J. Cole Speaks About Kendrick Lamar Collaboration Album
For over a decade, the comparison between J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar has been a topic of discussion among fans. The desire for a joint album from these two iconic emcees has been a persistent plea from their fan base. While, at one point, both artists seemed to hint at the possibility of a collaborative project, it appears that this dream will forever remain unfulfilled.
In a recent episode of Lil Yachty's podcast, "A Safe Place," Cole World delved into the much-anticipated joint venture. He provided a detailed account of how he and K. Dot first connected, shedding light on why a full-fledged album together is an improbable reality.
"In a nutshell, [Kendrick Lamar] pulled up on me at No I.D.’s spot," began the "No Role Modelz" rapper. "We were already building this relationship, and I had these beats at the time and I was playing them for him. Was that our first time linking? ‘HiiiPoWeR,’ one of them beats? There’s a few beats, a gang of beats that I did, I gave him. Some of them like, maybe had a hook on them, a verse- this, that, and the third."
J. Cole speaks on potential collab album with Kendrick Lamar & confirms it’s not happening 🥲
— J. COLE FAN PAGE (@Jcolevillle) November 3, 2023
‘At one point it was a real thing... but time and life, we ain't never got a chance to like really go in.’ pic.twitter.com/5pJnRwqfYo
He went on, "So he took them and, you know, in that moment, we talked about, ‘Yo, bro, we should do a project.’ At that time he’s not on like that, but I’m f**kin’ with him. At one point, it was a real thing. But bro, time and life, we ain’t ever got the chance to go in and do it correctly, because that would take time. For us to do something that’s full of our potential, that meets our real potential, you’re gonna need time. At least a year."
The Grammy-nominated wordsmith concluded, putting an end to any lingering hopes, explaining that both artists lead incredibly busy lives. "When you got two successful artists with lives and families, that’s hard to do. We put it to bed years ago. But at one point in time, it was a real conversation, for sure. It’s not like it’s a ton of songs. It’s not like it’s some album sitting on the shelf somewhere," he affirmed.
While the prospect of a full album collaboration has been set aside, fans can still relish the existing collaborations between these two maestros. Back in 2015, they swapped beats, with Cole delivering verses over "Alright" and Lamar reimagining "A Tale Of 2 Citiez."