R&B/Hip-Hop
Page: 260
GloRilla made an appearance at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night, and the Memphis rapper caught up with Billboard News’ Tetris Kelly on the red carpet for an interview. Big Glo was tight-lipped when asked about her heated back-and-forth with JT on Friday after name-dropping the City Girls rapper on her Ehhthang Ehhthang […]
Woop-woop, that’s the sound of a lifetime achievement honor! Make that two.
Late last week, President Joe Biden honored hip-hop pioneers KRS-One and Kurtis Blow with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Hip-Hop Museum in Washington, D.C.
According to AllHipHop, 300 guests attended a ceremony at the RIAA headquarters, where the Rev. Dr. George Holmes delivered a rousing speech in celebration of the two icons. “There are two ways for a leader to go through life: as a thermometer or as a thermostat,” Holmes declared. “The thermometer merely measures the climate, but the thermostat sets the tone and creates it. That’s who you are, KRS-One and Kurtis Blow.”
In the absence of a physical appearance from President Biden, a letter from the White House addressed to the two hip-hop pillars was read.
“As it is with Kurtis Blow, as it is with you, America’s story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us,” read the note. “On behalf of the American people, President Biden extends his heartfelt appreciation to you for your volunteer leadership, and he encourages you to continue to answer the call to serve. The country is still counting on you.”
Trending on Billboard
In addition the groundbreaking careers and contributions to American music and culture, KRS-One and Kurtis Blow were also honored for their commitment to community service and leadership.
The honors come less than a year after hip-hop celebrated its 50th anniversary, with 2023 boasting a bevy of specials celebrating hip-hop’s history, including A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, to which KRS-One turned down a personal invite from LL Cool J.
“I was asked about two months ago; they asked me to do it and I turned them down,” he told Harold St. Louis. “And reason being is because I know people don’t understand this — and I say this respectfully. KRS-One is a Hip Hop extremist. I’m not violent, a violent extremist. I’m insane with this culture. I know I must have lost my mind in this.”
Kurtis Blow also did not attend the telecast, but he, like KRS-One, celebrated Hip-Hop 50 with other institutions.
KRS-One has earned three career entries on the Billboard Hot 100: 1994’s “Sound of da Police” (No. 89), 1995’s “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” (No. 57) and 1997’s “Step Into a World (Rapper’s Delight)” (No. 70). On the Billboard 200, he’s notched eight entries, including his sole top 10 title, 1997’s I Got Next (No. 3).
Kurtis Blow landed a pair of Hot 100 hits over the course of his career: 1980’s “The Breaks (Part I)” (No. 87) and 1985’s “Basketball” (No. 71). He has also sent six titles onto the Billboard 200, reaching as high as No. 71 with his eponymous 1980 LP.
Click here to watch a clip of the ceremony.
What’s in the water lately?
Since Future and Metro Boomin dropped We Don’t Trust You a couple of weeks back, rap drama has spilled out from all corners. First, Kendrick Lamar ignited a civil war between the Big 3, which now is down to Drake and Lamar after J. Cole politely bowed out this weekend at Dreamville Fest. Then you have the ladies of rap going at it, with Glorilla beefing with JT from the City Girls late last week over Big Glo’s song “Aite.”
And then today, the OGs, Joe Budden and Skillz, went back and forth over Cole’s backtracking.
Now Skillz…… there is NO LIVING BREATHING person that has you as a better MC than me. & YOU can’t career shame a mosquito with a mixtape. And the one time a year ppl wanted to hear from you got stolen from you. Go be with your family. https://t.co/YA4vjnetNY— Joe Budden (@JoeBudden) April 8, 2024
But the biggest story in “Today in Rap Beef” is undoubtedly Meek Mill being upset with Wale for taking a picture with someone he’s no longer friends with. In a now-deleted tweet, Meek posted a screenshot of Wale’s photo with Philly rapper Dean Stay Ready and wrote, “Wale never liked me.”
Trending on Billboard
Meek Mill goes off on Wale after he linked up with Meek’s former bestfriend Dean in Philadelphia.”Wale never liked me … now ima treat him like the streets every time I see him.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/AL0fnGBUW3— No Jumper (@nojumper) April 8, 2024
Wale responded, suggesting he didn’t realize taking a flick with Dean would end up being this serious.
