J Cole, the US rapper, has apologised for recording a diss track targeted at his colleague Kendrick Lamar.
Cole suggested last year in the song ‘First Person Shooter’ that he, Drake, and Lamar were the current “big three” names in hip-hop.
However, Lamar disagreed with Cole. In his verse on the song ‘Like That’, he declared there was “no big three — it’s just big me”.
He also referred to Cole’s greatest verses as “insubstantial” and declared himself the “Prince to Drake’s Michael Jackson”.
Cole released a song named ‘7 Minute Drill’ in reaction to Lamar, claiming that Lamar has “fallen off like The Simpsons”.
He also described Lamar’s recent album, ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’, as “tragic” on the tune.
On Sunday at the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina, Cole apologized for his “lame” and “goofy” response.
He claimed he had received “a thousand missed calls” and felt pressed to compose a response.
Cole stated that since releasing the song, he has “felt terrible,” nearly had a relapse, and is “no longer sleeping well at night.”
He hailed Lamar as “one of the greatest” and hoped the song did not insult him.
Cole later promised that ‘7 Minute Drill’ will be “removed” from all streaming providers.
“I’m very happy of my current creation, ‘Might Delete Later,’ except for one part. “One part of that made me feel like it was the lamest sh*t I ever did in my life,” he admitted.
“They claimed it was wartime and wanted to see blood. I felt conflicted because I knew my heart and how I feel about these two nig**s, whom I’ve been fortunate enough to stand by in this game.
“In attempting to release this song, I moved in a way that made me feel spiritually awful. That sh*t does not sit well with my spirit. That sh*t disturbs my peace.
“How many people believe Kendrick Lamar is one of the best artists to ever pick up a microphone? You all love Kendrick Lamar, right? As do I.
“I’d like to officially admit that was the lamest and goofiest sh*t I’ve ever done. I hope Lamar didn’t feel any way. And if he did, I stuck my chin out. “Take your best shot, and I’ll take it.”
The trio has dominated the rap genre during the 2010s, with Lamar earning 17 Grammys, Drake five, and Cole twice.