J. Cole‘s controversial apology to Kendrick Lamar has drawn strong responses from around the Hip Hop community — and a few in particular have irked the rapper’s Dreamville camp.
In an outspoken post on X on Tuesday (April 9), longtime signee Omen took issue with artists who appeared on the label’s chart-topping compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III criticizing Cole’s olive branch.
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“Watching all the opportunist that benefited from the ROTD3 stimulus package switch up is really entertaining. Keep that energy in person,” the rapper/producer wrote.
That sentiment was echoed by Bas, who shared a screenshot of a text message that read: “I’ve been told y’all n-ggas we the only family we got… but n-ggas always want to let the kids from across the street swim in our pool until they take a shit in it.”
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He captioned the image: “the pool’s closed,” seemingly indicating that Dreamville would be cutting ties with those who have been critical of its founder and flagship star.
While neither Omen nor Bas mentioned specific names, a handful of artists who contributed to ROTD 3 have been vocal in their disappointment over J. Cole’s apology.
Watching all the opportunist that benefited from the ROTD3 stimulus package switch up is really entertaining. Keep that energy in person.
— omen (@omen) April 9, 2024
the pool’s closed pic.twitter.com/5WZNaV0FnL
— Bas (@Bas) April 9, 2024
Guapdad 4000, who appeared on five tracks across the standard and deluxe versions, wrote on X: “Well that just bummed me out , it’s just rap man.”
He added: “Cole def just killed my spirit… but it’s his happiness not mine , it’s selfish to think other wise but I’m just a fan at the end of the day. If rap is not competitive I don’t want to do it anymore.”
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Reason, who is signed to Kendrick Lamar‘s former label Top Dawg Entertainment and has worked with several Dreamville artists, also expressed his bemusement: “Idk man, I just….idk.”
Meanwhile, fellow West Coast rapper Buddy made light of Cole’s U-turn by retweeting a video of him Crip Walking while celebrating a Mortal Kombat-style victory which was captioned: “Kendrick Lamar in Compton after hearing Jcole Apoligized [sic] to him.”
Well that just bummed me out , it’s just rap man
— GUAP (@guapdad4000) April 8, 2024
Cole def just killed my spirit… but it’s his happiness not mine , it’s selfish to think other wise but I’m just a fan at the end of the day .
— GUAP (@guapdad4000) April 8, 2024
If rap is not competitive I don’t want to do it anymore
— GUAP (@guapdad4000) April 8, 2024
Kendrick Lamar in Compton after hearing Jcole Apoligized to him pic.twitter.com/DDnWimZn6i
— Born Again Man (@CyberSeCX) April 8, 2024
Guapdad later addressed the controversy and denied Omen and Bas’ tweets were aimed at him.
“Gang not talking about me , y’all stop saying that,” he wrote. “Guapdad can always say whatever he wants but n-ggas know my loyalty.”
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J. Cole’s apology came during his headlining set at Dreamville Festival this past weekend and was in response to him dissing Kendrick Lamar on “7 Minute Drill” — a rebuttal to K. Dot’s own shots at him and Drake on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.”
“I’m so proud of [Might Delete Later], except for one part. It’s one part of that shit that makes me feel like, man that’s the lamest shit I did in my fuckin’ life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear,” he admitted.
“I was conflicted because: one, I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers. These two n-ggas that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness. So I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh, I don’t even feel no way. But the world wanna see blood.”
Cole went on to praise Kendrick: “That shit disrupts my fucking peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n-gga’s fucking catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherfuckers to ever touch a fucking microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.
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“I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest shit. I say all that to say it made me feel like 10 years ago when I was moving incorrectly. And I pray that God will line me back up on my purpose and on my path. I pray that my n-gga really didn’t feel no way and if he did, my n-gga, I got my chin out. Take your best shot. I’ma take that shit on the chin, boy. Do what you do.
“All good. It’s love. And I pray that y’all forgive a n-gga for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I ain’t gonna lie to y’all, the past two days felt terrible. It let me know how good I’ve been sleeping for the past 10 years.”
