J. Cole is proving once again that he’s all about maturity and music. Despite recent harsh jabs from Kanye West, the Dreamville founder responded not with fire, but with appreciation during his headlining performance at the Dreamville Festival on Sunday.
While on stage, Cole opened up about how Kanye directly influenced his breakout hit “Work Out.” He shared with the crowd that Ye’s The College Dropout track “The New Workout Plan” inspired him early in his career.
“I know n****s feel a way about him right now, but I got love for [Ye] and I really appreciate him,” said Cole, giving Ye credit for clearing the samples that helped bring the song to life.
This heartfelt moment stood in contrast to Kanye’s recent online tirade. Just weeks ago, Ye went off on social media, declaring, “I hate J. Cole music so much,” and even criticized the idea of a Cole Super Bowl ad.
He went further, saying, “No one listens to Cole after losing their virginity,” and suggested that Drake’s support of Cole was damaging to hip-hop — preferring Future instead.
The two rappers have had a complicated history, with past lyrical jabs like Cole’s “False Prophets” and Kanye’s bar in his “Like That” remix: “Play J. Cole, get the p**y dry.”* Still, Cole showed no desire to escalate the feud, choosing instead to keep his focus on the art.
