J. Cole has just dropped his new record, Port Antonio, where he reflects on the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and explains his decision to step away from the conflict.
“I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go, they wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow,” Cole raps.
He goes on to say, “I wouldn’t have lost the battle, dog, I would’ve lost a bro, I would’ve gained a foe, and all for what?”
He then speaks on his disdain for the tactics used to manipulate social media: “Jermaine is no king, if that means I gotta dig up dirt and pay the whole team of algorithm bot n**** just to sway the whole thing on social media, competing for ya favorable memes.”
This reflection comes after J. Cole took shots at Kendrick Lamar on the track “7 Minute Drill” from his surprise album Might Delete Later, following Kendrick’s diss at both him and Drake on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” However, Cole later regretted the move, pulling the song from streaming platforms.
“I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest shit,” Cole admitted during his Dreamville Fest in April. “I say all that to say it made me feel like 10 years ago when I was moving incorrectly. And I pray that god will line me back up on my purpose and on my path.”
His apology, however, drew criticism from some fans who questioned his legacy and standing in the hip-hop community. On “Port Antonio,” Cole responds to these critics:
“Some will discredit me, try to wipe away my pedigree, but find another n**** out there that’s rapping this incredibly… just because the gun don’t fire doesn’t mean the gun ain’t deadly”
He also addresses allegations that he has sided with Kendrick Lamar, clarifying that he maintains a positive relationship with both rappers: “They say I’m picking sides, don’t you lie on me, my n****/ The start of another war, hey Drake, you’ll always be my n**** / I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n****.”
The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar feud captivated fans for months, with both artists releasing numerous diss tracks aimed at each other. The intense rivalry will be explored in an upcoming documentary, “Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake,” airing on Channel 4. The documentary will delve into the rappers’ backgrounds, their rise to fame, and the explosive conflict that unfolded between them.
Listen to’Port Antonio’ below.