J. Cole Opens Up on Kendrick-Drake Beef in New GQ Talk

J. Cole is looking back at the rap beef that put him in the middle, and he says it was a tougher spot than fans saw. In a new GQ conversation with his longtime mentor Mark Pitts, Cole talked through the 2024 clash between Kendrick Lamar and Drake and why he stepped away from it.

Cole said he was already in an awkward position before the beef went public, because he had recorded with Kendrick for The Fall-Off. When Kendrick took aim at Drake and Cole on “Like That,” Cole felt he had to respond without really responding, while still trying to save face. He also said he was creatively drained after years on The Fall-Off, believed the album was finished, and was even entertaining thoughts of retirement.

That pressure led to “7 Minute Drill” on his April 2024 project Might Delete Later, followed days later by his onstage apology to Kendrick at Dreamville Festival and the track’s removal from streaming. Pitts told Cole he had two reactions at the time: as a man, he was proud of him, but as a fan, he could not understand walking away from the moment.

Cole also used the interview to clear up his future. He said he is not using the word retirement now, even though he made The Fall-Off with last-album intentions. The door, he made clear, is not closed.

Your Station, Your Music, Your Culture.

Photo: H D / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)