J Cole has always been considered one of contemporary hip-hop’s great creatives and has often been pitted against the new generation of SoundCloud rappers. However, he has recently collaborated with Atlanta emcee Lil Yachty for his latest single, ‘The Secret Recipe’.
This collaboration is a surprise to many, considering that, before fame, Lil Yachty openly expressed his hate for J Cole and his music via social media. Following his entrance into the mainstream, this was all unearthed.
In 2011 and 2012, when he was 14 years old, Lil Yachty (real name Miles McCollum) took to Twitter to declare his disdain for Cole, writing statements such as, “I just don’t like j.cole…. never said he wasn’t good,” and “FUCK J COLE.”
As Lil Yachty began to gain traction, he retracted his remarks and chalked it up to him being young and stupid. In an interview on ShayDiddyTV, McCollum admitted he was clueless, explaining, “I honestly can’t explain it. I don’t know why. Back in the day, I was heavy on saying, ‘Fuck J. Cole.’ I don’t know why. His music is so lyrical—let me clear this up.”
He continued, “I fuck with J. Cole as a person. I don’t listen to J. Cole. But I have nothing against J. Cole. I was young, and I was just talking shit, trolling. I never thought I was gonna be a rapper. I have no issues with J. Cole or his music, and if we ever bump into each other, I don’t wanna any problems.”
Fans imagined the two had a feud. However, behind the scenes, the pair evidently had chemistry as they decided to get into the studio and create ‘The Secret Recipe,’ their first collaborative song.
This latest release is McCollum’s first single since his album Let’s Start Here earlier this year. J Cole has been embracing the new-generation of less lyrical rappers recently and featured on Lil Durk’s track ‘All My Life’ not too long ago.
Listen to the new track below.
