Earlier this year, J. Cole made his intentions loud and clear on Lil Durk’s “All My Life”: “Lately, I just wanna show up and body some sh-t.” To his credit, Cole has been living up to his word, treating the rap circuit like a demolition derby.
A proven features savant, this is familiar territory for the Dreamville commander, who had a torrid run in 2018 with his sea of verses. Slinging out gusty bars for 21 Savage’s Grammy-Winning song “a lot,” 6LACK’s “Pretty Little Fears,” and Wale’s “My Boy,” Cole’s penchant for destruction stems from his competitive edge. Since his early mixtape days in the late 2000s, Cole has always used guest appearances or freestyles as target practice and a way to improve.
More than 15 years later, he continues to employ that same system as he readies his upcoming release, It’s A Boy, the follow-up to his 2021 Billboard 200 chart-topper The Off-Season. He’s already made a trio of Billboard Hot 100 appearances this year, on songs alongside R&B star Summer Walker, BTS alum J-Hope and rap hitmaker Lil Durk. The latter teamup, “All My Life,” proved to be an immediate smash, debuting at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in May — tying “My Life,” his 2021 single alongside Morray and 21 Savage, for the highest peak Cole has yet reached on the chart — and still hanging strong in the top 15 three months later.
Below, Billboard ranked Cole’s best 2023 features, including the two he dropped today with Gucci Mane and Burna Boy.
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Bas, “Passport Bros”
If you run down some of Bas and Cole’s best collaborations, you might think of “Cousins,” “Night Job,” and “Tribe.” While “Passport Bros” is a solid take, this was more of Cole’s victory lap, after his ownership group purchased his hometown NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets
As Cole described on Instagram earlier this year, this “Passport Bros” was a celebratory anthem made around T-Minus’ bachelor party in Barcelona. While Cole’s flair remains top-notch, the content matter was light, and deservingly so, knowing the occasion. “Shots of Clase, me and lil Bassy in Barcelona/ The news just dropped, I’m a partial owner/ What can I say?/ Tell Coach Cliff to suit me up and I’ll play, I’m winning,” celebrates Cole.
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Gucci Mane, “There I Go”
Here’s a pairing no one had on their 2023 bingo card: Gucci Mane and J. Cole. The real razzle-dazzle? Mike Will Made-It on the beat. The trifecta is a money shot, showcasing this collaboration’s genuine chemistry. While Cole is typically the chameleon, shifty and adaptable on any beat, Gucci’s show-stealing verse takes the cake. Knowing Cole’s lyrical prowess and features resume, Guwop revved up the energy: “Screamin’ ‘Yes sir,’ matching stretched furs /My diamonds go ‘Brr,’ yeah, it’s a cold world.” It was a serviceable feature for Cole standards that brought the best out of Gucci, so that’s a win.
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J-Hope, “On the Street”
Since 2013, BTS and J. Cole have had mutual admiration for each other’s craft through various shout-outs, covers and more. Their affinity reached its apex when J-Hope secured Cole for his March release of “On the Street.” The lyrical Jedis kick wisdom with a cluster of quotables anchored by Hope’s wishful hook. After Hope’s flurry of punches, Cole’s introspection takes centerstage as he ponders his future in rap. “I’m deep in with this rappin’, it’s all a ni–a know/ I never did nothin’ better, it’s hard to let it go.” Despite his trepidation, Cole’s insatiable appetite prevents him from an early exit. (“I got a strange type of hunger/ The more I eat, the more it gets stronger.”)
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Burna Boy, “Thanks”
As part of Cole’s double-feature release today, he joins forces with Burna Boy on “Thanks.” Catered to the haters, Burna and Cole lambast those chirping on the sidelines. Cole is lasered in with his machine gun flow intact and doesn’t compromise his lyrics for this rapid speed. He keeps things traditional, rapping a standard 16, but peppers enough hearty punchlines (“Get paid for phrases, I don’t believe in free speech”) to satiate his fanbase. Dubbing himself and Burna the new-age Shaq and Kobe, Cole’s final bars prove to be the game-clincher, “These rappers ain’t like me, I’m knee-deep in the concrete/ Forever cemented, don’t you ever forget it.”
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Summer Walker, “To Summer, From Cole” (Audio Hug)
In May, J. Cole penned an endearing verse for Summer Walker on “To Summer, From Cole.” His warmth and affirmations were the stepping stones in pushing Walker towards the soft life she yearns for. Playing the role of big brother, he applauds her musical triumphs and most importantly, delivers an “audio hug” to get the embattled singer past her heartbreaks and across the finish line. “I’m sendin’ you, SZA & Ari my love/ Y’all holdin’ us down, y’all holdin’ the crowns,” he concludes.
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Lil Durk, “All My Life”
The unlikely pairing of Lil Durk and J. Cole delivered one of rap’s first major breakout hits of the calendar year with “All My Life.” Though they’re amongst the genre’s biggest stars, on paper, there were early questions about how the duo would fit together sonically. Despite the generational gap, Cole played into Durk’s wheelhouse, piecing together a visceral verse that not only made the streets proud, but placed media publications on high alert. “And media thirsty for clicks/ I got a new rule /If you ain’t never posted a rapper when he was alive /You can’t post about him after he get hit.” The song peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and remains a top 15 player, sitting at No. 13 on the chart dated August 26.
