In an appearance on The RapCaviar Podcast, legendary producer No I.D. revealed J. Cole passed on beats that later went to Nas, Big Sean, and Rick Ross.
“I used to have a running joke with J. Cole like, ‘Yo, I gotta do a session with you so I can do a beat that you’re not going to use, that I can get off,'" he said on the podcast joined by Hit-Boy, Bangladesh, and host Brandon "Jinx" Jenkins. “I just need your inspiration. I think—it was like a week or two we was working in the beginning. For him, I did the 'Control' beat, Nas' 'Stay,' 'Tears of Joy,' 'My Last,' and something else. And it was just like, 'Nah, that ain't it.'"
It’s unclear what prompted J. Cole to pass on those beats, but the two did work together on “Never Told” from his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. Thankfully the production found homes on the projects of other rappers, and Cole’s version of “Stay” did later surface on his EP Truly Yours in 2013. Most notably “Control” even saw Kendrick Lamar call out many of the biggest rappers out, which included Cole.
In an interview with MTV News in 2013, Cole spoke about getting in the studio with No I.D. and said they made “the most incredible songs in one week.” He said that “Stay” was his favorite to come from the sessions, and it was going to turn up on his debut album, but by the time he decided he wanted it Nas had already grabbed it for himself.
“As time goes on, I’m not solidifying it, which basically means I’m not locking down the beat from No I.D. Long story short, I didn’t buy that beat from No I.D., and Nas bought that beat,” Cole said. “He didn’t even know I did a joint on it either. I don’t even know if he knows, but I had that shit first.”
Check out the full episode of the podcast below.
