What hip-hop superstar J. Cole just did is tantamount to seeing the sun rising on the wrong side of the earth or watching a thunderstorm indoors: J. Cole apologized to Kendrick Lamar in the middle of a rap feud.
According to hip-hop protocol, it is customary for rap adversaries to try to flame each other to a burning crisp while their respective fan bases assess who won the lyrical clash. It is also normal for the former foes to be more introspective and sometimes apologetic many years down the road as wisdom sets in and perspectives change.
But J. Cole not only apologized to his fellow star emcee, he also offered his mea culpa for being “corny” and dropping the “lamest” diss track.
“I’m so proud of [his Might Delete Later album], except for one part,” said Cole. “It’s one part of that s— that makes me feel like, man that’s the lamest s— I did in my f—ing’ life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear.”
The 39-year-old, who was born on a military base in Frankfurt, Germany, as Jermaine Lamarr Cole, admits that he caved into intense public pressure to diss Lamar, 36, as he sensed fans were lusting for blood.
“I was conflicted because, one I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers [Drake and Lamar], these two n—-s that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness,” J. Cole told explained to an audience on stage. “So I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I don’t even feel no way. But the world wanna see blood. I don’t know if y’all can feel that, but the world wanna see blood.”
J.Cole speaks on his response to Kendrick and says it hasn’t felt good or right with his spirit, calling his own response “corny” and telling Kendrick to return his best shot if he feels a way pic.twitter.com/jan2jctfk9
— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 8, 2024
J. Cole said the Kendrick Lamar diss disturbed his spirit
Cole added that the diss “spiritually [felt] bad on me,” and “that s— don’t sit right with my spirit.”
Continuing with his heartfelt soliloquy, Cole said “That s— disrupts my f—ing peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that and in that shit, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n—a’s f—ing catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf—– to ever touch a f—ing microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”
J. Cole calls his own diss of Kendrick Lamar lame and goofy
Cole, subsequently, said “I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest s—. 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, I pray that my n—a really didn’t feel no way and if he did, my n—a, I got my chin out,” Cole continued, inviting Lamar to take a shot at him if he feels like it.
“Take your best shot, I’ma take that s— on the chin boy, do what you do. All good. It’s love. And I pray that y’all are like, forgive a n— for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I ain’t gonna lie to y’all. The past two days felt terrible. It let me know how good I’ve been sleeping for the past 10 years.”
The feud emanates from a collaboration between Cole and Lamar, “First Person Shooter,” for Drake’s 2023 album For All the Dogs. That included alleged sneak disses.
