J. Cole has the internet going nuts. After choosing peace over lyrical violence and denouncing his Kendrick Lamar diss song, “7 Minute Drill,” at the 2024 Dreamville Festival last night, Cole’s move has polarized hip-hop fans. Many people have voiced their opinions across social media. While fans have been overt about disdain or understanding of Cole’s decision, most rappers have remained mum.
Which Rappers Have Spoken Out About J. Cole Ending This Beef
It’s been less than 24 hours since J. Cole rebuked his own diss song and announced he would take it down from streaming services right before closing out the Dreamville Fest in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday (April 7).
“I’m so proud of [Might Delete Later] except for one part,” Cole told the crowd before performing his last song for the night at the festival. “There’s one part of that s**t that make me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest s**t I ever did in my f***in’ life,’ right? And I know this is not what a lot of people wanna hear. I can hear my n***as up there being like, ‘Nah, don’t do that.’ But I gotta keep it a hunnid with y’all.”
He continued: “At the end of the day, when I listen to it…and I see the talk, that s**t don’t sit right with my spirit. That s**t disrupts my f***ing peace…in the midst of me doing that…and trying to find a little angle and downplay this n***a’s f***in’ catalog and his greatness. I wanna say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest muthaf**kas that ever touched a f***in’ microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”
A handful of rappers weighed in. Mick Jenkins let his feelings be known on Monday (April 8) via X, formerly known as Twitter. He feels disgusted that Cole threw in the towel. Styles P and Guapdad 4000 shared similar thoughts, saying they were both upset yet understanding of Cole’s decision.
“Cole def just killed my spirit,” Guapdad tweeted. “But it’s his happiness not mine , it’s selfish to think other wise but I’m just a fan at the end of the day.”
Meek Mill admitted he wants to see the shots continue, but offered an alternative to diss tracks. “I rather Cole and Kendrick do the historic album throw shots on the same album and eat off it,” Meek shared on X. “It’s only words! They smart it won’t be violent. Why everybody pushing beef but when you on that they say you crazy ‘the burning house.'”
As big of a hip-hop story as this is, it’s surprising that many more MCs aren’t offering their two cents.
Why Are Most Rappers Not Speaking Out?
The outcry from fans is much larger than the public opinions from Cole’s peers. So, what gives? Well, for one, many rappers seem to not want to get caught up in the mix. Choosing one side or the other could lead to a rapper getting caught up in the middle. While Cole has simmered down about K-Dot, he could easily redirect the smoke the way of the rapper who chose to weigh in on a topic that didn’t concern them. There’s also the possibility that all this beef could be a ruse, and jumping out the window with a harsh opinion might lead to problems down the road.
For whatever reason, most of Cole’s counterparts seem to be reserving judgment, for now.