J Cole "Might Delete Later": The Best Bars

This past Friday, J. Cole unleashed a brand new mixtape, Might Delete Later with no prior announcement. The surprise release came off the heels of a series of cryptic snippets of the album, which all appear on the 12-song tracklist. And while some of his lyrics, particularly the transphobic line on "Pi," have rightfully caused a stir, Might Delete Later still managed to live up to the anticipation built off of the teasers. Throughout its 43-minute runtime, Cole showcases his top-tier lyrical ability, rapping over production from The Alchemist, Conductor Williams, T-Minus, and more. Bas, Cam’ron, Central Cee, Ari Lennox, and others contributed guest vocals to the album as well.

J. Cole just wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Drake and debuted Might Delete Later at his Dreamville Festival, which took place over the weekend. During his performance, he rescinded the shots he sent at Kendrick Lamar on the album’s closing track, “7 Minute Drill.” While fans clamor over his comments, one can appreciate the lyrics that he delivered on Might Delete Later. The new project serves as an appetizer for his supposed next album, The Fall Off. Today, we are highlighting the seven best lyrics on J. Cole’s Might Delete Later.

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The nonchalant manner in which J. Cole raps on “Huntin' Wabbitz” does not diminish the quality of the lyrics. He finishes his first verse on a high note, rapping, “I'm clappin' at n****s like they owe me money / Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop, click/ Shit, now the clip lookin' like Chick-fil-A on a Sunday.” After firing off rounds of lyrical ammunition toward his opponents, his metaphorical clip appears to be empty. Cole raps that he has fired so much and taken down all of his competitors, likening his empty clip of bars to a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday. Chick-fil-A is known for being closed on Sundays, which paints an image of Cole standing victorious by his lonesome. 

Following a show-stopping performance from Ab-Soul and Daylyt, J. Cole showed that he refuses to be outshined on “Pi,” though his attempt undoubtedly contained some questionable bars as a result. With lyrics referencing pop culture and sports, Cole raps, “Now please, hold yo' L like you guardin' Philly's young center / Quick to leave a chick curved / It's only one of me, but bet it's like six hers.”

After nodding to Cam Reddish earlier in his verse, Cole nods to another basketball player in Joel Embiid. He bends “yo’ L” to sound like “Joel” before clarifying that he is in fact using the Philadelphia 76ers player’s name. J. Cole applies his name to himself as someone who is tough to beat. Much like “Joel” and “yo’ L,” he also plays on words with “six hers” and the “6ers” basketball team. Out of the many lyrics that reference sports on Might Delete Later, his 76ers scheme is a standout.

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On “3001,” J. Cole recalls a lyric from “No Role Modelz” where he famously rapped about being too young for Nia Long. The actress once told Larry King that “He’s really not too young, he just doesn’t know it.” Referencing his hit song and Long’s reply, Cole raps, “I saw Nia Long quote/ I would've poked, back when my heart cold / Give her three or four strokes / Then I'm onto the next, shit like a par four.” He cleverly acknowledges Nia Long’s response with a golf-themed scheme. The “strokes” that one takes when swinging a golf club become a euphemism for sex. Additionally, Cole brags about moving “onto the next” as one would after scoring a par four in golf, which requires four strokes or less. These lyrics on “3001” are one of many examples of J. Cole’s witty schemes on Might Delete Later.

“Crocodile Tearz” is an instant highlight on Might Delete Later, containing multiple standout lyrics. In his second verse, J. Cole argues his position as the GOAT, notching the top spot in “The Big Three.” After flexing a G4 jet as a minimum requirement for travel, he raps, “They sound faded, they downgraded, they Pluto. I'm bigger than Mars, this n***a a star, I'm Bruno.” An excellent play on words, J. Cole compares the fall off of rappers to Pluto becoming a dwarf planet. The line also works as a double entendre in reference to Future’s nickname and first album title. A dig at Future is likely considering it was his song that prompted Kendrick Lamar’s disses against J. Cole and Drake. Cole continues his planet motif by rapping about being bigger than Mars with superstar status like Bruno Mars. 

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J. Cole’s spits mean one-liners on the second verse of “Crocodile Tearz.” His first verse, however, weaves in references to film and music as metaphors. He raps, “I'm Joaquin Phoenix, walk the line, I'm about cash / Benjamin Button gettin' younger as the hours pass.” Cole compares himself to Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Johnny Cash in Walk The Line, as he and the film are about “cash.” Additionally, he likens himself to The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, a movie where the lead character ages backward. In this line, he says that he is getting better with age, unlike most rappers.

Continuing the theme of reaching a late prime, J. Cole declares, “The Fall Off is like Hov droppin' Reasonable Doubt last.” Comparing his upcoming album to JAY-Z’s classic debut, Cole hints that his supposed final album will be a game changer that feels like a beginning rather than a farewell.

The clear lyrical highlight on Might Delete Later is “Pi.” The soulful hip hop track begins with Ab-Soul and Daylyt trading intricate bars. The two wordsmiths’ verse is riddled with double entendres and extended metaphors. Towards the end of their nearly 3-minute long performance, Ab-Soul and Daylyt center a scheme around the assassination of Malcolm X. “See what they told Malcolm X to do with his hands? That shit was out of pocket” alludes to X’s murderers yelling “get your hands outta my pocket” before killing him.

“Picked up shotguns that came in handy, wasn't no plan B,” Daylyt continues with a comparison of shotguns and Plan B as backup plans in an emergency. It is a humorous sexual analogy about the “kid gone” as a result of “plan b.” Daylyt concludes the scheme, rapping, “Knew them shots would muzzle him,” which ties in the Malcolm X lyric with a play on words between “muzzle him” and “muslim.” Together, Ab-Soul and Daylyt finish their epic exchange by likening themselves to godlike figures Nephilim and Gilgamesh. It perfectly concludes a powerful verse that sets the bar high for J. Cole. 

Many of J. Cole’s best lyrics on Might Delete Later are simple yet effective. On the Alchemist-produced “Stickz N Stonez,” he cleverly flexes his wealth and sexual encounters. “Skeetin' on thousand-count sheets, I'm hittin' freaks in tandems/ Bust 'em down, then throw 'em in the cab like they from East Atlanta,” he boastfully raps as he sends women in a taxi back to Dekalb County in Atlanta. Also in the rhyme scheme is a bar about those envious of his status. Cole raps, “Weaklings wanna walk inside my sneakers, watchin' from the bleachers/ Only time they'll see the roles reversed is if they lease a Phantom.”

The double entendre refers to leasing a Rolls Royce Phantom becoming the only way that people can swap roles with J. Cole. He organizes these lyrically dense bars in a digestible fashion that stays consistent with the rest of the verse. While certain lyrics on Might Delete Later impress with dense metaphors, the bars on “Stickz N Stonez” steal the show with their simplicity.

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