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It’s been an eventful few weeks for rap music with many famous friends turning to foes. Several popular rappers – Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Future and J. Cole – are publicly dissing each other through newly released songs.

Cole released a surprise album, “Might Delete Later,” on Friday, April 5, debuting second on the Billboard 200 with lower sales compared to his previous releases. The album’s last track, “7 Minute Drill,” a diss track on fellow rapper Lamar, debuted sixth on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

While Cole’s previous songs like “A Tale of 2 Citiez” and song “Fire Squad” have lightly alluded to violence, in “Might Delete Later,” he reveals his more violent, dangerous side.

Cole ditches his typical reflective lyrics on “Might Delete Later.” Unfortunately for fans who love his typical style, the album follows a formula similar to that of his friend and colleague Drake, who is known for a cheaper style of rap.

The album’s tension culminates on “7 Minute Drill,” which has since been removed from all streaming platforms. The song is a reaction to “Like That,” a diss track by Future and Metro Boomin, featuring Lamar, which was released a week before “Might Delete Later.”

“7 Minute Drill” comes in two parts, a fast-paced diss of Lamar and a slower, more reflective second half. In the second half, although he contemplates his relationship with Lamar over time, he continues to insult the other rapper.

“My text flooded with the hunger for a toxic reply/I’m hesitant/I love my brother/But I’m not gonna lie/I’m powered up for real/That sh*t would feel like swattin’ a fly,” Cole raps.

Only two days after the song’s release, Cole apologized for the track. The two rappers rose to fame during the same era and have been musical peers for many years. The dispute started in 2023 when Cole and Drake came out with “First Person Shooter,” with many fans guessing that the song was a jab at Lamar.

“The rap beef ain’t realer than the sh*t I seen in Cumberland/He averagin’ one hard verse like every 30 months or somethin’/If he wasn’t dissin’/Then we wouldn’t be discussin’ him,” Cole raps.

While Cole quickly apologized, the feud is far from over. It seems the heat between Cole and Lamar has simmered down, but Drake is rumored to be cooking up a diss track of his own, involving more artists in the growing beef.

Love and relationships are another one of Cole’s common themes, but they are completely lost in “Might Delete Later.” Rather than his typical open, emotional display about his early life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in popular tracks like “Power Trip” and “Wet Dreamz,” Cole captures a more conceited and narcissistic side, specifically on the track “Crocodile Tearz.”

“March 16 in the f*ckin’ teen summit/The boys kiss ring when they see the king come in/They know I run things like the police comin’/Yes, sir, it’s me, not two, not three/The uno, G-O-A-T/I need my fee/F*ck kudos,” Cole says.

Apart from boasting about his success in the music industry, Cole briefly mentions his speculated retirement album on the track “The Fall Off,” suggesting he’s stepping away from music by saying he’s “at the tail end.”

The track “Pi,” featuring collaborator Daylyt and Ab-Soul, is introduced by trumpets, giving the listener a vintage sound. The track is backed with drums and soft vocals, reminiscent of a lost time. Although the instrumentals are aged, the song keeps up the conceited lyricism of the entire album.

“I inherit the Earth/Like three wise men pulled up to cherish my birth/They placed me in a manger/Wasn’t that major at first/But what a mess I’ll leave/I’m the savior at work,” Daylyt and Ab-Soul rap.

Despite his flight from his typical style, “Might Delete Later” is still well within the bounds of the industry formula, creating a cliche, repetitive album with little meaning. Outside of Cole’s viral diss toward Lamar, which isn’t public anymore, the project falls short in more ways than one, leaving fans disappointed with little hope in Cole’s future projects.

Published on April 16, 2024 at 11:32 pm