When u get in other people unserious drama in this industry 90pct of the time they be back friends… eventually ..and then u look silly… in the end… so I love minding my business. If a photo can create such vitriol , one has to ask himself some questions. Happy Monday— Wale (@Wale) April 8, 2024
Meek then accused Wale of having “always been jealous” of him and said the D.C. rapper “killed all his relationships.” He followed it up with a series of tweets mentioning a fight Wale had in D.C., how he doesn’t believe any sex stories about Diddy, how he’s his own publicist, and how he’s treating X like his journal, among other things.
This why the rap game screwed along of niggas be having these secretly jealous vibes you can’t do songs or tours with them lol he’s always been jealous of me but tryna link with meek haters intentionally ..wale killed all his relationships dont come around again with bad energy! https://t.co/8UelusekMx— MeekMill (@MeekMill) April 8, 2024
We’re only four months into 2024 and this isn’t the first time Meek has had a public meltdown on social media. Back in February, after being named in a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs by a producer who worked on his Grammy-nominated The Love Album: Off the Grid, Meek hopped on X and told DJ Akademiks to stop playing with his name, accused a competing music label of trying to smear him, promoted his Heathenism EP, and then asked his fans to send him the lawsuit so he could read it for himself. It was quite the day.
But as to why Meek would be so mad at his former labelmate for taking a photo with Dean Stay Ready, look no further than a DJ Akademiks interview. In the video interview, Dean talked about his past relationship with Meek Mill and accused the head Dreamchaser of blackballing him. The two reportedly had a falling-out due to Dean’s belief that Meek was preventing the advancement of his career.
Chlöe Bailey is getting the girls gassed up this summer with her new “Boy Bye” single, which she officially announced on Monday (April 8). She also revealed the cover artwork for “Boy Bye,” which will arrive this Friday via Parkwood and Columbia Records, and it features the Grammy-nominated singer raising her arms in the air […]
The highly publicized trial kicked off in November 2023.
The Pandora’s Box that Katt Williams opened in January isn’t closing any time soon. While Beyoncé enjoyed big wins in the country and Americana worlds, the rap game was in complete disarray the past week: Grammy-nominated “F.N.F.” rapper GloRilla dominated headlines with the release of her new Ehhthang Ehhthang mixtape which housed a new track titled “Aite” where she spits, “‘Cause Cardi and Nicki on a track would break some f–kin’ records/ Me and JT ain’t the best of friends but we ain’t beefin’.”
While that line was intended to be unifying, it opened the floodgates for heated social media back-and-forth between GloRilla and JT of City Girls. While the exact details of the origin of their beef are unclear, in this instance, JT was upset at being name-dropped in that bar after GloRilla let rumors of her slapping the “No Bars” rapper fly unchecked. This, of course, bookmarked a weekend that began with J. Cole responding to Kendrick Lamar‘s Billboard Hot 100-topping “Like That” verse on “7 Minute Drill.” That track, which served as the final track on his surprise Might Delete Later mixtape, garnered very mixed reactions, and Cole eventually walked the whole thing back by Sunday evening (April 7) at Dreamville Fest.
Trending on Billboard
“That s–t don’t sit right with my spirit,” Cole said. “That s–t disrupts my f–king peace… I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf–kers to ever touch a f–king microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”
As we deal with the aftermath of Cole’s culture-quaking decision and continue to wait for Drake’s “Like That” response, there’s still so much new music to explore. With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Fivio Foreign’s fiery new drill anthem to Bryson Tiller‘s sultry new Victoria Monét duet to J. Cole’s cross-generational link-up with Cam’ron. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: The Amours & TA Thomas, “Pick Me Up”
[embedded content]
Ahead of their new Changes EP (out April 26), sister duo The Amours team up with R&B savant TA Thomas for the gorgeous “Pick Me Up.” Forlorn guitars immediately introduce the track, with the duo trading devastating lines about the turbulent nature of growing together in a relationship. Their tight harmonies function as just another instrument in the overall arrangement, which allows for the song to maintain a conversational, back-and-forth feel despite there technically being three vocalists on the track. “You can always be yourself around me/ Caught in the middle of trust and belief,” they croon harmoniously. TA Thomas, of course, delivers a characteristically silky vocal performance that provides just enough depth to contrast with the brighter tones of The Amours.
GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion, “Wanna Be”
[embedded content]
Most people opened Instagram on Sunday to a two-minute clip of Megan Thee Stallion flaunting “the best a– on IG” while promoting her new GloRilla collaboration “Wanna Be.” While the clip is certainly a winner, so is the new song. Built on samples from a pair of timeless tracks — Soulja Boy‘s “Petty Boy Swag” and Project Pat‘s “Don’t Save Her” — the two Southern rap stars flaunt their independence and reject the notion of being “claimed.” With an all-star line-up of Ace Charisma, Payday, MKMentality and Yo Gotti on production duties, “Wanna Be” boasts one of the most infectious beats of the year so far. If that weren’t enough to secure its spot as a viable summer anthem, both Glorilla and Meg delivery fiery verses and an incredibly catchy, Instagram caption-ready hook, to boot.
Bryson Tiller feat. Victoria Monét, “Persuasion”
[embedded content]
With D’Mile on production, you know you’re in for a treat. Add Victoria Monét and Bryson Tiller, and you’re in for some heat too. “Persuasion,” one of two collaborations of Bryson Tiller’s new eponymous album, is easily one of the LP’s best offerings. Across the bouncy ’90s-inspired instrumental, Bryson and Victoria trade verses where they play with enunciation and innuendo, teasing listeners with phrasing that hints at expletives before delving into something cleaner — and sneakily more nuanced. “He asked if he could grab all on my— absolutely/ I’m in no opposition so I’m gonna sit on that decision tonight,” Victoria croons. The two R&B stars have palpable verve and chemistry on this track, adding just the right amount of dynamism for an instant standout.
J. Cole feat. Cam’ron, “Ready ‘24”
[embedded content]
J. Cole comes out of the gate guns blazing on this Might Delete Later standout, hilariously bragging about being able to pull your girl without a haircut while rocking some Crocs. Admittedly, his puffed-out chest declarations about “nobody being better” than him on the planet are hitting differently after copping a plea at Dreamville Fest and waving the white flag in his feud with Kendrick Lamar. The Barbara Mason-sampling tune uses the same lift as a Dipset classic from two decades earlier, and Cam’ron himself steps into the booth here like he hasn’t lost a step since Diplomatic Immunity dropped.
Khalid, “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me”
[embedded content]
It’s been a minute since Khalid led R&B conversations as he did with blockbuster hits such as 2017’s “Location” or 2019’s “Talk.” “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me” could thrust him back into that limelight. Produced by Jason Kellner and featuring an interpolation of Alicia Keys‘ “Unthinkable (I’m Ready),” the new single finds Khalid updating his plaintive, atmospheric R&B style with some trap inflections. Pounding bass soundtracks his nimble rap-sung in the verses, while the production opens up into synthy mirage when he lifts into his falsetto in the hook. “I hope that you believe in the end that I got you/ How can I move forward when every relationship I get in/ Don’t hit the same ’cause it’s not you?” he asks. With a pen as sharp as ever and a sound that feels fresh and believable, Khalid appears to be back on track.
Doja Cat feat. Teezo Touchdown, “MASC”
[embedded content]
Only Doja Cat can flip threats to end a relationship into a light-hearted angelic chorus. With cinematic production that sounds as if it could’ve landed on Kanye West’s Vultures, Doja aims to have her man sleeping on the couch again while revealing this love story needs a rewrite. “You gave me the d–k / Then gave the d–k without the D,” she cleverly rhymes. Teezo Touchdown steps in to play Doja’s romantic interest in the fried relationship, and attempts to win her back. “I need your time, I need your feet cuddlin’ mine,” he sings. Doja Cat and Teezo Touchdown’s rap-singing styles smoothly mesh, making for a robust collaboration between the eccentric RCA labelmates.
G-Eazy feat. Coi Leray & Kaliii, “Femme Fatale”
[embedded content]
After taking over a year off, G-Eazy kicks off his next era by catering to the women and “sex positivity.” In his hitmaking prime, Young Gerald meticulously dished out catchy hooks and he crafts another one centered around Century Steel Band’s “Heaven and Hell Is on Earth.” Eazy invites rising female rap stars Coi Leray and Kaliii to join him at the party and Leray steals the show with a raunchy assist. “Get this p—y, get more wings and I could get him to fly/ G-Eazy want a bite and I could see in his eyes/ But slow down, don’t rush, baby, give it some time,” she raps. With an album on the way set for this fall, it’s a step in the right direction for the Bay Area rhymer looking to reclaim his hip-hop titan status.
