Soulja Boy Recants 'Nobody' Comment on J Cole: 'I Misinterpreted His Words'
Soulja Boy offers a heartfelt apology to J Cole following a heated outburst, showing maturity and admitting to misinterpreting the rapper's comments A gracious display of growth and reconciliation in the hip-hop community
Prince Williams/WireImage; Noam Galai/Getty Images
First, Nicki Minaj got her Barbz to back off. Then, she got Soulja Boy to apologize to J. Cole.
Soulja Boy, 33, apologized on Monday, November 6, after reacting strongly to Cole, 38, for a perceived insult. Cole recently admitted to previously disliking Soulja Boy but now appreciates his work, which led to Soulja Boy retaliating for a few days. However, Soulja Boy had a change of heart after having a conversation with Minaj, 40, during an Instagram Live session on Monday. Minaj joined Soulja Boy's live session to address their own falling out, and it seems that they talked privately afterwards. Soulja Boy wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Nicki just told me that I misunderstood what he said and that he was actually showing love. So, I'm going to let it go. I apologize, everyone. I had mistakenly thought that he was hating on me."
Soulja Boy publicly apologized to J. Cole shortly after, expressing regret and acknowledging the misunderstanding. "I apologize, my friend. Sorry for the confusion. Keep doing your thing. We come from different worlds," he wrote. "I firmly stand by my beliefs, and it's tough coming from where I come from. Throughout my entire career, I've dealt with a lot of hate, so it was truly disappointing to think it would come from you."
The conflict between Soulja Boy and Cole began earlier this month when Cole appeared on Lil Yachty and MitchGoneMad's podcast, "A Safe Place." Cole stated, "My true friends were listening to Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon when he emerged. Whatever was popular, whatever new representation of Black culture was emerging in music, especially in the South, they were on it."
Cole admitted to initially having a dislike or "resistance" towards that genre of music, including Soulja Boy's. However, his perspective shifted when he encountered it blasting at parties. Immersed in the experience, Cole went from being a hater to someone who appreciated the music. He actively sought out the positive aspects and uniqueness within it. This transformation ultimately had a profound impact on him as an artist, leading him to become better and more skilled in his own work.
Soulja Boy/X (formerly known as Twitter)
Soulja Boy only partially understood the conversation. "Hey, bro, don't mention me [J. Cole]," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, November 4. "I'm not like Lil Pump, Drake, or any of these other rapper n—s. I swear." Soulja Boy also made fun of Cole's age, reminding everyone that he was "just two years away from turning 40." He also ridiculed J. Cole for having a 360 deal and how Drake gave him his first No. 1 hit ("First Person Shooter"), while he himself had a solo No. 1 record.
He went on Instagram Live to unleash an expletive-filled diatribe against Cole. "It doesn't matter what you like, J. Cole," Soulja Boy declared. "You foolish person. It doesn't matter if you didn't like the song initially, now you do, so what? Who cares? Who do you think you are? You're not God. You are nobody. You haven't purchased my album, you haven't signed me. You haven't supported me financially, you haven't collaborated with me."
"I didn't even know you," he continued. "We have never met. We have never worked together. You have never offered me any guidance, you have never called me and said, 'Hey Soulja, let's go to the studio and create.' Screw you."
Soulja Boy later retracted his statement after reviewing Cole's words, with assistance from Minaj.
