WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 23: J. Cole performs onstage for SiriusXM and Pandora’s Small Stage Series in Los Angeles live at The Roxy Theatre on October 23, 2021 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Cole really went in on this one.
J Cole is back. The rapper went quiet for most of 2024 following the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and took stock of his legacy. It has positively impacted his music. Cole dropped the single “Cloud” on his personal blog Thursday evening. A moody, contemplative song driven by Cole’s singing voice, “Cloud” is the first taste of music that the rapper has given fans in 2025. And it’s clear he has a lot on his mind. He makes reference to Donald Trump’s assassination attempt and billionaires who are hurting the masses in a breakneck flow.
J Cole raps with a heavy heart on the first verse, but it’s the second verse that contains his most potent bars. “I’m that bass in your trunk, the bullet that missed Trump,” he spits. “The gun that jammed because it seemed God had other plans.” Elsewhere in the song, J Cole bashes billionaires for being careless over the state of the world. “Throw it in the pan and caramelize for richness,” the rapper explains. “Served on a plate with sirloin steak to billionaires who don’t care the world’s gon’ break. Long as they make money off it, pain brings profit.”
What Is J Cole’s New Album?
“Cloud” gives J Cole the chance to vent his frustrations about the world in 2025. He also provided an explainer on his blog. Unsurprisingly, he draws attention to the second verse. “Just wanted to share,” he wrote. “Made this a few days ago, then I added a second verse and was like ‘man I got a blog now, I can put whatever I want up there.'” Cole also spoke on how quickly the song came together. “I didn’t have a title 20 minutes ago when I decided to really put this up,” he explained. “But now I got one… produced by DZL, Omen, and small contributions from me…”
It’s unclear if the song will appear on J Cole’s upcoming album, The Fall Off. He’s been teasing the album’s release since 2018, when he dropped the single “1985.” The rapper has alluded to the album dropping some time in 2025, and even took to his blog to assure fans that he’s hard at work in the studio. “I been locked in on the music while also balancing family life,” Cole asserted. “It’s a juggling act that a blog post wouldn’t do justice in explaining. But with that said, I’m back tending to this garden.” Sounds like the garden is definitely being tended to.