J. Cole addressed his infamous altercation with Diddy from 2013 on his new album, The Off-Season. On the track, “Let Go My Hand,” the North Carolina native brings up his rumored brush with Diddy.
The lyrics read, “But sometimes a n—- pulled my card, tryna expose me for a fraud/And with my reputation at stake, I was scufflin’ just to save face. Couple wins, couple losses/Some broken up too quick to call it/My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would’ve thought it?/I bought that n—- album in seventh grade and played it so much/You would’ve thought my favorite rapper was Puff/Back then I ain’t know s—, now I know too much.”
Diddy provides the outro for the song, yet is not credited on the album in “Let Go My Hand,” XXL Mag reports. Back in 2013, reports swirled that the two had gotten into a fight during an MTV VMA Awards afterparty hosted by Diddy at The Dream Hotel in New York City.
Rumors varied as to what caused the brawl, with some people saying Cole was dancing too close to Puff’s former girlfriend, Cassie. Another rumor said Cole intervened when Diddy tried to throw a drink on Kendrick Lamar after being angered over Kendrick’s “King of New York” line on the controversial track “Control.” After the fight, Cole was allegedly booted from the party.
Both Cole and Diddy denied the reports at the time. “People will believe anything,” Cole tweeted.
people will believe anything
— J. Cole (@JColeNC) August 27, 2013
Diddy tweeted a day later writing, “I usually don’t address rumors but I got too much respect for my bro @JColeNC. We are friends The rumors are not true. We had a great party.”
I usually don't address rumors but I got too much respect for my bro @JColeNC. We are friends The rumors are not true. We had a great party
— LOVE (@Diddy) August 27, 2013
Cole said his latest album drop as something that was “years in the making.” The Off Season is supposed to be a precursor to The Fall Off, an album Cole has been teasing since 2018. Though fans are going mad on Twitter over the new LP, Cole confirmed that he may eventually retire from the hip-hop world, but added that he would never announce that it’s the end of his career.
