3.5/5
Cole As Ice.
Feel cute? Whatever your hip-hop Mount Rushmore is in this modern day (we're still waiting for one more piece of head...erm...what?! That sounds a little like Tyler The Creator), you can't deny the big-three. Unless you're Kendrick Lamar, that is. Who sees it as "just me" (not me, he) like the ominous words of Willem Dafoe's Harry Osbourne before he turned into the Green Goblin for Spider-Man with 'No Way Home'. Responses came raw, fixed and fast. Whether it was all the memes mocked up online for Drake, or J. Cole's surprise album that he 'Might Delete Later' (if you're reading this...it may already be too late). Especially as he took to the stage this week to walk back his bars and explain how corny this all was. Admittedly, that's what this writer first thought when he heard all about this. Beef?! Again?! Is this 50 Cent and Ja Rule all over again? Nas and Jay-Z? Pac and BIG? We've already got mo' problems in hip-hop right now, with some of its most famous faces turning out to be disgraces. The only stakes I want to see is a second season of the Ali Wong and Steven Yeun show on Netflix. That was what I thought...until I heard the diss track.
It really is 'Like That' as on a '7 Minute Drill', Cole gets his dentistry on, filling in with no novocaine for the soul, before he sputters out. "I came up in the 'Ville, so I'm good when it's tension/He still doin' shows, but fell off like the Simpsons/Your first s### was classic, your last s### was tragic/Your second shit put n####s to sleep, but they gassed it/Your third s### was massive and that was your prime/I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine/Now I'm front of the line with a comfortable lead/How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want somethin' with me/Well, he caught me at the perfect time, jump up and see/Boy, I got here off of bars, not no controversy/Funny thing about it, b####, I don't even want the prestige/F### the Grammys 'cause them crackers ain't never done nothin' for me, h#."Apart from 'The Simpsons' triggering (last year I decided to take on the mammoth task of watching all the seasons, an episode a day), this was the moment I realized hip-hop was back, and this battle on wax was like the good old days when ladies loved Cool James. But then, when Cole walked it back, people declared hip-hop was dead like Nas. 50 Cent even urged J to call him to gas up his lyrical ether. But we understand why. This purist just wants peace. And love to inspire his industry so used to ignorant hate. Feeling like he let Nas down, even that 'Mastermind' was hurt when he had to lyrically kill Jay-Z and how whole squad. This drill felt like a Drake freestyle in a city of his choice, or the time Cam'ron went at Jigga for ten minutes with Beyoncé singing about slinging crack receipts. The Diplomat is back too, like the 'I'm Ready' sample on 'Ready '24', which shows Cam is still the man on the mic, like he is on the podcast one with Ma$e for the money like Anthony. All as the rapping ballplayer with the SLAM cover, Cole, shouts out the potential of another Cam (Lakers player Reddish) in this game.
Don't delete this, Cole. But maybe walk back those transphobic comments on the life of 'Pi'. Before 'The Fall Off', don't actually do so. Stand your ground. Your manhood and mantle was tested. Take it from this over apologizer. Don't do it! Just keep it on wax and then shake hands once the battle is done and won...which right now is by you. Even though, we'll wait to see what happens this New Music Friday. Soon this bad blood will be an afterthought when Taylor Swift comes through and rules the country again like 'Cowboy Carter' and there's nothing Kanye can do about it. It's not a man's world any more, but you still bring out the big guns and bars to warn a brother that you're 'Huntin' Wabbitz', no speech impediment. There's Ari Lennox, Young Dro and Gucci Mane on 'Pricey'. Bas and Central Cee on 'H.Y.B.' Daylyt and Ab-Soul on the track you should probably delete. Bas again going 'Stealth Mode'. And 'Trae The Truth In Ibiza'. Save the 'Crocodile Tearz'. Some of this, like that, snaps and slaps. Besides, this is just mixtape murder. Just wait until the album. Giving us Peggy Lee 'Fever' like, "Got a new deal, just ran a train on a label/They not real and so they came with some fables/Without a chain, them boys plain as a bagel/I'm from the Ville, they sellin' 'caine if they able/I play the middle, I never hustled or nothin'/But I got lit, now I got the customers jumpin'." These 'Stickz n Stonez' are capable of breaking more than bones to the '3001'. Rapping on this Alchemist produced gem, "Thеse n###s get rich and become so detached, they music start havin' that surface feel/Not a subliminal, speakin' in general, feelings get hurt when words get spilled/Sticks and stones may break your bones, but sayin' my name in a verse will kill." They say names will never hurt you, but calling them out in the most sensitive industry going will sure lead to some drama, like the late, great DJ Kay Slay. So long as you stand by what you say. We don't need the actions, but in this game, we must stay true to our word as a stronger than oak bond. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: '7 Minute Drill', 'Huntin' Wabbitz', 'Ready '24' (Feat. Cam'ron)'.
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