J. Cole waved the white flag in his feud with Kendrick Lamar just days after releasing “7 Minute Drill,” a response to Lamar’s “Like That” verse. He apologized to Lamar on Sunday evening during his headline performance at his Dreamville Festival.
Cole apologized to Lamar after fans demanded a response from him to Kendrick’s warning shot. He regretted his “7 Minute Drill” warning shot, which he called the “lamest” thing he’s ever done.
“…Man, that’s the lamest shit I ever did. In my fucking life’ right?” said Cole about making the track. “And, I know, this is not what a lot of people want to hear… I can hear my n***as up there right now like… ‘Nahhh, don’t do that.’ But, I gotta keep it 100 with y’all. I damn near had a relapse, right? Because, y’all heard some shit that happened two-three weeks ago, however long it was… y’all heard that bazooka that was dropped.”
Cole admitted feeling conflicted about creating “7 Minute Drill” due to his uneasy feud with Lamar.
He continued: “I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I know I don’t really feel a way. But the world wanna see blood… so I say all of that to say, in my spirit of trying to get this music out, I moved in a way that spiritually feels bad on me. I tried to jab my n***a back and I tried to keep it friendly. But at the end of the day, when I listen to it and when it comes out and I see the talk, that sh*t don’t sit right with my spirit.”
“That sh*t disrupts my f*cking peace. So I want I want to say tonight, in the midst of me doing that, and in that sh*t, trynna find a lil angle and downplay this n***a’s f*cking catalog and his greatness… I wanna say right here tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest muthaf*ckas to ever touch a microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar correct? As do I.”
Before apologizing, Cole shared his feelings during the creation of his new project, which is a lead-up to his highly-anticipated album, The Fall-Off.
He began: “I been happy, I’ve been moving on my own accord… Now why am I saying all of that? I put out this project on Friday called Might Delete Later… I don’t know how many people checked it out or whatever. And, I swear to God… I’m so proud of that project. Because, I know, one, it’s just an EP that leads me to this thing that I’ve been working on for a long time and I know the work it took to get to a certain type of skill level… that shit mean a lot to me… I’m so proud of that project, except for one part.”
Cole closed his speech offering a free response by Lamar without future retaliation. “I pray my n***a really didn’t feel no way,” said Cole. “And if he did, my n***a, I got my chin out. Take ya best shot. I’ma take that shit on the chin. Do what you do. I’ma take that on the chin like all good.”
J. Cole and Kendrick’s friendship spans 14 years, meeting in 2010. Cole produced Kendrick’s debut hit, “HiiPower,” while K.Dot appeared on “Forbidden Fruit” from Cole’s 2013 sophomore album, Born Sinner. They are featured together on tracks for Trae Tha Truth, DJ Khaled, and Jeezy.
Kendrick’s “Like That” verse is a suggested warning shot over lines in the J. Cole and Drake collaboration “First Person Shooter.” On “Like That,” Kendrick responds to Cole’s Big 3 reference by saying, “Muthaf*ck yo Big 3, it’s just big me.”
Might Delete Later is available on all streaming platforms featuring Bas, Central Cee, Gucci Mane, Young Dro, Cam’ron, Ab-Soul, and Daylyt.