J. Cole Addresses His Exit From Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Beef in New Track "Port Antonio"

“I woulda lost a bro / I woulda gained a foe,” he raps.

J. Cole is clearing his side of the story in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef in his new song, “Port Antonio.”

The surprise single, which is only a standalone cut as of writing, is currently only available to stream on YouTube and hears him sample Cleo Sol’s “Know That You Are Loved” as he addresses the issue. Cole touches on the beef in the second verse, clarifying that he bowed out of the beef because he didn’t want to be responsible for something that could possibly turn violent all for money.

“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 / And all for what? / Just to attain some mo’ props from strangers that don’t got a clue what I been aimin’ for?” he further raps, adding that he has no interest in “dig[ging] up dirt and pay[ing] a whole team of algorithm-bot n****s” to regain hip-hop’s approval.

Despite his exit from the beef, Cole refuses to wash his hands and acknowledges that he aided in hyping up the beef with his verse on “First Person Shooter.” Drizzy and Dot may have crossed boundaries as they were protecting their legacies but Cole stands firm on his decision to bow out and notes that the public’s negative opinion about him doesn’t taint his legacy. He ends his track with a shoutout to Drake, and a reminder to other rappers that they were given the gift of the pen not to start beef, but to share their thoughts.

Stream J. Cole’s “Port Antonio” above.