J. Cole is holding true to his position as hip hop’s peacemaker but his latest positive vibes for disgraced Bad Boy founder, Sean “Diddy” Combs, left a bad taste in the mouth’s of some fans.
North Carolina’s very own made an appearance on rapper Cam’Ron’s podcast, Talk With Flee, and seemingly confirmed the longstanding rumor that he once came to blows with Diddy. The claims had never been substantiated by either of the men but it’s been one of hip hop’s most repeated lores both on wax and off.
“Like me and Puff like there’s no [beef]. We hadn’t had no problem for years even after that [incident],” he said in the interview. “Like it was cleaned up quick and we was in a good spot. But you know, Puff was on the song that I had on Off-Season and like so we was going to put it out thinking like, ‘Yo, it’s cool like enough time has passed he ain’t going to feel no way.’
He continued,
“And then all the s**t happened with [Diddy]…and I was just like, ‘Nah.’ It felt like damn near like kicking a man when he’s down, you know what I mean? It was like it would have gave the news and the world more ammo just [to] destroy this this dude [but it] happened.”
Some fans took issue with Cole having mercy on Diddy despite his documented abuse, much like R&B icon Usher did recently, and questioned his motives for not spilling the tea.
“This is EXACTLY my problem with this n**** Cole sometimes man. STAND FOR/ON SOMETHING! Even if its uncomfortable or might hurt a relationship. This Larusell levels of misreading the room,” one social media user said.
Cole’s stance on Diddy wasn’t the only thing to make ears perk up. While discussing his oft-expressed sentiment of being “the best rapper alive,” the Fall Off artist revealed that he doesn’t actually believe the claim.
“It’s a n**** named Black Thought that exists, it’s a n**** named Lupe Fiasco that exists,” he said. “Even some of my peers, Drake or Kendrick. I know any given day I can show up to the studio and give these n**** 80. But I know on any given day they can show up to the studio and give me 80 and I may only have 30.”
He continued,
“When I’m rapping, that’s the persona I like to have. And sometimes I might spit a verse that really might have you believing that s***.”
Cole also revealed that he was almost a member of G-Unit as 50 Cent wanted to sign the young rapper before he entered his deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
“Before Jay had heard my s*** and I think they played my s*** for 50,” he said. “And what I was told was that his response was like—mind you, I had “Lost Ones, I had “Lights Please”, things that proved I could really rap—50’s reaction was ‘I can’t sign this n****, his jeans too tight’.
Skinny jeans may have saved us all!
