some new music in the latest outing that has fans buzzing online. The second volume in the series offers a much wider array of sounds than the first, with Cole dropping several beats and freestyles which may or may not find their way to seeing a full proper release. Most notably, Cole teased a roughly 90-second long track which sees him taking his bicycle for a spin through the neighborhood while waxing poetic about his blessings and his elite pen game.
J Cole concludes Might Delete Later Vol. 2 with yet another brief snippet, and an “as seen on TV” style screen saver offering a phone number that fans can call or text. Reaching out to the number provides listeners with another snippet, and offers the opportunity to receive text updates on Cole’s upcoming work. For now, The Fall Off still has no official release date, though the latest teasers from Might Delete Later Vol. 2 indicate the project is just around the corner.
J. Cole season is slowly approaching as the legendary rapper recently shared a snippet of a new track, titled “Might Delete Later, Vol. 1.” The supposed latest taste of his next album, The Fall Off, sees him spitting bars through a low resolution black and white filter. Coming off an epic run of guest features last year and an arena tour with Drake, J. Cole appears to be gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated seventh studio album. The production credits of “Might Delete Later, Vol. 1” are unknown, but one could assume that J. Cole created the beat given he produces the majority of his music.
While he is regarded as a top-tier lyricist, his skills as a producer should not go unnoticed. From his early mixtapes to his biggest hit singles, J. Cole created his own sound as a beat-maker. However, in the vlog that debuted “Might Delete Later Vol. 1,” he admitted that he feels a bit rusty as a producer. As we await the release of The Fall Off, here is a look at J. Cole’s best beats. Ranked from least to greatest, these selections primarily consist of J. Cole tracks and are solely self-produced without co-producers. Take a look at the list below.
The sped-up sample of Curtis Mayfield’s “Think” on “Nobody’s Perfect” instantly grabs the attention of listeners as it is looped into a spectacular instrumental. Serving as the lead melody, the beat steadily builds and excitingly drops with energetic drum programming. The loop may be simplistic, but it is effective in assisting the multiple flows in Cole’s verses, as well as the sung chorus from Missy Elliott. While the sample shapes the main backing for the track, the additional instrumentation makes the song even more dynamic as the drums start and stop between verses.
6. “Wet Dreamz” (2014)
The cinematic string section on “Wet Dreamz,” along with thumping drum breaks, create a compelling soundtrack for one of Cole’s most iconic storytelling moments. For the song’s production, J. Cole chopped the beginning of Family Circle’s “Mariya,” rearranging the strings and pitching up the vocals to produce the lead melody. The drum loop derives from “Impeach The President” by The Honey Drippers, which had previously been sampled by the likes of Nas, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and others. Following in the footsteps of numerous hip-hop greats, J. Cole flipped the drums for his own classic story. The traditional yet emotional beat puts the attention on Cole to vividly depict his first sexual experience in his bars and melodic chorus.
5. Kendrick Lamar – “HiiiPower” (2011)
J. Cole reserves the majority of his best production for his own albums, but one of his greatest beats is the one he crafted for Kendrick Lamar’s “HiiiPower.” On the first of many collaborations between the two, J. Cole sampled Jeremy Steig’s “Hang On To A Dream.” The chopped, sped-up, and looped instrumental made for a powerful closing track on Lamar’s debut album, Section.80. The stuttering flute melody and pounding drum pattern made for not just one of J. Cole’s best beats, but one of Kendrick Lamar’s greatest songs. The overall production conveys a commanding and passionate tone that demands the attention of listeners.
“Villuminati” appropriately sets the tone as the opening track for J. Cole’s second studio album, Born Sinner. While the song interpolates multiple rap classics in its lyrics, the instrumental consists of two main samples. J. Cole impressively flipped R. Kelly’s “I Wish (Remix) (To The Homies That We Lost)” into a hauntingly beautiful string section. The deep orchestration is complemented by a sample of the drums from Arrested Development’s “People Everyday.” Together, the combined result is J. Cole’s greatest album intro which allows him to be both deeply personal, thoughtful, and occasionally braggadocious. The suspenseful and meditative production propels J. Cole to spit some of his most lyrically determined bars ever.
3. “Crooked Smile” (2013)
Born Sinner is a very soulful album, with live instrumentation and gospel samples riddled throughout its tracklist. One of its many self-produced standouts is “Crooked Smile” featuring TLC. Arguably the prettiest beat in J. Cole’s production discography, it is lively with its main piano melody, live bass guitar, synth leads, strings, and an organ. The layered production is centered around a prominently featured sample of Jennifer Hudson’s “No One Gonna Love You,” emulating the chipmunk soul era of the 2000s. “Crooked Smile” is not just one of J. Cole’s best overall songs, but its production showcases his musicianship. It embodies the musical themes of Born Sinner as a touching song about beauty standards and self-love.
2. “Let Nas Down” (2013)
In addition to “Wet Dreamz,” one of J. Cole’s best beats is one of his most iconic storytelling tracks in “Let Nas Down.” The production on the lyrically introspective track revolves around a sample of “Gentleman” by Fela Kuti and The Afrika 70. The saxophone and vocal are accentuated by additional instrumentation, which is layered and stripped back throughout the song. J. Cole’s production creates a sense of emotional depth that drives the impact of his lyrics, resulting in a well-executed open letter to his hip-hop idol.
No song in J. Cole’s discography displays his production skills quite like “G.O.M.D.” as the beat experiences various musical transformations. It starts with a chopped sample of Branford Marsalis’s “Berta, Berta,” a song about a prison inmate telling his wife to remarry. Cole adds heavy 808 kick drums alongside shimmering strings as the beat transitions into the verses. The J. Cole production is both sentimentally expressive with its sample chops and layered embellishments and bouncy with its hip-hop percussion. The final beat switch at the end sees Cole utilizing a different part of the sample with a minimal drum pattern that maintains the song’s vibrance. “G.O.M.D.” is undoubtedly J. Cole’s best production, taking listeners on a journey of masterfully crafted elements that come together to forge a breathtaking hip-hop classic.
The long wait for J. Cole’s seventh studio album, The Fall Off, may be coming to an end. Cole, who is currently on tour with Drake, shared a snippet of a new song, along with a short tour vlog using a burner account on Instagram. The video tracks his and Drake’s tour from behind the scenes, capturing Cole in the studio and featuring appearances from the tour’s new opener Lil Durk. You can check it out below or, if you just want to skip to the song, there’s another embed under that.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3n-XnLrmjm/
J. Cole shares a new snippet ‘Might Delete Later, Vol. 1’
He’s currently on tour w/ Drake for Leg 2 of the ‘It’s All A Blur Tour’
The song itself is a stripped-down, no-holds-barred rhyme barrage over an eerie, ominous piano loop with cyberpunk-ish synths slowly building to a furious breakdown. Drake, Cole’s tourmate, is clearly an influence, with paranoid but triumphant lyrics in the vein of the Canadian rapper’s latest releases. And lest fans question the veracity of the Instagram burner, its authenticity was confirmed by no less an authority than Cole’s longtime business partner Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, who told followers on Twitter to “tap in.”
Earlier this year, Cole insinuated that The Fall Off might very well be finished, telling fans at one of his and Drake’s It’s All A Blur tour stops, “Right now, I’m at the tale end of working on this album. This album that I’ve been working on for a long time. It’s called The Fall Off.” And although Cole joked “I don’t know how many people know about it,” he’s been teasing the project since shortly after the release of his fifth album, KOD. Perhaps this teaser is just the beginning of a rollout fans have been waiting for since before the pandemic.
(@big_business_) 
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