"Everyone owes J Cole an apology" is one of the most common sentiments following the escalation of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. After the North Carolina MC had tapped out of the battle following his "7 Minute Drill" diss and apologizing for it two days later, many clowned his decision and expressed disappointment or even anger towards him due to his exit. Well, now we know exactly what he was avoiding, and we can't imagine that he would've been cool with the drama-filled, seriously accusatory, and relentless nature of this war. Benny The Butcher was one of many MCs to agree with Cole's exit, speaking to Hype Fight recently on why he understands his decision.
"That’s my dog," Benny The Butcher labeled J. Cole, who had previously worked with him on the excellent Tana Talk 4 cut "Johnny P's Caddy." "Honestly, you can see how gossipy and everything that this battle’s turned into. Do you blame him for not wanting to be a part of this at this moment? Do you blame him? I don’t. I probably would’ve went about it in a different way, but it’s like a gossip battle. It’s not like a rap battle, it’s like a 'telling each other’s business' type of thing, so I wouldn’t want to be a part of that."
Benny The Butcher's Thoughts On J Cole Refusing The Kendrick Lamar & Drake Beef
Furthermore, this take a little ironic considering Benny The Butcher's off-wax issues with Freddie Gibbs, but even that was more of a personal tussle than it was targeted at families and circles. As has been painfully clear to see, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have no such boundaries. In fact, this feud has reopened a lot of conversations on whether rap beef ever goes too far in its lyrical nastiness, and on what it means for these MCs -– scratch that, grown fathers -– to trade blows like this. No matter where you fall on that side of the debate, certain Internet corners are far less concerned with their lyricism now.
On that front, though, Benny The Butcher and J. Cole are still two highly respected pen-wielders. The former even thinks that the latter is the best rapper alive, which is high praise coming from another candidate in that race. If fans are lucky, they'll meet in the studio once more. You don't need accusations to craft cutting verses.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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