Two weeks after Kendrick Lamar challenged J Cole and Drake on “Like That,” the “MIDDLE CHILD” offered a fitting response. On “7 Minute Drill,” the final track on his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later, he clapped back at Kendrick’s shots with non-subliminal force. Cole questioned his artistic output, called out his frequent absence from the rap game, and claimed that he’s craving attention.
However, “7 Minute Drill” also contains admissions of this not being a real hip-hop “beef” per se, but rather a creative and art-centric battle. Kendrick Lamar adopted a similar philosophy with his feature on Metro Boomin and Future’s album WE DON’T TRUST YOU, so this is truly tat-for-tat. But how do the actual bars on this brand-new J. Cole diss stack up?
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J Cole’s Direct Responses To Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” Bars
While Kendrick Lamar is never explicitly called out by name on “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole makes his subject very clear, thanks in part to some direct responses to “Like That.” “Light work, like it’s PWC,” Cole raps at the very beginning, possibly alluding to Kendrick saying that his “best work is a light pack.” In addition, “I told him chill out, how I look having henchmen? / If shots get to popping, I’m the one doing the clenching” seems to be a response to Mr. Morale mentioning his bodyguard on “Like That,” suggesting that he’s not really being upfront by hiding behind a security guard. As such, the “Neighbors” spitter is challenging his “Savior” counterpart to make this a purely one-on-one clash, and telling up to step up to the plate and back his words up.
Not only that, but J. Cole also comments on Kendrick Lamar’s “best work” being a “light pack” as well, another direct rebuttal. He called good kid, m.A.A.d. city a “classic,” Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers “tragic,” said that To Pimp A Butterfly “put n***as to sleep,” and that DAMN. was “massive” and his “prime.” Cole additionally uses classic rap beef history to question the worth, significance, shelf life, and release-related inconsistency of Kendrick’s artistic output, taking a play out of Jay-Z and Nas’ infamous feud. “Four albums in twelve years, n***a, I can divide” Cole raps, referencing Jay-Z’s “Takeover.” Nevertheless, the apparent exclusion of Section.80, instead naming GKMC as “the first s**t,” is a curious choice that many fans will likely invalidate.
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Cole Isn’t Impressed With Kendrick’s Artistry
Rather than sticking to albums, J. Cole claims Kendrick Lamar is not as strong or relevant as he used to be, whether due to his actual moves or, perhaps most importantly, a lack of them. Bars like “He still doing shows, but fell off like The Simpsons” and “He averaging one hard verse like every thirty months or something” point to Kendrick Lamar keeping quiet and losing his skill. Still, others like “Lord, don’t make me have to smoke this n***a ’cause I f**k with him / But push come to shove, on this mic, I will humble him” establish this as an artistic competition about who the best MC is out of the Big 3. They both collaborated on the “Black Friday” singles, which saw Cole ironically spit over the beat to Kendrick’s “Alright” off of TPAB.
With this in mind, neither MC wants to hinge on their past successes. But J. Cole thinks his claim to the throne is more pure in rap than Kendrick Lamar’s explosive moments and claims of greatness. “Boy, I got here off of bars, not no controversy / Funny thing about it, b***h, I don’t even want the prestige / F**k the Grammys ’cause them crackers ain’t never done nothing for me,” he spits against a frequent Grammy winner. Through this exchange, the Dreamville boss insinuates the former TDE MC is more concerned with accolades, grandiose acclaim, and worship than with proving his worth through verses. It’s an underdog narrative that uses Cole’s constant output and participation as proof of his lyrical and artistic superiority.
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K.Dot Is Seeking Attention & Can’t Keep Up, Jermaine Thinks
Furthermore, many lines in “7 Minute Drill” highlight this contrast in consistency, presence, and earnestly earned attention rather than provocative proclamations, albeit with an admission of K.Dot’s previous reign. “I was trailing right behind and I just now hit [my prime] / Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want something with me.” This particular bar sees J. Cole calling Kendrick Lamar a clout chaser. “If he wasn’t dissing, then we wouldn’t be discussing him” and “Your arms might be too short to box with the god / Who live his life without the pressures of a constant facade” are killer standouts claiming Kendrick is faking the funk, as well as joking about their height difference. Long story short, Cole thinks the pgLang creative is not that guy anymore.
Overall, this all contributes to J. Cole looking at his war of words against Kendrick Lamar right now as “swatting a fly” despite his love for him as a fellow rapper. He also dismisses that this beef is important compared to what they really go through, which Kendrick is accused of not really wanting to engage in. “The rap beef ain’t realer than the s**t I seen in Cumberland” suggests that K. Dot lost sight of not just the futility of rap beef, but also their history as individuals and peers. As a final nail, Cole calls the 36-year-old out for switching sides “like the tassel on the cap and the gown,” as he helped Kendrick link with Dr. Dre. With the promise of “dropping two classics right now” and with The Fall Off on the way, Jermaine is decidedly unafraid on “7 Minute Drill.”
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