J. Cole performed at the Dreamville Festival on Sunday night (April 7) in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he changed his tone regarding Kendrick Lamar. During his headlining set, the Dreamville boss and festival curator essentially apologized for dissing the Pulitzer-winning MC on his latest project, Might Delete Later. As a result, he informed the crowd he and his longtime friend/manager, Ibrahim Hamad, were removing “7 Minute Drill” from streaming platforms.
“How many of y’all think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest ever to pick up a mic?” he asked in a clip making the rounds online. “I haven’t been sleeping right the last few days… Ib, we taking that diss off streaming services.”
He continued, “I pray my n#### didn’t feel no way but if he did I got my chin out take ya best shot I’ma take it on the chin, I ain’t gonna lie to yall past 2 days been terrible it let me know how I’ve been sleeping for the past 10 years. That was the lamest, goofiest s### […] That s### don’t sit right with my spirit”
J. Cole discussing the Kendrick Lamar diss at Dreamville Fest 🫣pic.twitter.com/PZ9xrfGxTk
— Team DREAMVILLE (@TeamDreamville) April 8, 2024
The verbal spar began last month when Kendrick Lamar dissed J. Cole and Drake on the recent Future and Metro Boomin’ track “Like That.” He raps in part, “‘First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches […] Motherf### the big three, n####, it’s just big me.”
J. Cole returned fire by commending Lamar for his work on 2011’s Section.80 and 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly, trashing his latest effort, 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and suggesting good kid, m.A.A.d city didn’t deserve the accolades it received upon its release.
“Your first sh## was classic, your last sh## was tragic,” he spits. “Your 2nd s### put n###s to sleep but they gassed it/Your 3rd s### was massive hit that was your prime/I was trailing right behind, but I just now hit mine.”
Lamar’s verse on “Like That” helped push the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Apple Music, Spotify US and Spotify Global. It was taken from Future and Metro Boomin’s latest collaborative effort, We Don’t Trust You, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the highest first-week sales of 2024.
Of course, J. Cole’s impassioned (and seemingly genuine) repentance didn’t sit well with dedicated Hip-Hop fans. As one person put it: “J Cole apologizing for making a diss record, what happened to Hip-Hop.”
J Cole apologizing for making a diss record, what happened to hip hop pic.twitter.com/gYYLKb5E81
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 8, 2024