J. Cole dropped his new album KOD Friday. Though it is indeed 4/20 and the thought of meticulously parsing through lyrics sounds like a bit of a stretch in that context, fans have wasted no time doing so. "1985 (Intro to 'The Fall Off')," specifically, is receiving quite a bit of attention for its closing moments.
Though Cole opens the final KOD track with a nod to his own birth year and some encouragement for the latest wave of rap stars, Cole eventually takes a more critical tone. Cole doesn't call anyone out by name, of course, but fans quickly pointed to lyrical excerpts that they feel show Cole is talking about a specific assortment of fellow artists, including Lil Pump.
Some have even theorized that Cole is also sharing words of criticism and/or wisdom for Lil Uzi Vert and Smokepurpp. Below, because hey why not, we've broken down the fan theories surrounding "1985." Who, exactly, is Cole trying to reach?
Lil Pump
This is the most seemingly obvious one. Pump, as you recall, dropped a preview of a track tentatively titled "Fuck J. Cole" last April. Pump has also spent time slamming Cole on social media. "FUCK J COLE & FUK DAT LYRICAL SHIT," he once said. In "1985," Cole speaks of being surprised by someone who dissed him before then advising them to stay on the road if they want to earn money:
I ain't trippin', listen good to my reply
Come here lil man, let me talk with ya
See if I can paint for you the larger picture
Congrats 'cause you made it out your mama's house
I hope you make enough to buy your mom a house
As others have noted, later lines in the song—like "but I love to see a black man get paid"—would not apply to Pump. Still, Pump seemingly responded later Friday:
Smokepurpp
Smokepurpp, who feels that Pump is a better artist than Cole, clarified to Montreality back in January that his and Pump's Cole-related actions were merely part of an intentional trolling. Still, Smokepurpp just one year earlier issued a public challenge to both Cole and Kendrick Lamar. As Genius notes, the aforementioned "but I love to see a black man get paid" line could be interpreted as being aimed at Smokepurpp instead of Pump:
I must say, by your songs I'm unimpressed
But I love to see a Black man get paid
And plus you havin' fun and I respect that
But have you ever thought about your impact?
Lil Uzi Vert
