“Funny timing”- Internet reacts as J Cole shares old unreleased collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on his ‘Inevitable’ Podcast

Jermaine Lamarr Cole, a.k.a. J Cole, shared an old, unreleased collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on his new podcast, Inevitable. During its fourth episode, titled Who Dat, released on Monday, November 25, 2024, the rapper previewed two unreleased collabs from over a decade ago: Shock the World and Temptation.

Cole claimed that he met Lamar at a cover shoot for XXL magazine's Freshman list that featured him and TDE's Jay Rock (at the time Lamar was signed to TDE). He recalled allegedly offering K. Dot the two songs during a meeting after the shoot.

As the news went viral, internet users were quick to react. Questioning the timing of the release (considering Lamar recently dropped his album GNX), one wrote:

"lol refused to release this for a decade. Funny timing."

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@ TeamDreamville)

Many continue to criticize the timing, while one user called out Lamar for allegedly letting his ego get in the way. Here are some comments seen on X:

"Kendrick Lamar ego got in the way of this one. We may not ever hear this again," one suggested.

"See Cole looking for attention," another added.

"Interesting timing……," a person wrote.

Others expressed their excitement at a J Cole and Lamar collaboration.

"Don't give me hope," another remarked.

"The collab album the world needed and never got," a fan stated.

"Good olive branch," one commented.

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J Cole and Kendrick Lamar officially collaborated on their 2013 track Forbidden Fruit

On his limited series podcast, Inevitable, J Cole reflects on his career and music. During the recent episode, the Dreamville hitmaker recalled the time Lamar heard his 2012 track Blow Up, stating:

"We stayed in touch every now and then, and he sent me some joints. When I dropped ‘Blow Up,’ I remember him hitting me like, ‘N**ga, I need one of those!’ He was talking about how crazy the beat was."

Around the time J Cole was in Los Angeles he reportedly reached out to Lamar and played the Compton rapper the beat for HiiiPoWeR and Temptation. He also allegedly offered Lamar the beats for Temptations and Shock The World.

For his part, the Not Like Us hitmaker told the musicians that he was selling himself short. J Cole recalled:

"(Kendrick) was like, ‘N**ga, are you sure you want to give me these?!’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, go ahead, take them.’ He was like, ‘Bro, you sleeping on yourself.’"

Cole explained that the words stuck with him as it was his "reality at the time," adding:

"I was so focused on getting this unicorn hit for my album that I was actually sleeping on the shit that I did well.”

It remains unclear what project the two tracks were part of or if J.Cole will officially release them. Per Hip Hop Dx, Kendrick Lamar previously performed the two songs during an in-store appearance in 2011 and 2012. The pair officially collaborated on Forbidden Fruit in 2013.

J Cole and Lamar's relationship allegedly soured when the latter and Drake were involved in a highly publicized rap feud earlier this year. It allegedly began in 2023 when J Cole name-dropped Lamar in his song (with Drake) First Person Shooter. Cole rapped:

"Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league."

Kendrick Lamar responded to the "big three" claims in his guest appearance on Future and Metro Boomin's Like That. He rapped:

"Motherf**k the big three, n**ga, it’s just big me."

This seemingly ended in a rap beef between Drizzy and K Dot. J Cole initially responded in his song 7 Minute Drill, but soon, he took the song down. Last month, he addressed backing down in his song, Port Antonio, stating it would have resulted in him losing a friend and gaining a foe.

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Kendrick Lamar had not publicly reacted to the development.