Hip Hop

J. Cole Apologize For Dissing Kendrick Lamar, DJ Akademiks Loses His Mind

J. Cole regrets dissing Kendrick Lamar: "I can get back to my true path"

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J. Cole performing at 2024 Dreamville Fest / Urban Islandz

The J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar beef took a surprising turn on Sunday (April 7), leaving folks like DJ Akademiks and many fans in disbelief. The North Carolina rapper issued a public apology to his rap foe during his Dreamville Festival.

J. Cole unleashed a vicious Kendrick Lamar diss track, “7 Minute Drill,” on his new album, Might Delete Later, released last Friday, April 5. The track was a response to K Dot’s diss on “Like That,” where the Compton rapper offloaded Drake and Cole, who make up the so-called Big 3 in rap.

Now Cole says he regrets dissing Kendrick Lamar on the album, calling the move the “lamest sh*t I ever did in my f***ing life.” It’s clear that the “First Person Shooter” rapper isn’t in the mood to continue with the rap beef and told Lamar to take his best shot if he so desires. In his lengthy speech during his Dreamville Fest set, Cole expresses regrets of downplaying Kendrick’s catalog.

“I got my chin out. Take your best shot,” he said. “I’ma take that sh*t on the chin, boy. Do what you do.”

“I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear,” Cole said. “I was conflicted because: one, I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers. These two n***as that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness. So I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh, I don’t even feel no way. But the world wanna see blood. I don’t know if y’all can feel that, but the world wanna see blood.”

“That sh*t disrupts my f***ing peace,” he continues. “So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n***a’s fucking catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherfuckers to ever touch a f***ing microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”

J. Cole admitted that the past two days after releasing the diss song have been terrible for him since he felt like was veered away from his “true path.”

Fans of the rapper have mixed reactions to his apology, and hip-hop pundits like DJ Akademiks went on a lengthy rant against J. Cole.

“I knew J Cole wasn’t bout dat sh*t when He was getting Buttered up By Drake every night on stage for being #3 and he stay blushing accepting the runner up award for years before now claiming He’s the best. N***a HE NEVER BELIEVED IT,” Akademiks wrote on X. He added, “The Big 3 from now on is Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Future. J Cole eliminated from all hip hop conversations.. apologizing for dissing a nigga who violated u… is not hip hop.”

J. Cole’s expression of regrets was not well received by his peers in hip-hop. Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Reason wrote in his reaction on X, “Idk man, I just….idk.” TDE President Terrence “Punch” Henderson wrote a simple “lol” while Hit-Boy wrote, “As a rappers rapper. As a competitor. I am surprised. I am disgusted. I am disappointed.”

The reactions were plenty. You can see some of them below.

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