J. Cole Explains Why He Felt 'A Certain Type Of Way' When Kanye Called Him

J. Cole is earnest in a way most rappers are bred not to be. On his latest album, KOD, the Fayetteville MC descended from the mountaintop with a message. The project was the audio equivalent of an older brother arriving residence from college, disgusted at the excess a younger brother and his companions have wrought. In an in-depth interview with Angie Martinez, Cole opens up about his inner demons and his view on the world and the rap game that reflects it.

Discussions about Cole's issues with Kanye West weave into tangents about the damaging effects of celebrity and his problems with rappers like Lil Pump. Truthful, contemplative, and cerebral, the 90-minute conversation is a rare look into the mind of one of hip-hop's most elusive stars.

Below are a few of the most eye-opening moments from the interview.

Cold Conversations With Kanye

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J. Cole and Kanye West have had a tense relationship since 2016's "False Prophets." Lines like, "He's fallin' apart, nevertheless we deny it / Justifying that half ass shit he dropped, we habitually purchase it" were clearly subliminals directed at West. In May, Kanye posted screenshot of a phone call he had with Cole on Twitter. Throughout the interview with Martinez, Jermaine addressed his disappointment with the interaction.

"He called me, however I would've never posted that or like tell him to post that," Cole mentioned. "You know what I mean? That made me feel a certain kind of way. I instructed him that. He apologized. For the record. It's not like I'm just saying this, although then I instructed him it felt like you just used my name in that very quick conversation for social media and to keep your thing going. Whichever you were doing, it felt like it wasn't straightforward, because of that."

Why Did J. Cole Stop Drinking?

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KOD or "Kidz On Narcotics is an album that deals with the hardships of addiction. In one of the most weak portions of the discussion, Cole shared what led him to set aside alcohol.

"I would of never even thought the day would've came where I stopped drinking, because to me it wasn't even a big deal," he mentioned. Although this is any time As soon as I found it was a big deal, because Whenever I attempted to go out that night and like not drink. I might feel the pull and the tug."

Cole continued to discuss how his body was giving him clear signals that he required to stop.

"Putting myself in these situations and If I found that pull and that tug," the "ATM" rapper mentioned. "That my body, my mind was telling me like, 'Yo, damn I'd like to have a drink.' That's what let me know something is there"

Who Is Kill Edward?

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J. Cole is so famed for his apprehension to featuring other artists on his albums; it launched a meme. Nevertheless, as soon as the KOD tracklist was revealed fans found that someone name "Kill Edward" was listed on two tracks. Throughout his sit down with Martinez, Cole revealed that Edward is the name of his stepfather. According to Cole, his stepfather was abusive and the new rap name helped him work through those troubling memories.

as soon as I mention 'Kill Edward' what I'm talking about is like the shit that I feel like I inherited from him...It's like, cleansing myself of that traumatic experience."

Do Drake and J. Cole Still Text?

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KOD broke Apple Music's U.S. Record for most streams in the opening 24 hours, toppling Drake's previous record with 2016's Views. In a lighthearted moment while in the chat, Martinez asked if the "In The Morning" duo spoke the feat.

"Yeah, he text me," Cole mentioned. "He mentioned 'I hate you.' Nah, I'm joking...I don't hear from him."

We Are Never Getting That Cole and Kendrick Album

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Fans have to give it to J. Cole for his honesty. The collab album between Kendrick Lamar and Cole has been a rumor for years. Unfortunately, 1/2 of the duo had to dash fans' misguided hopes about the project releasing soon.

"I don't wish to keep teasing people," Cole mentioned. "I don't hope to play with people's emotions."

Also late Jermaine, also late.

1985 Marketing Ploys

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J. Cole and Lil Pump are not on the ideal of terms. "1985 - 'Intro to the Fall Off'" is a subtle message to Pump, Smokepurpp, along with a legion of young rappers who Cole has gone on record calling, "exaggerated versions of black stereotypes." During his talk with Martinez, Cole described how he had heard a crowd of rappers proudly proclaiming "Fuck J. Cole" per year ago.

"The reason why I wrote that, that 'Fuck J. Cole" chant you seen I don't know in the event you know that was famous for at least year before that song ["1985"] came out," he mentioned. "It was a whole energy happening. This was new to me."

Cole continued to explain to Angie that he understood the underlying reason rappers like Pump and Purpp went soon after him.

"It's like a marketing ploy," he stated. "I understood it better than. It's trolling."