J Cole and Kendrick Lamar have a fascinating relationship. They are two of the most revered rappers of their generation, and two thirds of the “Big Three.” They’ve shown love to each other, and then dissed each other. It’s all very messy and recent, but J Cole is not shying away from the history between him and Dot on his new podcast Inevitable. Cole not only spoke on Lamar during a recent episode, but he previewed two unreleased songs from a joint album they worked on circa 2010.
Long time J Cole and Kendrick Lamar fans will recognize these songs. We’re going back to the Datpiff days with these ones. J Cole previewed “Temptations” and “Shock the World,” which were previewed for attendees of a record store release back in 2010. There’s video footage of Kendrick Lamar rapping to the songs alongside fans on YoTube. The audio quality, though, as long time fans can attest, is rough. Fans can be heard cheering and exclaiming in the background of the recordings that do exist. J Cole decided to give the public (those who remembered, at least), what they wanted with CDQ versions during via his podcast.
J Cole and Kendrick Lamar Planned To Make A Joint LP
“Temptations” sees J Cole and Kendrick Lamar swap stellar verses over a harp-driven Cole beat. “Shock the World,” meanwhile, features both rappers and a chorus sung by former TDE affiliate BJ the Chicago Kid. Not only do fans get to hear what these songs sound like in their official form, but they get to hear the context of how the songs came together. Cole discusses their making, and the musical chemistry that was immediately recognizable between him and Lamar in the studio.
These songs obviously hit different in light of songs like “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.” The J Cole and Kendrick Lamar relationship has grown increasingly frayed in the last year. Cole recently dropped “Port Antonio,” which is an extended explanation of what went down between him, Drake and Lamar, and why he chose to bow out of the feud. Cole’s reputation has arguably taken the biggest hit of the “Big Three.” The fact that he’s looking back, though, and seemingly at peace with his relationship with both rappers, means that we can get fascinating peeks into an alternate history courtesy of these unreleased collabs.
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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