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J. Cole put the Hip-Hop world on notice after firing back at Kendrick Lamar on his surprise project, Might Delete Later. During his set at this year’s Dreamville Festival, J. Cole addressed the beef with K-Dot and said that “7 Minute Drill” will be removed from streaming services in an epic moment of walking it back.
J. Cole, 39, took to the stage on the closing night (April 7) of his annual Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C., and addressed the crowd as he’s often done in the past. The massive elephant roaming through the festival grounds was the shot K-Dot took at Drake and Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” from the pair’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU project.
Taking a moment during his closing set, the Dreamville honcho addressed the crowd and checked himself for taking shots at Lamar and ending the feud, at least from his end.
“I’m so proud of that project [Might Delete Later] except for one part,” Cole said onstage. “There’s one part of that sh*t that makes me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest sh*t I ever did in my f*cking life.’ And, I know this is not what a lot of people wanna hear. I can hear my n*ggas up there right now like, ‘Nah, don’t do that.’ But, I gotta keep it 100 with y’all. I damn near had a relapse.”
Cole admitted to being reactionary at the moment and expressed that he wasn’t pleased by the chatter sparked by his diss track although he framed it as friendly competition. In the end, Cole says he intends to remove “7 Minute Drill” from his latest project while stating he has love for both Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
On Xitter, fans are debating who won the mock meat tussle (more on that later) between J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick, the so-called “Big Three” with some declaring winners and losers in a battle that never took off to the degree some seem to think.
We’ve got reactions below.
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Photo: Astrida Valigorsky / Getty
2. Xitter is way too bored.
3. Seeing this live was something else.
9. Too much like right for some people.
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J. Cole is preparing for a big weekend in his home state as he is set to headline the closing night of the Dreamville Festival, but he had time to drop a new project. The North Carolina star released his Might Delete Later LP and the closing track features a response towards Kendrick Lamar and the recent “Big 3” jab.
J. Cole dropped Might Delete Later on Friday (April 5) ahead of the 2024 Dreamville Festival weekend and the 12-song project has features from Dreamville acts Ari Lennox and Bas, along with Young Dro, Central Cee, Cam’Ron, and Ab-Soul.
The one song that has everyone’s attention however is the closing track “7 Minute Drill,” the first response from J. Cole after Kendrick Lamar fired at Drake and Cole on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” track from the pair’s collaborative album, WE DON’T TRUST YOU.
Early thoughts on the latest album from Cole are still coming in but most are focusing their energies on dissecting the “7 Minute Drill” track with some saying it was a light jab while others were underwhelmed.
Still, this is the first time the public has seen any manner of issues between the two and it’s clear that the battle is finally heating up. Drake still has yet to respond on wax but the Canadian superstar has made some defiant statements here and there while on his It’s All A Blur tour.
With J. Cole’s latest project and salvo against Kendrick Lamar, the social media streets are talking. We’ve got reactions from X listed below.
Check out Might Delete Later below as well.
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Photo: Paras Griffin / Getty
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Drake
Kendrick Lamar set the internet on fire with his “Like That” verse, seemingly calling out Drake, J. Cole, Future, and Metro Boomin’s new project, WE DON’T TRUST YOU. The Canadian rapper has responded, and Hip-Hop fans are giving him the side-eye.
GET IN THE BOOTH!
That’s what users on X, formerly Twitter, are screaming at Drake after allegedly addressing Lamar’s scathing bars.
Spotted on HipHopDX, the “Nice For What” didn’t clap back with bars but with a defiant and inspirational message during his most recent performance during his second performance of two shows during his stop at Sunrise, Florida, on his Big As the What? Tour on Sunday (March 24),
Per HipHopDX:
Drizzy delivered a message of defiance to the audience: “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling… I’m a let you know I’m feeling. Listen, the same way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out this building tonight.”
“I got my fucking head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 fucking toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go,” he added, his voice growing louder and more aggressive. “And I know that no matter what, there’s not a n-gga on this Earth that could ever fuck with me in my life!”
His response follows Lamar saying with all of his chest on “Like That” that he’s best out of the “big three.” On the song he rapped:
“Okay, let’s get it up, it’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem/N*ggas clickin’ up, but cannot be legit, no 40 Water, tell’ em/Ah, yeah, huh, yeah, get up with me/F*ck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with three switches/I crash out, like, “F*ck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to.”
