It looks like Sniper Gang and Dreamville are joining forces, because Kodak Black recently hit up the studio with none other than J. Cole. Of course, pretty much any rapper the latter collabs with gets an immediate expectation boost when he's on the mic, but we hope that pressure doesn't weight too heavily on the Florida MC. After all, it's very possible that the North Carolina label boss could be entering Yak's world and not vice versa, playing with more contemporary and trap-tinged sounds. Either way, this definitely excited a lot of fans, but also got a lot of criticism from both hardcore fanbases who don't want to see their favs change.
However, a larger problem than that seems to be that folks who are a big fan of one don't really tend to strongly love the other. "I know Kodak smoked him too," one fan tweeted, whereas another wrote, "If J. Cole is so woke and for “women empowerment” why is he making a song with a known colorist AND rapist???" Not only that, but others suggested that this seemed like an odd choice for both, although we can't understand a world in which Kodak Black wouldn't want to work with Cole. "Bro has sooooo many other rappers he could collab with, but he choose Kodak instead…" another listener lamented, perhaps too unfairly given Kodak's longevity in the game.
J. Cole & Kodak Black In The Studio
All that said, the two never had a particularly close relationship, but they've shown each other love on numerous occasions, despite hardships. "I’m dead in the middle of two generations, I’m little bro and big bro all at once," Cole spit on "MIDDLE CHILD." "Just left the lab with young 21 S*vage, I’m ’bout to go and meet Jigga for lunch. Had a long talk with the young n***a Kodak, reminded me of young n***as from ‘Ville. Straight out the projects, no fakin’, just honest, I wish that he had more guidance, for real." Check out more reactions to their collaboration down below.
Fans React
"J. Cole, I rock with him tough. He gives me great advice, and he wanna see me win," Kodak told HipHopDX at the American Music Awards a couple of years ago. "Some people will try to hold information back, he give it to me raw and stuff like that." For more news and the latest updates on J. Cole and Kodak Black, check back in with HNHH.