Key Takeaways:

• Fat Joe questioned J. Cole’s place within the “Big Three” as a result of the rapper apologized to Kendrick Lamar.
• Jadakiss defended Cole, saying lyrics and followers matter greater than beef.
• The debate reveals generational tensions over how legacy is outlined in hip hop.

J. Cole has begun the rollout of his long-awaited The Fall-Off album and has sparked pleasure within the course of. However, Fat Joe is at the least one particular person questioning if the North Carolina rapper ought to nonetheless be thought-about one of many hip hop sport’s elite artists.

During the most recent episode of Joe Crack and Jadakiss’ “Joe and Jada” podcast on Tuesday (Jan. 20), the pair mentioned Cole’s legacy. First, Jadakiss revealed that the “Crooked Smile” rapper is dropping a mixtape earlier than the arrival of The Fall-Off. According to the Yonkers icon, Cole is rapping over a pair of The LOX instrumentals (“Money, Power & Respect” and “Can I Live”) on the challenge and is “coming again in a serious means.”

However, regardless of Jadakiss’ co-sign, Joe was skeptical. “Do we look at him the same, being that they screwed his head off the big three?” he requested. His query references how Cole primarily steered away from the meat between Kendrick Lamar and Drake in 2024. At its onset, Cole launched a observe referred to as “7 Minute Drill” aiming photographs at Okay. Dot after the Compton rapper’s “Like That” verse. However, he shortly backpedaled, noting that his coronary heart simply wasn’t right into a battle that he felt would cost him a friendship.

While Jadakiss was adamant that Cole’s bars would deflect criticism, Joe stood on the spirit of hip hop being important, irrespective of the percentages — and meaning selecting to battle. “I’m speaking about hip hop, proper?” Joe mentioned, noting that The LOX took on 50 Cent, who was a industrial rap juggernaut. “So, what I’m saying to you is, [The LOX was] f**kin’ miniature compared to [50 Cent]. 50 Cent just sold 30 million records. You went at him. You went to the yard with the swarm.”

To this, Jadakiss mentioned Joe answered his personal query as a result of it was the lyrics and the “people in the street” that determined, not report gross sales.

“[J. Cole] didn’t come outside, Jada,” Joe lamented.

Sounds like they each agreed on one level, although. It’s going to be as much as the followers to determine the place J. Cole stands.