SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne, aka KB The Boss, says “Might Delete Later Cole is the best Cole yet” in his Might Delete Later album review.
One Jermaine Cole had the hip-hop world in a frenzy with the surprise release of his seventh studio album Might Delete Later. It’s a busy time for J. Cole who released the project in between the It’s All A Blur tour alongside Drake which ended on March 27th and his two-day Dreamville Festival which opens April 6th.
Cole releases this project in a different position. In the past, he was arguably the best rapper in the “Big 3”, ahead of Drake and Kendrick Lamar, but seemed to not care too much for asserting himself or enjoying mainstream success. This changed leading up to his 2021 release The Off-Season when he released a number of features and freestyle as if to say, “Fine, I’ll play your little game.”
Now the lead up to this album saw him team up with one of the biggest artists in the world in Drake. To some, including Kendrick Lamar, this may have been like selling his soul, but it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. J. Cole was seen as the gifted MC who never quite reached mainstream success while Drake was the pop star whose pen was still questionable, especially with lingering criticisms about ghostwriters. It turned out that they both held the missing puzzle piece to the other’s legacy. As a result, Cole received his first Billboard 100 song with “First Person Shooter” (No wonder it pissed off Kendrick).
So J. Cole released Might Delete Later in unfamiliar territory, especially since consensus is growing that Cole is, in fact, the Muhammad Ali of the Big 3. One would question whether his newfound mainstream success would be heard on the record. The answer is no. The album is still vintage J. Cole, although he sounds as though he may be more confident than ever before.
As to be expected, the album is a bar-fest, full of two, three and four syllable rhymes, double entendres, and ridiculous flows. It goes without saying, but J. Cole is elite and easily among the top five rappers all time.
The standout songs include “Crocodile Tearz” with its menacing keys and hard drums, the melodic “Fever”, “H.Y.B” featuring his frequent collaborator Bas, who appears twice on the album, and Central Cee with its drill production, and “3001” with its bars and flows. While the first half of the album is good, Cole is kind of like Jesus at the wedding at Cana saving his best wine for the end.
Of course, the song getting the most buzz is “7 Minute Drill” as Cole responds to Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” diss. We know the cloth Cole is cut from, so the response was expected. On the track, with production from Ajax, Ontario’s T-Minus, Conductor Williams, and Elyas, Cole accuses K-Dot of seeking attention and trying to use controversy to be relevant while Cole relies solely on his abilities as an MC.
I came up in the ‘Ville, so I’m good when it’s tension
He still doin’ shows, but fell off like the Simpsons
Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic
Your second shit put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it
Your third shit was massive and that was your prime
I was trailin’ right behind and I just now hit mine
Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead
How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want somethin’ with me
Well, he caught me at the perfect time, jump up and see
We know the two still have love for each other and that it’s just hip-hop, but hip-hop needed this. Hip-hop has grown complacent and formulaic, and this beef is a well-needed shot in the arm (and kick in the ass) for the culture. The response adds more pressure for Drake to enter the chat. If he doesn’t, it would be detrimental to the hip-hop side of his legacy.
Overall, Cole understood the assignment. Might Delete Later is lyrical, soulful and combative as Cole widens the lead between himself and his competitors. He mentions a few times on the project that he’s now entered his prime and no one can dispute it. Might Delete Later Cole is the best Cole yet.
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