During his headline performance at the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina on April 7, J. Cole opened up about his feelings of regret regarding his diss track aimed at Kendrick Lamar, titled "7 Minute Drill."
Speaking to the crowd, Cole confessed that the past couple of days had been tough for him, admitting that spiritually, releasing the diss track had left him feeling uneasy and disrupted his inner peace. He went on to acknowledge Kendrick Lamar's exceptional talent and asked the audience whether they believed Lamar deserved recognition as one of the greatest artists to ever grace the microphone.
This feeling of regret stems from Kendrick Lamar's own verbal attacks directed at both J. Cole and Drake in his featured verse on Future and Metro Boomin's song "Like That." In response, J. Cole retaliated by dropping "7 Minute Drill" as a part of his unexpected project, "Might Delete Later," which was released on April 5th.
J. Cole is expressed his mixed feelings about his project "Might Delete Later." He begins by saying he's proud of the project overall but then admits there's one specific aspect of it that he regrets and considers to be the "lamest s**t" he's ever done in his life. He acknowledges that his audience may not want to hear this, suggesting that it might be uncomfortable or disappointing for them to learn about his regret regarding a part of his work.
"I’m so proud of [‘Might Delete Later’], except for one part,” said Cole. “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***in’ life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear."J Cole
J. Cole admits regret for releasing the diss track, acknowledging it was a mistake. He hopes God will guide him back to his purpose and asks forgiveness from Kendrick Lamar if he felt offended. He's prepared to face criticism and emphasizes moving forward with love. Reflecting on the past two days, he admits they felt terrible, realizing how comfortable he had been for the past decade. He seeks forgiveness and aims to return to his true path.
"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. "J Cole
"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."J Cole
J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar are highly respected figures in the rap industry, celebrated for their skillful lyricism, profound content, and unique musical styles. Their artistic paths have intertwined multiple times over the years, resulting in memorable collaborations.
From Cole's production of Kendrick's impactful track "HiiiPower" in 2012 to Kendrick's feature on Cole's "Forbidden Fruit" two years later, their partnership has consistently delivered noteworthy music. Notably, on Black Friday 2015, they unveiled not one, but two tracks together, aptly named "Black Friday," showcasing their undeniable chemistry.
Yet, like any compelling rivalry, tensions occasionally surfaced. Kendrick Lamar stirred the pot with veiled jabs at both J. Cole and Drake in his uncredited verse on Metro Boomin and Future's track "Like That." This move sparked excitement across the internet as fans speculated about the brewing conflict.
In response, J. Cole retaliated with his own diss track, the notorious "7 Minute Drill," featured on his surprise album "Might Delete Later." However, in a surprising turn of events, Cole has since expressed regret over the release of the diss track, labeling it as "the lamest, goofiest sh*t." Despite the back-and-forth, their shared legacy in the rap game remains undeniable.