J. Cole surprise drops new song explaining decision to bow out of Kendrick Lamar/Drake beef

In a surprise song titled “Port Antonio,” J. Cole shared his thoughts on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, giving fans more insight into why he chose not to participate. 

“I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go/ They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow,” he raps. “They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke/ I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro/ I woulda gained a foe, and all for what? Just to attain some mo’.”

Cole references some of the outcomes of the feud, asking fans to give him grace for bowing out.

“I understand the thirst of being first that made ‘em both swing/ Protecting legacies, so lines got crossed, perhaps regrettably,” he raps. “My friends went to war, I walked away with all they blood on me/ Now some will discredit me, try wipe away my pedigree/ But please find a n**** out that’s rappin’ this incredibly.”

He later sends some encouraging words to Drake after many deemed him the loser of the vicious back-and-forths.

“Aye Drake, you’ll always be my n****/ I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n****,” he raps. “F*** all the narratives, tapping back into your magic pen is what’s imperative/ Remindin’ these folks why we do it, it’s not for beefin’/ It’s for speakin’ our thoughts, pushin’ ourselves, reachin’ the charts.”

Cole’s song references his decision to bow out gracefully from the rap battle that ensued after Kendrick released “Like That,” which threw shots at him and Drake. Cole responded with “7 Minute Drill,” but later pulled the song from streaming platforms, apologizing for giving into the peer pressure from fans.