J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar are two names who remind fans of the diss guns that led to the biggest rap battle of 2024. Although to be fair, Cole exited the game way back to let K-Dot and Drake have their momentum of rivalry, to imagine that same artist considered Lamar nothing less than a brother sure sounds a little alien. However, it is not unbelievable if the revelations come from Cole himself.

Speaking of their initial bond, Cole recently shed light on Lamar and his brotherhood from the initial days, remembering K-Dot as the artist who outpaced him.

On a recent episode of his Inevitable audio series, J. Cole and Ibrahim Hamad previewed two unreleased collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, unveiling how they came about. Reflecting on his first reaction to Lamar’s 2012 album, ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,’ Cole felt the rapper had already “surpassed” him. Cole remembered K-Dot coming to Fayetteville and working on a “studio bus” for a few days and it was so fun that he likened it to the experience of one’s “cousin” coming over.

Cole reminisced, listening to some of his tracks before the album dropped. However, he believes the “journey got harder” once the record was released because watching Lamar was like looking at himself in the mirror. “It was a feeling of surpassment,” Cole added. To top that off, there were two visible “indicators.” First, K-Dot’s first-week numbers were more than his, and second, they were on the same lineup for a show where Lamar went on stage after him. 

"He kinda cracked my mind open"- J. Cole Credits Ye for His Career on the 'Inevitable' Podcast Despite Years of Friction 

Despite their up-and-down relationship, J. Cole also shared two more unreleased tracks last month.

On a November episode of his Inevitable audio series, J. Cole previewed two unreleased collaborations. Cole shared the tracks ‘Temptations’ and ‘Shock the World,’ reportedly made for a record store release in 2010. There is video footage of Lamar rapping the tracks alongside his fans on YouTube. However, Cole previewed CDQ versions via his podcast. 

In ‘Temptations,’ J. Cole and Lamar share the mic to swap their iconic verses on top of the latter’s beat. As for ‘Shock the World,’ it features a chorus by BJ the Chicago Kid. Cole shared how their music came into being, but their chemistry had fans wishing they could make some amends. Although it may be difficult to imagine, considering Inevitable was conceived in 2022, long before his fallout with Lamar, the fact that it is still reaching the audiences keeps hopes alive.

"I would've lost a bro"- J. Cole Shares Why He Stepped Back From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake Diss War

What do you think of J. Cole's reflection on his bond with Kendrick Lamar from the initial days? Let us know in the comments below!