J. Cole delivered his first record for the new year and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
“MIDDLE CHILD” became available on all streaming platforms on Wednesday night and immediately generated a lot of buzz on social media.
Cole notably shouted out LeBron James, Kodak Black, 21 Savage, and Drake, whom he referred to as a “legend”:
“Just put the Rollie right back on my wrist / This watch came from Drizzy, he gave me a gift / Back when the rap game was prayin’ like this / To act like two legends cannot coexist”
But there’s one person in particular that the KOD rapper didn’t mention, but the context sounds like he’s talking about Kanye West’s beef with Drizzy.
“But I’d never beef with a nigga for nothin’ / If I smoke a rapper, it’s gon’ be legit / It won’t be for clout, it won’t be for fame / It won’t be ’cause my shit ain’t sellin’ the same / It won’t be to sell you my latest lil’ sneakers / It won’t be ’cause some nigga slid in my lane.”
Fans began speculating that J. Cole is insinuating that all of Ye’s recent antics are publicity stunts and he’s doing it to promote his music and sneakers.
This isn’t the first time Cole has seemingly aimed at Kanye. In his 2016 track, “False Prophets,” he rapped about a former hero of his surrounding himself with “fake women” and “yes men.” Hip Hop fans thought this was referring to Yeezy’s new life with the Kardashians.
“I believed him when he said his shit was purer/And he the type of n***a swear he real but all around him’s fake/The women, the dick-riders, you know, the yes men/Nobody with the balls to say somethin’ to contest him/So he grows out of control.”
Listen to the song below:
