J. Cole took a seemingly unprovoked jab at NBA legend Shane Battier on his 2011 debut album – but he recently had the chance to apologize in person.
On the Cole World: The Sideline Story cut “Rise & Shine,” Cole raps: “We in two different games, you playin’ patty cake/Brother you’re lame, you’re Shane Battier.”
Earlier this week, Battier revealed in a new interview that he ran into Cole while they were dining at the same restaurant in Miami over the summer. Though the line never bothered him, he did appreciate that Cole still took the time to acknowledge it was a mistake.
“I caught a stray. I never met the guy,” Battier joked. “I figured he’s a Carolina fan and we used to beat Carolina on the reg. So I’m like, he’s probably just mad. But you know what? I probably am lame. So I owned it, I didn’t care.”
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He continued: “So I was having dinner in Miami this past summer and the maître d came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, There’s this gentleman who wants to come speak to you and apologize to you. I think his name is J. Cole?’ and I’m thinking, ‘Who’s bullshitting me? There’s someone yanking my chain. Haha, very funny guys. I’m lame, I get it.’ And sure enough, I go over around the corner and J. Cole was [there]. He’s way bigger than I thought in real life. He’s like 6’5” – he’s a big dude.
“And he was like, ‘Hey man, I was praying that we would have this moment where I could say, ‘You know what man, my bad. I was young. I’m sorry for you catching a stray at that moment.” I’m like, ‘Man, don’t worry about it! I get it. The rap game’s a tough game.’ But I appreciated the humility of a guy who put me on blast. I wasn’t angry, I thought it was funny.”
Real one!
J. Cole apologized to Shane Battier for the stray he caught on “Rise & Shine” 😂 pic.twitter.com/EumNrSOhYS
— Team DREAMVILLE (@TeamDreamville) December 5, 2024
On a more serious note, during the latest episode of his audio series Inevitable, J. Cole was listening back to “Can I Holla At Ya,” from his 2013 EP Truly Yours, when he broke down crying.
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The song, which prominently samples Lauryn Hill‘s “To Zion,” finds Cole reflecting on the pain of his stepfather abandoning their family and the devastating impact that it had on his mother.
After hearing the verse in question, Cole audibly choked up and admitted: “Bro, that shit just hit me crazy.”
The North Carolina native then spent the next several minutes trying to hold back his tears while talking about the track, becoming overcome with emotion at multiple points.
“At the time, writing the song, I was about to be 27, I think. So I was only eight years removed from him leaving the family and seeing my mom spiral to a real low,” he explained.
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“The line that fucked me up just now was, ‘When you left, I watched that lady crumble.’ It’s like, ‘Oh shit. Damn,’” Cole added, choking up again.
“In that moment, I must have wanted that n-gga to feel that shit […] That’s why it’s hitting me ’cause I can hear the hurt.”
Cole also revealed that he and his stepdad, Edward, have since repaired their relationship and that he has come to understand his stepdad’s decision to leave their family.
“Thank God, right now, as of a few years ago, we’re back in touch, we’re cool, everything is good,” he said. “We talked today. I love this dude. And clearly, I always loved this dude.”
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He added: “Now, at 37, I’m like, Man, I understand everybody’s perspective. I understand life. Everything happens for a reason. My mom was in her space, he was in his space. They even met because they were in similar spaces.
“A lot of relationships are built on toxic traits from childhood trauma that we don’t know how to deal with. So I understand now that he was just making decisions that were best for him at the time, doing the best that he could, and she was doing the best she could.”