Azealia Banks is playing matchmaker, and she wants to see Tyler, the Creator and Lil Nas X become music’s newest power couple.
Banks posted a lengthy message to Instagram on Sunday (April 7) explaining why she hopes the two talented creatives join forces romantically.
“I really think Tyler the creator and lil nas x should get over their obsession with broke white bussy and become a power couple,” she wrote. “I think the sensationalism of successful black gay men toting trailer a– rent man hookers as arm candy is played , predictable and they’re both obviously being objectified and plotted on by these boys for hire.”
“It would be way more monumental to see [two] young black gay men as an item. Even just for aesthetic reasons,” she added.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Harlem native continued to harp on why Tyler and Lil Nas “would shift culture so hard”: “Tyler can teach lil nas x how to rap so he can stop doing his Azealia Banks impression and fire all these weird white creative directors who obviously have no point of references or respect for the nuance, sheer musical opulence and political groundwork laid out for him to inherit.”
Trending on Billboard
Tyler hopped into Banks’ comment section laughing at the whirlwind of emotions from AB. “lmfao what the hell,” he wrote seemingly caught off-guard; the comment has earned more than 6,000 likes as of press time.
The Grammy-winning rapper has long been coy about his love life, but comedian Jerrod Carmichael recently opened up about how Tyler rejected his advances during an episode of his new reality show Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.
“I fell in love with my best friend. one out of 10, don’t recommend,” Carmichael said on the program. “I knew I had to tell him. Things started getting kind of weird between us. I had these feelings… So I texted him. I remember saying, ‘I know you didn’t ask for this, but somewhere down the line I developed feelings for you and I don’t know what to do with that.’ Then I immediately turned my phone off and went into therapy. [Tyler] sent me a voice note. I was so nervous. It was like six seconds … He said, ‘Hahahaha, you stupid b–h.’ And I don’t really know what that means.”
Carmichael wanted Tyler to be his date to the Emmy Awards, but the California native declined the invitation. However, they hashed things out publicly during an interview together on the show. “It’s because I told you I had feelings for you, and we didn’t talk about it, ever,” Carmichael explained. “I feel like you left me hanging out there a little bit.”
Tyler replied with a laugh. “I did. Yeah, I did. And I think I just, like, brushed it off,” he said. “Getting news like that and then avoiding it is a way to avoid change.”
The IGOR rapper said he looks at Carmichael — who narrated on Tyler’s 2019 album — as “truly family” and a “brother.”
When the Orion Sun-sampling “Whatever She Wants” reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated March 16), Bryson Tiller not only earned his first unaccompanied Hot 100 top 20 hit in nearly a decade, he also pulled off the feat with a sound that notably diverged from the sultry trap-inflected R&B that brought him past chart wins in 2015’s “Don’t” and 2017’s “Wild Thoughts” (with Rihanna and DJ Khaled).
Although it’s parenthetically titled “Bonus” and tacked at the end of the album like a victory lap of sorts, “Whatever She Wants” acts as the thematic anchor for Tiller’s new eponymous LP. Led by a trio of singles, including “Whatever She Wants,” “Outside,” and “Calypso,” Bryson Tiller, the Grammy-nominated R&B star’s fourth studio effort, finds its namesake flaunting the different multitudes of his sonic profile. From less emotionally conflicted Trapsoul variants to big swings at drill-inflected R&B and frothy top 40 tunes, Bryson Tiller aims to use sonic experimentation to ground Tiller’s monogamous devotion to his lover.
Trending on Billboard
[embedded content]
“Attention,” the album’s first full-length song, immediately steers the album into that lane. “And baby, when you put it on, there’s no competition/ I watched you make an entrance/ Yes, and you can tell by my description (You fit it well and, girl)/ I will never fail to mention (How you polish every detail),” he croons over relatively sparse production from Syk Sense. It’s a fine opener, one that transports listeners to the murky Trapsoul soundscapes he revisited on his last LP (2020’s Anniversary), and course-corrects from the needless computer theme that sporadically appears throughout the record. The utility of “Attention” lies in Tiller’s songwriting: He emphasizes the allure of one particular woman across the track, driving the album several hundred miles away from the deluge of “toxic” womanizing male R&B that’s driven the genre for the better part of the last decade – a wave Tiller’s own Trapsoul is a part of, in some regards. Bryson Tiller is all about loving one woman, reminding her why she stands above the rest and taking pride in spoiling her, simply because it’s something you genuinely love to do.
