J. Cole Addresses Drake and Kendrick Lamar Feud in New Track “Port Antonio”

J. Cole has broken his silence on the long-rumored feud involving Drake and Kendrick Lamar in a surprise new track titled “Port Antonio.” Released unexpectedly on Wednesday, the Dreamville head honcho reflects on why he chose not to engage in the much-discussed rap rivalry, revealing the personal and professional toll it might have taken.

“I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go,” Cole raps, addressing the brewing tension. “They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow/Wouldn’t have lost the battle, dog, I would’ve lost a bro, I would’ve gained a foe, and all for what?”

The five-minute track finds Cole opening up about his decision to step away from the feud, prioritizing relationships over the industry’s desire for drama. In one of the standout moments, he calls out Drake directly, urging him to reignite his lyrical prowess:

“Aye Drake, you’ll always be my n***a, I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n***a/Fuck all the narratives, tapping back into your magic pen is what’s imperative,”

This track comes months after J. Cole publicly apologized for his diss track, “7 Minute Drill,” which he released following Kendrick Lamar’s subtle jab on “Like That.” Cole pulled the song from streaming services and admitted during his Dreamville Festival in May that he felt “lame” and “terrible” for dissing Kendrick, signaling his retreat from the “rap war” of 2024.

The rap community has been divided on Cole’s decision to bow out. While some fans supported his choice to de-escalate the beef, others, like Fat Joe, expressed disappointment, suggesting it might have hurt Cole’s reputation. Hip-hop legends 50 Cent and Ye also weighed in, with 50 jokingly demanding Cole call him, and Ye bluntly labeling him “pussy.”

Despite the mixed reactions, “Port Antonio” shows that J. Cole remains focused on peace over conflict, continuing to carve his own path in the rap game.

Listen to J. Cole’s new track “Port Antonio” below.