Hip-Hop Fans Want Drake To Find A Booth
The audience at his show felt what Drake said, but fans on X, formerly Twitter, are screaming at Drake to get in the booth to address Kendrick Lamar.
“Drake had two diss tracks Ina weekend for Meek but Kendrick Lamar got him doing self affirmations on the stage Cmon man,” one X user wrote.
Another user wrote, “Whenever Drake beefs with men, he becomes the world’s most polite Canadian.”
Lol, bruh.
Do you think Drake will clap back? After seeing his initial reaction, we don’t think so.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. LOL, y’all are so unserious
2. Accurate
3. Howling
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Kendrick Lamar put the Hip-Hop world on notice after dropping a verse on “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin‘s new WE DON’T TRUST YOU project. K-Dot revisited his “Control” verse days and restored the feeling after aiming shots at Drake and J. Cole while declaring himself the best among the so-called “Big Three.”
Kendrick Lamar has been spending more time focused on his pgLang brand and assisting the career of his cousin, Baby Keem to great effect. The former TDE standout has often been mentioned in the same tier as Drake and J. Cole, with many thinking the trio would clique up one day and shift the entire ecosystem.
K-Dot put those hopes and dreams to rest on “Like That” and didn’t mince words at all. Some are of the mind that Lamar has taken subliminal shots from Drizzy over the years, in particular, related to their status within the Hip-Hop hierarchy.
From “Like That”:
“Okay, let’s get it up, it’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem/N*ggas clickin’ up, but cannot be legit, no 40 Water, tell ’em/Ah, yeah, huh, yeah, get up with me/F*ck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with three switches/I crash out, like, “F*ck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to”
In a bid to distance himself from the pack, Lamar added, “Motherf*ck the big three, n*gga, it’s just big me” which left nothing to the imagination.
This isn’t the first time Kendrick Lamar caused a stir. Back in 2013 on Big Sean’s “Control,” Kung Fu Kenny named names and essentially dared everyone to try his pen and had people not even involved in the jabs responding to the verse. Time will tell if Drake or J. Cole will respond, considering the latter has always represented his connection to Lamar as friendly.
Again, this could also be traced to a perceived beef between Future and Drake, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Further, Metro Boomin has had recent issues with the Canadian superstar that went public, adding to the lore of discord between them all.
On X, formerly Twitter, folks are chiming in about Kendrick Lamar’s jabs toward Drake and J. Cole. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
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Dreamville Festival, the annual music event put together by J. Cole and his Dreamville Records team, makes its return to Raleigh, N.C. next month, and the headliners have been announced. Nicki Minaj, SZA, Chris Brown, and the aforementioned Cole are headlining the two-day event.
Dreamville Festival is one of the leading music events and kicks off festival season lovely while showcasing Dreamville’s roster and also supporting North Carolina nonprofits and businesses. The festival will be hosted once more at Dorothea Dix Park, with opportunities for fans to take in local cuisine, and purchase exclusive merch on the grounds.
Hip-Hop Wired was at the festival last year, and it was one of the best live experiences we’ve had in years. This year promises to be just as epic with things kicking off on April 6 with Lil Yachty, ScHoolboy Q, Sexxy Red, Jeremih, Teezo Touchdown, Amaarae, Luh Tyler, and Domani rocking the stage.
On April 7, Rema, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Muni Long, TiaCorine, and Chase Shakur are on the bill. Of course, no Dreamville Festival would be complete without the Dreamville musical collective which includes J.I.D, EARTHGANG, Bas, Cozz, Lute, and Omen.
“Some of the biggest names in music will travel to Raleigh in only a few short weeks, bringing about one of the most highly anticipated festivals of the year. Our team looks forward to welcoming all of our Day One fans from around the world back to Dreamville Festival,”
said Dreamville Cofounder and Festival President Adam Roy in a statement.
As we’ve shared on our pages before, the festival is far more than music as the Dreamville team will promote a weekend-long series of free events and educational programming, along with platforming local businesses of all kinds.
To learn more about the festival and to purchase tickets, click here. The full lineup is also below.
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Photo: Dreamville/Getty
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
J. Cole is coming!
It’s been three years since J. Cole blessed us with his last album, The Off Season, and it seems like the man is ready to get back into the game as last night he dropped a clip from a new song that had heads bopping and faces scrunching with approval. Over a menacing melody, Cole immediately sets the tone for the track by kicking off his verse saying “I said I was finished but I want another two summers/ Hall of famer hungrier than all the newcomers! Ni**as swear they compare, but the truth humbled…”
Bars!
While not much is known about his next album, The Fall Off, or when it might release, you can bet your bottom dollar that the culture will be tuning in whenever it drops because if this teaser is any indication of what Cole’s been cooking in the kitchen, we about to get served something special.
Only question is, will The Fall Off be J. Cole’s swan song? Some assume it will be but Jay-Z retired numerous times in his rap career only to return with new classics, so we wouldn’t bet the house on that assumption. But heads are expecting a new classic from J because as Cole said in his verse, “The Fall Off is like Hov droppin’ Reasonable Doubt last.”
Check out J. Cole’s verse below and let us know if you’re hype for The Fall Off in the comments section below.
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Source: Live Nation / Live Nation
So much for the 6 God taking a long break. On Monday (Nov. 13), Drake announced that he’s going on tour with Dreamville head honcho J. Cole called It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What?
That should sound familiar considering the Toronto rapper’s 2023 tour with 21 Savage was also named It’s All A Blur. But this series of concerts kicks off in 2024. The tour will start on January 18 with a pair of dates in Denver, CO at Ball Arena and hit cities like San Antonio, New Orleans (twice), Cleveland and Buffalo before wrapping up on March 27 in in Birmingham, AL at The Legacy Arena at BJCC. However, Cole’s final date will be March 10 in Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena.
The tour is sponsored by Cash App and Visa and is produced by Live Nation. Tickets will go on sale with the Cash App Card presale starting Wednesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 16, while the general sale kickinv off Friday, November 17 at 11am on drakerelated.com. To access the presale you’ll use the first 9 digits of your Cash App Card and complete your purchase with said card. More info is here: cash.app/exclusives/drake-presale.
J. Cole gotta be dropping a new project to perform, right? Also, get your coins up. Check out the full schedule of It’s All A Blur Tour – Big As The What? below as well as reactions in the gallery.
DRAKE ‘IT’S ALL A BLUR TOUR – BIG AS THE WHAT?’ 2024 TOUR DATES:
Thu Jan 18 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena +
Fri Jan 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Mon Jan 22 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Thu Jan 25 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Mon Jan 29 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center +
Tue Jan 30 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Fri Feb 02 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Wed Feb 07 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena +
Thu Feb 08 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena +
Mon Feb 12 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Fri Feb 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Tue Feb 20 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center +
Wed Feb 21 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Sat Feb 24 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Tue Feb 27 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sat Mar 02 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Tue Mar 05 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
Sun Mar 10 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
Thu Mar 14 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena ~
Mon Mar 18 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center ~
Sat Mar 23 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena ~
Wed Mar 27 – Birmingham, AL – The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~
+ Rescheduled dates
~ Without J. Cole
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Soulja Boy is back in the headlines but this time it is for his maturity. Draco has issued an apology to J. Cole, after cursing him out.
XXL Magazine is reporting that the Atlanta, Georgia native is showing contrition after going after Jermaine. On Monday, November 6 Big Draco went on a tirade against the “John P’s Caddy” MC after he admitted he was a Soulja Boy hater during the interview with Lil Yachty on the A Safe Place Podcast. “Around the time Soulja Boy came out, I don’t know how this happened, but I had a realization within myself ’cause I’m hearing that s**t and I’m like, ‘Man, this s**t, Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em,” J. Cole said.
He went on to further detail the moment in time. “Sounds crazy to say now ’cause it’s such a classic to me. But at that time I had resistance. Similar to when you came out and your class came out, I had resistance. ‘Nah, that’s not the thing that I love. Like what? Y’all f**king with this?’ I was one of them.” Cole then admitted he had hate in his heart at the time. “But there was a part of me that had a realization. I was proud of myself for this realization. So, I was like, ‘Bruh, you a hater.’ Like, ‘Yo, you are literally hating. You know you like this s**t.’”
