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J. Cole is back with a brand new track after surprising fans on Tuesday night with “Snow On Tha Bluff.” The track touches on racism, social media, police brutality, and activism, with many thinking it could be directed at fellow rapper Noname.
Noname called out rappers who were staying silent on issues impacting the black community like police brutality and systemic racism, with many believing she was referencing Cole and Kendrick Lamar.
So when Cole dropped his track, some of the lyrics caught the attention of those who have been following the perceived beef.
“I scrolled through her timeline in these wild times, and I started to read/She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police/She mad at my niggas, she mad at our ignorance, she wear her heart on her sleeve/She mad at the celebrities, lowkey I be thinkin’ she talkin’ ’bout me/Now I ain’t no dummy to think I’m above criticism/So when I see something that’s valid, I listen/But shit, it’ something about the queen tone that’s botherin’ me,” Cole rapped.
“She strike me as somebody blessed enough to grow up in conscious environment/With parents that know ’bout the struggle for liberation and in turn they provide her with/A perspective and awareness of the system and unfairness that afflicts ’em/And the clearest understandin’ of what we gotta do to get free.”
J. Cole briefly addressed what was believed to be lyrics directed at Noname by tweeting, “Morning. I stand behind every word of the song that dropped last night. Right or wrong I can’t say, but I can say it was honest. Some assume to know who the song is about. That’s fine with me, it’s not my job to tell anybody what to think or feel about the work. I accept all conversation and criticisms.”
He then directly addressed Noname: “Follow @noname. I love and honor her as a leader in these times. She has done and is doing the reading and the listening and the learning on the path that she truly believes is the correct one for our people. Meanwhile a n*gga like me just be rapping. I haven’t done a lot of reading and I don’t feel well equipped as a leader in these times. But I do a lot of thinking. And I appreciate her and others like her because they challenge my beliefs and I feel that in these times that’s important. We may not agree with each other but we gotta be gentle with each other.”
You can check out the new track below.
J Cole – ‘Snow On Tha Bluff’ (Audio & Lyrics)
[Verse]
N*ggas be thinkin’ I’m deep, intelligent, fooled by my college degree
My IQ is average, there’s a young lady out there, she way smarter than me
I scrolled through her timeline in these wild times, and I started to read
She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police
She mad at my n*ggas, she mad at our ignorance, she wear her heart on her sleeve
She mad at the celebrities, lowkey I be thinkin’ she talkin’ ’bout me
Now I ain’t no dummy to think I’m above criticism
So when I see something that’s valid, I listen
But sh*t, it’s something about the queen tone that’s botherin’ me
She strike me as somebody blessed enough to grow up in conscious environment
With parents that know ’bout the struggle for liberation and in turn they provide her with
A perspective and awareness of the system and unfairness that afflicts ’em
And the clearest understandin’ of what we gotta do to get free
And the frustration that fills her words seems to come from the fact that most people don’t see
Just ’cause you woke and I’m not, that sh*t ain’t no reason to talk like you better than me
How you gon’ lead, when you attackin’ the very same n*ggas that really do need the sh*t that you sayin’?
Instead of conveying you holier, come help get us up to speed
Sh*t, it’s a reason it took like two hundred years for our ancestors just to get freed
These shackles be lockin’ the mental way more than the physical
I look at freedom like trees, can’t grow a forest like overnight
Hit the ghetto and slowly start plantin’ your seeds
F*ck is the point of you preaching your message to those that already believe what you believe?
I’m on some “F*ck a retweet,” most people is sheep
You got all the answers but how you gon’ reach?
If I could make one more suggestion respectfully
I would say it’s more effective to treat people like children
Understandin’ the time and love and patience that’s needed to grow
This change is inevitable but ain’t none of us seen this before
Therefore we just gotta learn everything as we go
I struggle with thoughts on the daily
Feel like a slave that somehow done saved enough coins to buy his way up outta slavery
Thinkin’ just maybe, in my pursuit to make life so much better for me and my babies
I done betrayed the very same people that look at me like I’m some kind of a hero
Because of the zeros that’s next to the commas
But look here, I promise I’m not who you think
Ran into this n*gga outside of the store yesterday
He said something that had me like, “Wait”
He was like “Cole, ‘preciate what you been doin’, my n*gga, that’s real”
But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on Tha Bluff?
Well, maybe ’cause deep down I know I ain’t doing enough
[Bridge]
The sun is shinin’ today
The sun is shinin’ today
The sun is shinin’ today
[Outro]
Can you walk with me?
I hope we’ll find the reason why we often sob, go on, cry
Painful memories f*ck up the vibe
Though I be tryin’ to let the time heal my mind
I was once a child, I’ve gotten older
Still, I know I’m just a boy in God’s eyes
Fill me up with wisdom and some courage
Plus endurance to survive, help mine thrive
