J. Cole Praises Killah Priest as His Current Favorite MC

In a recent interview with the YouTube channel Lost In Vegas, J. Cole revealed his current favorite rapper outside of himself: the legendary Killah Priest. As part of his promotional efforts for his upcoming album, The Fall-Off, the Dreamville artist shared his thoughts on the Wu-Tang Clan affiliate.

When asked about MCs he’s been listening to lately, Cole stated, “The first answer that comes to my mind is somebody that I’ve been playing the last month — this one song in particular. It’s gonna be hella left-field… but Killah Priest.” Although Cole admitted that he was not deeply familiar with Priest’s extensive catalog, he was captivated by his solo track “B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)” from GZA’s classic album Liquid Swords.

J. Cole's admiration escalated after discovering the song “NASA Case” during his recent Trunk Sale Tour. He described the experience of listening to it, saying, “I played this song and this shit … it’s crazy. I didn’t know what the fuck to expect; I just clicked [on it]. It’s nine and a half minutes.” He emphasized that the song’s dense lyrical content felt more like prose than poetry, captivating him with its intricate storytelling.

“Bro, I shit you not, I’m listening to it and I’m like, ‘I can’t exactly follow what he’s talking about.’ I’m getting enough, though, to keep me hooked,” Cole remarked. After multiple listens, he found the narrative becoming clearer, leading him to wonder, “Is this n*gga an alien?!”

By the time he reached his ninth listen, Cole fully appreciated the complexity of Killah Priest’s rhymes and expressed his astonishment at the depth of the track. “It’s one of the only songs outside of my album that I’m playing ’cause it’s so enjoyable and I’m so amazed with what this dude did … Shout out to Killah Priest, man,” he concluded.

Reflecting on his own influences, J. Cole also mentioned Canibus and Royce Da 5’9″ as two MCs he revered during his formative years as a lyric-focused teenager.

For more insights, you can watch the full segment at the 1:19:30 mark in the interview.