50 Cent explains why J. Cole backed out of the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud. According to 50 Cent, he never expected J. Cole to apologize because it killed the essence of the hip-hop beef culture.
And when he learned that J. Cole did, he wanted to reach out to him and ask him not to do that. The only reason why he did apologize is because he put personal relationships above his ego and pride and hence sabotaged the competition.
“I have been looking for J. Cole, and I’m like, ooo, let me see what he’s gonna do. And then I go like, ohhhhh no, no! Why did he do that? I wanted to call him and tell him, don’t do that.
He just said his feelings were valid. He said his feelings were valid, and that’s why he stopped. It’s because he felt like he could lose a brother, that’s why. He would have won the battle.”
50 Cent stated that he looked forward to the ending of the beef, following it closely to find out who truly amongst the three of them “got the liver like that.”
50 Cent, when asked what he truly thought about J. Cole’s backing out:
“J. Cole is one of the top guys. He’s competitive, and you wanna see them compete a little bit. That’s how we gonna find out who really got it.”
~ 50 on Big Boy’s Neighborhood
The whole feud between Drake, Kendrick, and J. Cole started when Kendrick, in Big Sean’s “Control” verse, dissed Drake J. Cole and several other rappers, saying he would murder their careers.
That statement sent shockwaves throughout the whole hip-hop community and respective fans of the mentioned, subtly crowning himself the “King of Rap.”
Drake, after getting this message, and as someone who is very competitive and firm in his stance and position, responded to the statement by Kendrick Lamar referencing himself as “King of Rap,” dismissing the whole assertion by Kendrick, considering it a publicity stunt and not a serious challenge.
Meanwhile, J. Cole, well known for his virtue and peaceful nature and most times playing the mediator role between feuds, couldn’t stay neutral this time because Kendrick addressed him alongside Drake in his self-acclaimed position as the “King of Rap,” prompting J. Cole to respond too.
Even though Drake, at no point in time, made his disses very intentional and directed towards Kendrick, Kendrick, on the other part, was very direct with whom he was addressing. Drake subtly addressed Kendrick in his songs like “4 PM in Calabasas” and “The Language.”
Meanwhile, Kendrick addressed Drake directly on “King Kunta” and “The Heart Part 4,” carrying veiled shots at Drake, questioning his authenticity and lyrical power. Kendrick seemed to be enjoying the beef, treating it as a natural part of the competitive hip-hop culture.
In April 2024, J. Cole released a track titled “7 Minute Drill” as part of his EP Might Delete Later, which included a diss aimed at Kendrick Lamar.
This was in response to Kendrick’s line in “Like That,” where he rapped, “Motherf**k the big three, ni**a, it’s just big me,” a retort to Cole’s earlier assertion of a “big three” in hip-hop comprising himself, Kendrick, and Drake.
But after he released “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole publicly apologized to Kendrick Lamar during his performance at the Dreamville Festival.
He expressed his regrets for the diss track, referring to it as a “misstep,” and laid his desire to prioritize their brotherhood over industry competition.
Cole stated, “I pray that y’all forgive a n—a for the misstep and I can get back to my true path.”
After apologizing, J. Cole removed his diss track “7 Minute Drill” from all streaming platforms as a way to show true regret and amend for them.
