J Cole has proven himself to be a very versatile MC when it comes to the different kinds of raps that he lays down. Sometimes, he's in a deep lyrical mode that blends sociocultural messaging with personal narrative, and other times, he's talking about chewing sticks like it's Wrigley's. Moreover, this push and pull is at the center of The Cosby Show actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner's criticism of the current use of the n-word in hip-hop. During the launch of the 53-year-old's new podcast Not All Hood on Monday (June 10), he spoke on specifically lamenting the use of this kind of language from his favorite lyricists, including the Dreamville boss.
"I think why I’m more against it now is because it’s used so gratuitously," Warner expressed regarding J. Cole. "It’s used without regard. At this point, for me, in hip-hop, I think there should be a moratorium on ‘n***a’ and ‘b***h.’ It’s low-hanging fruit. It’s so easy. Everybody f***ing does it to the point that it’s corny." It would be interesting to hear the "Trae The Truth In Ibiza" spitter's thoughts on this interpretation.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's First Podcast Episode: Watch The J Cole & N-Word Conversation Around The 14-Minute Mark
"There are MCs who I love, who I cannot listen to anymore," Warner continued on the premiere of his podcast. "I love J. Cole but I had to stop listening to J. Cole because I got tired of hearing ‘n***a’ and ‘b***h’ every two sentences. Because he’s proven himself to be such an incredible lyricist, [so I hate] the regularity that he does [use those words]." While this argument as far as profanity is a long-standing debate, it's clear that Cole creates this contrast more strongly than folks would assume, and thus, his forays into words like these hit that much harder for detractors. If not for these terms, then some backlash pops up most certainly due to the varying quality of his recent material.
Meanwhile, we're still waiting on whether The Fall Off will release soon, joining a lengthy list of the most anticipated albums of what's left of 2024. But whether or not it ends up releasing in 2025 or even later is still an unconfirmed and undeniable possibility. Regardless, we're looking forward to hearing whatever J. Cole does next. Even those who take issue with his lyrical content sometimes can't deny how special of an artist he is.