J Cole caught a lot of flack for his handling of the Big Three beef. He dropped a diss record against Kendrick Lamar, then took it back. He took it off streaming platforms, and apologized to the rapper during Dreamville fest. Fans didn't know what to do. Cole was criticized for not having the stuff to complete with Lamar and Drake. It didn't help that he followed up the whole fiasco with a bizarrely horrible verse on Cash Cobain's "Grippy." Don't worry, though. J Cole is back to clear things up.
J Cole dropped a new song titled "Port Antonio" on October 9. The only warning he gave ahead of time was that he cleared his Instagram. He wiped everything he'd posted before, and kicked off what looks to be a new era with an electric single. "Port Antonio" is a quality listen through and through, but the verse that has turned the most heads has to do with Drake and Kendrick Lamar. He sets the record straight on why he sat the whole conflict out. "I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go," he rapped. "They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow."
J Cole Claims Drake And K. Dot Battled For 'Clicks'
J Cole saying that would have been enough to quiet fans. But he kept going. The Dreamville veteran said that he didn't want to lose friends over a beef, and prioritized his personal life over his professional life. "I wouldn't have lost the battle, dog, I would've lost a bro," he asserted. "I would've gained a foe, and all for what?" It gets deeper. J Cole proceeds to criticize Drake and Kendrick Lamar for digging up dirt on each other. He felt that it was beneath two artists who are held in such high regard. By him and by the fans. If digging up dirt is what it takes to wear the crown, he doesn't want it.
"Jermaine is no king, if that means I gotta dig up dirt," the rapper asserted. "And pay the whole team of algorithm bot n**gas just to sway the whole thing on social media, competing for ya favorable memes." Cole has gone out of his way to emphasize the quality of his music in recent weeks. His guest verses on songs by ASAP Rocky and Tee Grizzley have fans once again questioning whether he's the best of the Big Three. "Port Antonio" is going to add fuel to the fire. It will also be fascinating to see and hear if the other rappers involved, Drake and Dot, respond. Both men are expected to drop projects before the end of the year.