“Attention” is a solid entry point that gives way to more arresting tracks: On “Prize,” he employs his most impressive flow over a string-laden beat that recalls late-’00s Usher, and “No Thank You” is a cut tailor-made for day-one Tiller fans who relish his inimitable brand of sing-rapping. Prior to this record, Tiller was toiling away on his Slum Tiller mixtape series, and much of Bryson Tiller descends from that work. Take “F4U,” the album’s penultimate, Jodeci-sampling track, for example: It’s not explicitly in Slum Village’s jazz-rap wheelhouse, but Tiller’s approach to rapping on this cut – some of his best on the entire record – is clearly informed by the time he spent flexing his rap muscle on that SoundCloud mixtape series, as of course is “Whatever She Wants,” the album’s crown jewel of “spoil your girl” anthems.
That highlight also finds intriguing complements in “Rich Boy” and “Ciao!” The former, which lifts Rich Boy’s “Throw Some D’s,” pauses the celebratory energy of “Whatever She Wants” and opts for a shadier, dirty-macking approach. “Do the most for you, I do it in random/ He a joke to you, should be doin’ stand up/ He don’t put spend it on you (Huh), hold that s–t for ransom / If you don’t f–k with broke n—as, ladies, this your anthem,” he spits. The latter, an enjoyable take on drill-inflected R&B, with writing contributions from the Grammy-winning Leon Thomas III, finds a markedly more dejected Tiller brooding over being financially taken advantage of. “Ciao” takes a second to find its grove, but once Tiller pairs his layered background harmonies with those crisp snares, it makes for an impressive textural contrast.
[embedded content]
In addition to his flirtation with drill on the new LP, Tiller also dips into another regional sound that has been dominating hip-hop recently. The Clara La San-assisted “RAM,” the only proper song to explicitly nod to the record’s underbaked computer theme, finds Tiller using Jersey club’s pounding drums to soundtrack the neurotic feeling of needing to remember why you’ve entered and chosen to stay in a relationship. “RAM,” along with the witty, Victoria Monét duet “Persuasion,” is among the LP’s best offerings, underscoring Bryson’s tendencies to deliver his best work when he’s pushing himself vocally. It’s the same reason why “Find My Way” and “Undertow” will stand as career-best vocal performances; not only do his dizzying riffs tastefully decorate his immersive melodic lines, but help underscore a level of vulnerability that strengthens the gravity of his explorations of monogamy.
Bryson Tiller is a solid record that honors the mid-2010s break out star’s roots while also showcasing how wide-ranging his versatility can be. Some of those options – like “Calypso,” a summer anthem-in-waiting that has nothing to do with actual calypso music – are easy winners, while others (album closer “Assume the Position” is an absolute dud that’s reminiscent of the worst of Chris Brown’s early ’10s run) fall a bit short. The record, like most albums these days, could have benefited from some trimming — some of the interludes add nothing of substance and the relative lack of variance in subject matter makes the 19-track set feel redundant quite quickly.
There may be several songs on this record destined to own the warm-weather months, but Bryson Tiller is built to last through any season. This one’s for the real lovers, and no one sounds more in love – or more happy about being in love – than Mr. Tiller.
Azealia Banks is never one to mince words, and she’s revived a decade-old feud with Lily Allen as she came to Beyoncé’s defense.
The “212” rapper took to her Instagram Stories over the weekend to call out the British pop star for her criticism of Bey’s Cowboy Carter album, and she recalled a play-by-play of an alleged phone call between herself and Allen that took place a “few years ago.”
“Okay @lilyallen you’re going to stop right there and sit this one out,” Banks wrote over an accompanying Billboard story regarding Allen framing Bey’s country pivot as “quite calculated.” Banks also brought up an alleged phone conversation between the two.
“Shall we discuss that phone call to me – a few years ago – obviously off your face – crying and sobbing asking me to forgive you for randomly being racist?” she wrote in part.
