J. Cole Reveals Drake & Kendrick Lamar's Involvement in 'The Fall-Off'

In a recent interview with Cam’ron, J. Cole confirmed that both Drake and Kendrick Lamar were initially set to feature on his latest album, The Fall-Off. Cole explained that their participation was cut due to a rap battle and a leak of his project, which altered his original vision. He expressed gratitude for having worked alongside both artists, stating, "Damn, I’m really grateful to have done it at the same time as these n*ggas."

Cole revealed that Kendrick was featured on two tracks before changes were made to the album. He also shared his mixed feelings regarding Kendrick's verse on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That," which sparked tension between Kendrick and Drake. This situation complicated the rollout of The Fall-Off, which Cole intended to release shortly after his Might Delete Later mixtape.

J. Cole described his reaction to Kendrick's verse as twofold: admiration for its quality and frustration over the timing. He felt pressured to respond with his own track, "7 Minute Drill," feeling it necessary to address Kendrick's verse before releasing his long-awaited album. Despite the pressure, Cole insisted there was no malice in his response, viewing it as friendly competition rather than hostility.

After releasing "7 Minute Drill," Cole experienced immediate regret, realizing it created a divisive atmosphere among fans and could damage his relationship with Kendrick. He expressed sorrow over potentially forcing fans to choose sides and regretted the impact on his friendship. Reflecting on this, Cole mentioned that he felt a spiritual motivation to apologize to Kendrick, which helped alleviate the burden he felt.

As he moves forward, Cole remains committed to fostering a positive relationship with Kendrick and celebrating their collaborative contributions to hip-hop.