For any hip-hop head who has been constantly debated the narrative surrounding J. Cole’s GOAT-ness (at least in comparison to Drake and Kendrick Lamar), The Off-Season should put most criticism to rest. The South Carolina rapper’s latest body of work was released in time for his debut in the Africa Basketball League so who better to open up the project than another rapper that can relate to the basketball-to-rapper grind?
Cam’ron is the first voice to open up The Off-Season on “95.south.” Unfortunately, he doesn’t deliver a verse but he sets the tone for Cole to follow. “Don’t check your watch, you know the time. Cole World,” Cam declares on the intro before J. Cole comes in with guns blazing. The three-minute intro finds Cole tearing through a similar sample to Jay-Z’s “U Don’t Know.” Cam’s narration carries through the track while Lil Jon ties it together at the end of the trunk with a much-needed revitalization of crunk music.
Check the song below.
Quotable Lyrics
Bitch, my pen to the paper’s lethal
I’m sendin’ ’em straight to meet the
The n***a that made them, peep the reaper
Creepin’ on ya, the scent of failure reekin’ on ya
Check your genitalia, pussy-n***as bleedin’ on yourself