Needless to say Soulja Boy was not too pleased when this got on his radar and disparaged The Off-Season talent on X, formerly known as Twitter. “P***y n***a I wrote and produced a #1 record at 17 in 2006 drake just gave you your first #1 this year sit the f**k down n***a u not all that @JColeNC u don’t got a #1 solo record I do.” he wrote. Soulja continued on with the slander saying “You a b***h @JColeNC f**k you and ya fans,” Soulja Boy wrote on X. “N***az will slap the s**t out you, f**k your opinion dirty stank dreads having a** b***h.”
Well it seems Nicki Minaj out of all people talked some sense into the S.O.D. Money Gang CEO. “Nicki just told me I took what he said wrong,” he posted on X. “And that he was showing love. So I’m gonna let it go. My bad y’all I really thought dude was hating on me.” He continued “My bad dawg. @JColeNC sorry for the confusion. keep doing your s**t we from two different worlds. I stand on what I stand on, it’s hard coming from where I did man. I dealt with a lot of hate my whole career so it was just messed to think it would come from you.”
J. Cole has yet to acknowledge the situation. You can see Soulja’s social media posts below.
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty / J. Cole
J. Cole is best known for dropping albums without any features, but when other Hip-Hop stars throw up the Dreamville signal, he never lets them down, delivering straight heat. Now, many fans are shocked to learn that his lyrical prowess doesn’t come with a ridiculous asking price.
Speaking with Lil Yachty on a recent episode of his A Safe Place podcast, J. Cole spoke on his collaborative process. The conversation eventually landed on how much the North Carolina flame spitter charges for a verse and we were all shocked to learn he doesn’t charge for features.
“Yo, bro, it’s just a bar, bro. Like, a lot of my bars be really on point but that’s just a flex. I’m not gonna charge a ni**a $2,000 a word. I don’t even charge ni**a for the verse, I’m doing this shit because I’m inspired to do it,” Cole told Yachty.
Jermaine Cole’s comments come after the rapper, who is “first to do everything,” Soulja Boy, claims he charges $1 million for a feature.
“If you want a verse, it’s gon’ cost you a M. You want a show, it’s gon’ cost you $100k,” the “Turn My Swag On” rapper said to fans during a recent live stream.
We’re curious how much Trey Songz paid for that “LOL Smiley Face” feature.
J.Cole Has Thoughts On Him “Washing” Drake On “First Person Shooter”
Anyway, later in the podcast, sticking on the topic of features, Cole spoke about having his first No. 1 track on the Billboard Hot 100 with his feature on Drake’s “First Person Shooter.”
“If it would’ve went No. 2 it wouldn’t have mattered. I wouldn’t have felt no way. If the other song would’ve went No. 1, it’s like, bruh, I’m cool. If that other song would’ve gone No. 1, ni**a, I’m still grateful I’m a part of it,” Cole said.
By the way, many agree that J. Cole washed Drake on the track, including J.I.D and Joe Budden.
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Consider us shocked that Cole doesn’t charge for features. This is just another reason his legend continues to grow in the Hip-Hop world.
But, also, when you’re really good at something, you never do it for free.
Just saying.
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Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty
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Source: Paige Boyd / Paige Boyd
One of the culture’s most beloved outings is set to come back. J. Cole has announced that the Dreamville Music Festival is returning next year.
Digital Music News is reporting that the Fayetteville, North Carolina, talent and his team are bringing back the popular concert series. On Monday, (Oct. 23), the official Dreamville Records Instagram made the announcement. The caption read, “Raleigh, NC 🌻 April 6 & 7, 2024 🌻 Be the first to get your presale password by signing up for fest info at dreamville.com.”
President Adam Roy expressed his enthusiasm in a formal statement. “Dreamville Fest 2023 was a major cultural moment for the spring festival season,” the executive said. We had amazing performances from some of the biggest artists of my generation, and we plan to bring that same energy in 2024!”
The two-day event will be returning to Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh’s largest public park. Ticket holders will be treated to performances and activities including carnival rides, food trucks, art installations, branded experiences and more.
J. Cole and Usher headlined the 2023 edition. You can sign up for more information on the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival here.