J. Cole Said Drake Chose The ‘Song Over Competition’ On ‘First Person Shooter,’ But He Expects Revenge

The 50th anniversary of hip-hop discussions proved how competitive the genre has been throughout the decades. Each emcee is vying for their chance to snatch the attention of the listening audience for the coveted yet ever-elusive crown of the best rapper. The ability to be ranked at the top of any profession is an accolade most would be willing to fight for, including “Passport Bros” rapper J. Cole.

Dreamville’s head honcho has made a habit of calling his peers — hell, even newcomers — out for a light, lyrical sparring match. Fans fueled his inner spark by deeming him the conqueror in a few big-name collaborations. His first career No. 1 record, the Drake collaboration “First Person Shooter,” is one example. According to J. Cole, although Drake ultimately chose the “song over the competition,” he expects revenge from the recording artist soon.

During an appearance on “The Secret Recipe” collaborator Lil Yachty’s podcast A Safe Place, he spoke about the public’s (including Joe Budden) favorable response to his verse.

“At that moment, [Drake] chose the song over the competition and what the public is going to say [about his performance],” Cole said. “Drake ain’t looking at it like, ‘I’m going to take Cole’s f*cking head off at some point.’ Don’t think he ain’t’ looking at it like, ‘Nah, we just gonna make the best song.’ No, he comes from that cloth. So… at some point in time, he going to want his lick back.”

Drake, under pressure, has created bangers in the past (i.e., “Back To Back”). Cole better keep his head on a swivel.

Watch the full episode of A Safe Place podcast above.