On Wednesday, October 9, J. Cole unveiled his latest single, “Port Antonio.”In a surprising move, the rapper spoke out about the ongoing rap dispute between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, explaining his decision to step back from the conflict.
Within the track, J. Cole expressed his desire to avoid involvement in the rap rivalry, believing that the artists in question were merely leveraging the situation for financial gain. He emphasized his unwillingness to tarnish his reputation by disparaging peers or airing out personal details about those he has known for years.
In a notable moment, he referred to Drake directly, urging him to get back to creating music. The lyrics from “Port Antonio”include:
“Ayy Drake, you’ll always be my n**ga/ I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n**ga/ F**k all the narratives/ Tapping back into your magic pen is what’s imperative.”
After the song’s debut, Drake showed his support by liking J. Cole’s announcement post on Instagram.
Social media erupted with mixed feedback regarding the interaction between J. Cole and Drake. One user on X remarked that the duo was “better than Kendrick,”stating:
“Cause they both better than Kendrick.”
While many celebrated the apparent reconciliation of the two artists, there were also calls for a future collaboration.
“Drake and Cole still cool tho,” one user noted.
“Collab?” another commented.
“Lol they back together,” a user added.
Conversely, some critics took shots at the two, alleging that they had lost the rap battle.
“Didn’t even mention Dots (Kendrick Lamar) name but crying about how Drake “did a lot for you.” Yeah, Cole finna go out sad,” another X user remarked.
“Weak sauce lol,” another commented.
“They deserve each other. They make a nice couple,” one user stated.
Notably, Kendrick Lamar was not directly referenced, unlike Drake. Additional reactions included:
“Drake won this battle,” a user said.
“They not like us,” another remarked.
“We need a collab,” a fan urged.
Analysis of J. Cole’s “Port Antonio”Lyrics as They Trend Following Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s Feud
In “Port Antonio,”J. Cole’s mention of Drake comes after Kendrick has aimed lyrics at both him and Drake in the collaborative track “Like That,”which features Future and Metro Boomin. Cole responded to this jab with his own diss aimed at Kendrick, showcased in his song “7 Minute Drill,”released in April 2024. This back-and-forth was set against the backdrop of Drake and J. Cole’s shared declaration in their 2023 song “First Person Shooter,”where they labeled themselves and Kendrick as the rap genre’s “big three.”
Reflecting on his exit from the rap conflict, J. Cole articulated in “Port Antonio”:
“I pulled the plug because I see where that was about to go/ They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow/ They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke/ I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro, I woulda gained a foe.”
In his verses, Jermaine Lamarr Cole further detailed his reasoning for distancing himself from the feud:
“Since the age of fourteen, Jermaine is no king/ If that means I gotta dig up first and pay the whole team/ Of algorithm-bot n**gas just to sway the whole thing/ On social media, competin’ for your favorable means.”
Kendrick Lamar had yet to respond to J. Cole’s latest release at the time this article was published.
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