J. Cole Pulls Kendrick Lamar Diss Track '7 Minute Drill' From Streaming Platforms Following Apology

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J. Cole is avoiding any rap beef and is focusing on apologizing to Kendrick Lamar instead.

Cole, who is 39 years old, took the title of his latest album, Might Delete Later, seriously. He removed his diss track aimed at Lamar, titled “7 Minute Drill,” from streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music. The song, which was initially the final track of Cole’s mixtape, is now no longer available as of Saturday, April 13.

The song "7 Minute Drill" contained lyrics that took shots at Lamar, such as "He averagin’ one hard verse like every 30 months or somethin’" and "He still doin’ shows, but fell off like The Simpsons." Recently, Cole publicly apologized for the diss track during his performance at Raleigh’s Dreamville Festival on Sunday, April 7.

During the festival, Cole expressed his pride in the song "Might Delete Later," but also admitted to feeling regret about a particular part. He confessed to the crowd, "It’s one part of that s—t that makes me feel like, man, that’s the lamest s—t I did in my f—king life, right?" Cole even shared that the stress from the situation almost led him to a relapse.

The past two days have been rough. They made me realize how well I've been sleeping for the last 10 years. I apologize for my mistake and ask for forgiveness to return to my true path.

I want to ask all of you tonight, how many of you believe Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest artists to ever touch a microphone? The audience responded with cheers.

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J. Cole. Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage via Getty Images

Cole and Lamar's rivalry has been ongoing for a while, but things heated up in October 2023. This was sparked by Drake and the rapper known for "No Role Modelz" releasing a song called "First Person Shooter." In the song, they referred to themselves and Lamar as the "big three" of rap.

Lamar didn't take this well and responded with a verse on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That." In his verse, he made it clear that he didn't believe in the concept of a "big three," stating, "It's just big me." This particular song was featured on the collaborative album by Metro Boomin and Future called "We Don't Trust You," which was released on March 22.

On Friday, April 12, Cole made a guest appearance on the song "Red Leather" from the album We Still Don’t Trust You. This album is a follow-up to the release by Future and Metro Boomin in March. Unlike the previous 7-minute track, "Red Leather" seems to take a shot at Drake instead of Lamar.

Editor's P/S:

J. Cole's apology to Kendrick Lamar marks a significant moment in their ongoing rivalry. Cole's decision to remove his diss track, "7 Minute Drill," from streaming services demonstrates his regret and desire for reconciliation. The admission of feeling "lame" for his actions highlights the personal toll such conflicts can take on artists and reflects a growing trend in the hip-hop community towards addressing issues through dialogue rather than aggression.

The underlying tension between Cole, Drake, and Lamar stems from their perceived status as the "big three" of rap, a label that Lamar has publicly rejected. This conflict has played out through subtle disses in their music, culminating in the more direct confrontations of "First Person Shooter" and "Like That." Cole's apology and his subsequent collaboration with Lamar on "Red Leather" suggest that the feud may be cooling, with the focus shifting towards unity and respect within the rap scene.