During his performance at the Dreamville festival in North Carolina on Sunday night, J. Cole opened up to the audience about his feelings of remorse regarding his recent diss towards Kendrick Lamar on the track “7 Minute Drill” from his surprise project “Might Delete Later.”
The rapper confessed that he has been feeling “terrible” ever since the diss track was released, admitting, “I’m so proud of (Might Delete Later), except for one part… that’s the lamest st I did in my fkin’ life, right?” Cole revealed that he almost had a relapse due to the pressure of responding to Lamar’s guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” where Lamar claimed he was a superior rapper to Drake and Cole.
“I tried to jab my n**** back and keep it friendly, but when I listen to it and see the talk, that s**t don’t sit right with my spirit,” Cole explained, expressing regret for downplaying Lamar’s talent and legacy. He acknowledged Lamar’s greatness and asked the crowd to cheer if they believed Lamar was “one of the greatest.”
Cole publicly admitted, “I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest st… I pray that my n**** really didn’t feel no way and if he did, my n****, I got my chin out. Take your best shot, I’ma take that st on the chin boy, do what you do. It’s love.”
The feud between Cole and Lamar escalated when Cole claimed they, along with Drake, were the “big three.” Lamar responded in “Like That,” rejecting the notion of a “big three” and asserting his individual greatness.
In “7 Minute Drill,” Cole criticized Lamar’s recent work, comparing it to “the Simpsons” and labeling his last album as “tragic.” However, Cole’s candid reflection at the Dreamville festival signals a desire for reconciliation and mutual respect between the two influential artists.
