Last spring, J. Cole seemed to take shots at Lil Pump on “1985 (Intro to "The Fall Off”)" before later clarifying it was a “shoe fits” situation. However, he did point to the “Fuck J. Cole” chants at Pump and Smokepurpp’s shows as a reason for releasing the KOD track, which led to the two rappers clearing the air during an interview at Cole’s home in North Carolina. In a new interview with GQ, the Dreamville boss discussed their beef and praised Pump for using Cole’s stature to make waves.
While referencing the song titled “Fuck J. Cole” that Pump previewed in April 2017, Cole praised the young rapper’s savvy for grabbing headlines. “I see now that it was marketing genius,” Cole said. “Disrespecting somebody with a bigger platform, who hasn’t yet been disrespected in that way so it seems kind of taboo, would get huge attention. Like, if I go out and scream ‘Fuck Oprah,’ I would get so much attention off it, it would be crazy.”
Cole also shared the goal for his hour-long interview with Pump. “Honestly, my intention was to show the world how smart he was and to have a conversation that kind of reveals who this kid is,” he explained. “I don’t think that was the outcome, because I think he put a wall up. It doesn’t change the fact that he is a smart kid.”
Genius previously covered Lil Pump’s role in the rise of troll rap:
Since “1985,” Cole has expressed further support for Pump’s generation of rappers and also shown a willingness to collaborate outside of his comfort zone by linking up with Moneybagg Yo, 21 Savage, and Offset. The North Carolina MC explained this is all a part of concerted effort to broaden his horizons:
I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m like, ‘How long am I gonna be doing this for?’ I’m starting to realize like, oh shit—let’s say I stopped this year. I would feel like I missed out on certain experiences, you know? Working with certain artists, being more collaborative, making more friends out of peers, making certain memories that I feel like if I don’t, I’m gonna regret it one day.
Earlier in the GQ interview, Cole expressed his frustration with “1985” being misunderstood due to people’s inability to grasp nuance. “If the first time you heard me was [2011’s] ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ with Missy Elliot, and then you just casually follow along, I can’t expect you to know the nuances of my tone and my intentions,” he said. “They say, ‘Oh, finger wagging,’ because they think I’m like, ‘You little rapper.‘”
In contrast, “deeply invested” hip-hop fans understood what Cole was saying. “They hear that and they go, ‘Whoa, I see what you just did there. Bro, do you know what you just did? You just put your arm around this dude and walked him. Instead of attacking him, you put your arm around him on some little-bro shit,’” he explained.
Cole expanded upon this attitude on “MIDDLE CHILD,” when he raps about serving as a bridge between the old and new generations of hip-hop. On the track, he name-drops 21 Savage and Kodak Black as two rappers for whom he’s acted a big brother.
Read the full interview at GQ, and catch up on all the lyrics to J. Cole’s “1985 (Intro to "The Fall Off”)" on Genius now.