Trending on Billboard
Billboard has reached out to Allen for comment.
Allen name-dropped Banks on the April 4 episode of her Miss Me? podcast while dissecting Beyoncé’s Dolla Parton “Jolene” cover.
“I read a comment from Azealia Banks where she was like, ‘Stop talking about Jay-Z as if anyone wants to f–k him,” Allen said, laughing. “Literally, no one’s even looked at him for about 10 years, relax.”
Co-host Miquita Oliver then asked Allen if she found the Brooklyn rap mogul attractive, and she replied, “I mean, I’m attracted to power, so yes? But maybe not physically,” said the singer, who is married to Stranger Things star David Harbour. “I don’t want my current husband to get upset, but it’s not really the physical I go for.”
Allen continued to dig into Beyoncé’s decision to explore a country album with Cowboy Carter.
“It’s very weird that you’d cover the most successful songs in that genre,” Allen mused. “I just feel like it’s quite an interesting thing to do when you’re like trying to tackle a new genre and you just choose the biggest song in that genre to cover. I mean, you do you, Beyoncé, and she literally is doing her. Or is she doing Dolly?”
Allen continued: “The front cover is her in a cowboy hat, riding on a horse. She was wearing a blonde wig and a cowboy hat [at the Grammys]. It’s a bit about challenging these institutions that have thus far rejected Beyoncé as the icon and institution she is herself.”
Azealia Banks’ and Lily Allen’s history runs deep, as they previously feuded in 2013 while engaging in a Twitter beef that ended with Banks dissing Allen’s ex-husband Sam Cooper and saying he looked like a “thumb.”
Regardless of any critique, Beyoncé galloped to the No. 1 album in the country — her eighth in her discography — with Cowboy Carter topping the Billboard 200 with 407,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending April 4, according to Luminate.
J. Cole is throwing up the white flag in his feud with Kendrick Lamar. Cole expressed regret for dissing K. Dot on “7 Minute Drill” off April 5’s surprise project Might Delete Later during his headlining set at his Dreamville Fest on Sunday night (April 7).
Ahead of performing “Love Yourz,” Cole apologized for sending shots about Lamar’s discography that he didn’t mean, and referred to the diss as some of the “lamest s–t” he’s done in his entire life.
Trending on Billboard
Going after Kendrick didn’t sit well with his spirit, and he said the two days between the track’s arrival and him performing were “terrible.”
“I’m so proud of [Might Delete Later], except for one part. It’s one part of that s–t that makes me feel like, man that’s the lamest s–t I did in my f–king life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear,” he began.
“I was conflicted because, one, I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers, these two n—as that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness. 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 then gave Lamar his props and asked the crowd what they thought of Kendrick as an MC, which drew a loud ovation. He also said that even if the Compton legend responds with shots at him, the Dreamville boss will take it “on the chin” and keep it moving.
“That s–t don’t sit right with my spirit,” he added. “That s–t disrupts my f–king peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that and in that s–t, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n—-a’s fucking catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf–kers to ever touch a f–king microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”
The North Carolina rapper continued: “I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest s–t. 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. Take your best shot, I’ma take that s–t on the chin boy, do what you do. All good. It’s love.”
“And I pray that y’all are like, forgive a n—a 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.”
Cole also relayed that he wants to have “7 Minute Drill” taken off streaming services altogether.
In March, Kendrick Lamar nuked the rap game with his scintillating verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” which saw him take aim at his “Big Three” running mates Drake and J. Cole on the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.
“Like That” was seen as a response to Drake and Cole’s “First Person Shooter,” in which Jermaine puffed his chest out and referred to himself as Muhammad Ali.
Two weeks after “Like That” lit the fuse, Cole returned fire with his Might Delete Later project closer that saw him take aim at K. Dot’s discography by calling 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers “tragic” and claiming that the Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly had listeners snoozing.
“He still doin’ shows, but fell off like the Simpsons/ Your first s–t was classic, your last s–t was tragic/ Your second s–t put n—as to sleep, but they gassed it/ Your third s–t was massive and that was your prime/ I was trailing right behind and I just now hit mine/ Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead/ How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want somethin’ with me,” he spews.
Watch J. Cole’s full Dreamville Fest message below.
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