J. Cole single handedly had not only his fans, Kendrick fans, and hip-hop fans all around stunned by a sudden turn in the events. It seems Gen Z and oldheads can’t even witness a proper Hip-Hop beef/competition between artists anymore. Might Delete Later was released on April 5th, full of disses, clap backs (a little weak on some part, but a response at least) to Kendrick’s verse dissing him and on “Like That” (which sits atop the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100). Around 48 hours later, J. Cole would take to the stage and apologize…
“At the end of the day, when I listen to it, and it comes out, and I listen to it and I see the talk, that don’t sit right with my spirit.” J. Cole states on stage. He would then take on to say in a key moment “I just wanna come up here and publicly be like that was the lamest like goofiest stuff, I say all that to say it made me feel like 10 years ago when I was moving incorrectly.“
And just like that, beef settled? Just to think that we would see competition or at least some sort of pace picked back up again from 2 legends only for one to fold. In all honesty though, can he be blamed? Looking back on Cole’s career, never was he caught in a major beef, just exchanging shots and even providing guidance to those around him. Based on First Person Shooter, he’d rather make allegiance and connection more than competition.
What exactly does this mean for Jermaine’s legacy as a rapper though? It could leave a sore taste that he never truly had any competition, not because he was the best but likely because he never wanted any. Now that isn’t to say that he isn’t one of the greatest in his field, but narratives and statements in his apology don’t help the sentiment either.
It also doesn’t help that this isn’t the first time Kendrick fired shots at the rapper, going back to Big Sean’s Control released in 2013, Kendrick fired shots at multiple upcoming rappers and Sean himself, the main artist of that track. So Cole backing away when being directly called out this time around a decade later is another thing to think about.
7 Minute Drill has also been removed off all platforms, quite noticeably on Apple Music, but that doesn’t remove all the other shots and disses thrown throughout the album, though they mean nothing now due to the apology. Instead, the project feels more so redefined in a sense because of it. To give a short review of the album, it’s alright, personally though it’s not the greatest in Cole’s discography and around the bottom end of it. The album seems to serve as a preview toward what the alluded “The Fall Off” has to offer.
If this is the case it could mean this might be Cole’s weaker showings or might give way to one of his best. The album may even be better if his mind is unconflicted and possibly even add substance/theming to the project. Regarding the simmered beef however, we have to wait patiently for a response from the radio silent Kendrick.
