Can’t Leave Rap Alone: J. Cole Scraps Retirement Plans, Revisits Kendrick Lamar Beef [Video]

Cole apologized for '7 Minute Drill' two days after release, saying it disrupted his peace and didn't reflect his true admiration for Kendrick. He felt pressured to respond to Kendrick while already having reservations, describing himself as retired and uninspired during that period. The Fall-Off won't serve as his final album—Cole's now open to making more music despite previously considering retirement as an endpoint. Source: David Peters / Courtesy of DreamvilleJ. Cole isn’t calling it a career just yet. The Dreamville rapper is revisiting his brief clash with Kendrick Lamar while leaving the door open for more music. As Billboard reported, Cole joined longtime music executive and mentor Mark Pitts for a GQ conversation with Frazier Tharpe, released Wednesday, October 28. Their sit-down covered his career, the pressure to respond to Kendrick, and why The Fall-Off no longer has to be his farewell.For anyone who needs a refresher, the latest chapter of the rivalry traces back to Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” released on For All the Dogs in October 2023. On his guest verse, Cole leaned into the longstanding debate over who is the generation’s leading rapper: Drake or Kendrick. “W...