J. Cole Addresses Drake, Kendrick Lamar Beef In New “Port Antonio” Track: “My Friends Went To War”

King Jermaine has spoken. J. Cole directly addressed the Drake–Kendrick Lamar beef with a brand new song called “Port Antonio” on Wednesday night (Oct. 9). The track, much like the cover art, arrived mysteriously, with no clear indication of what the release could be about. Rhyming over a Lonnie Liston Smith (“A Garden of Peace”) and Cleo Sol (“Know That You Are Loved”) sample, Cole used the first verse to filter through a litany of thoughts.

The North Carolina emcee ran through his humble beginnings, pondering his rise atop the rap food chain. Cole’s focus pivots for the second verse as he shifts into another gear for his grand statement, beginning with a clear message to those who have since doubted his pen in the battle’s fallout: “Y’all ni**as ain’t stopping me.” The verse walks the listener through Cole’s decision to bow out of the exhibition, detailing how it feels to be caught between two of his close friends at war with one another. J. Cole firmly explains that the battle wasn’t entertainment for him and that every action contributing to the madness could have had real consequences between him and “his bro” Kendrick.

“I pulled the plug because I seen where that was about to go,” Cole spit. “They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow/ They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke/ I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro/ I woulda gained a foe.”

“Jermaine is no king if that means I gotta dig up dirt and pay the whole team/ Of algorithm bot ni**as just to sway the whole thing/ On social media, competing for your favorable memes to be considered best… I understand the thirst of being first that made them both swing/ Protecting legacies, so lines got crossed, perhaps regrettably/ My friends went to war, I walked away with all they blood on me.”

Later in the verse, Cole then addresses Drizzy directly. He talks to his collaborator in a different tone than most of the internet has recently chosen, admitting that the Canadian artist did a lot for his career and that he “will always be my ni**a.”

Cole then followed up his love for Drake with a plea to Hip-Hop at large. Speaking from the vantage point of an experienced veteran, Jermaine reminds other rappers and fans why they chose to become emcees.

“They say I’m pickin’ sides, aye, don’t you lie on me, my ni**a/ To start another war/ Aye, Drake, you’ll always be my ni**a/ I ain’t ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my ni**a/ F**k all the narratives, tapping back into your magic pen is what’s imperative,” Cole asserted.

“Reminding these folks why we do it/ It’s not for beefing, it’s for speaking our thoughts/ Pushing ourselves, reaching the charts/ Reaching your minds, deep in your heart/ Screaming to find emotions to touch/ Somethin’ inside to open you up/ Help you cope with the rough times and sh*t/ I’m sending love, ’cause we ain’t promised sh*t.”

While it isn’t clear if K. Dot has heard the song yet, it appears that Drizzy has. Drake liked the post shortly after Cole uploaded it to IG. Whether or not the Canadian enjoyed the song is a whole conversation for another day.

Listen to “Port Antonio” above.