J Cole has had a very, very peculiar 2024 so far: a beef exit, some divisive features, a new mixtape, and a whole lot of teasing up until the release of his next album, The Fall Off. Fans can't wait for what's next, with some just simply hoping for great material and others looking for retribution after the Kendrick Lamar and Drake situation. Moreover, an unreleased track of his titled "Mama's Eyes" hit SoundCloud recently, and some Internet sleuthing doesn't reveal much of a breadcrumb trail in its wake. We don't know if this is an old leak, a new one, or some bizarre A.I. trickery, but nevertheless, it's a very tender and introspective cut.
"Mama's Eyes" seems to be a conversation between J. Cole and an old friend of his as the rapper talks about making it out of his old life, dealing with suppressed emotions, and feelings of loneliness in the face of perseverance and self-conscious focus on his craft. As is usual with the Dreamville boss, there are some very sharp and heartfelt bars all throughout. It's just as humble and aware as many of his fan interactions are, and it's a uniquely grounded quality that he's always championed with his music. Hopefully some more heat comes soon.
J Cole's "Mama's Eyes" Leak: Listen
Meanwhile, a recent audio inclusion at Kendrick Lamar's "The Pop Out" might suggest that he and J. Cole are all cool now following the beef situation. Fans thought that they heard one of Cole's ad-libs in the background of K.Dot's "Alright" performance at his Los Angeles Juneteenth concert. Whether this is just a small mistake due to picking the wrong backing track or a deliberate decision might be an unanswered question for the rest of time. But at least it was cool to take note of.
If you're looking for more after hearing this leak, you will get new J Cole material soon... But it might not sound like "Mama's Eyes." For example, he was recently spotted filming a music video with Tee Grizzley in New York City, so they could have some heat on the way. Nevertheless, it's more likely than not that The Fall Off will be a more lyrically dense and emotively measured LP. We'll see if this new unreleased record makes that tracklist or if it's just an old idea.