It was late November 2015. Most people were nursing food comas or wrestling over discounted flat-screens. Then, out of nowhere, the internet just kind of... broke. J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar—the two titans of the "conscious" rap era—decided to pull a classic switcheroo. Kendrick jumped on Cole’s "A Tale of 2 Citiez" beat, and Cole took a run at Kendrick’s "Alright."
The result? j cole black friday lyrics became an instant part of hip-hop folklore.
Honestly, at the time, we all thought this was the formal announcement for the long-rumored collab album. It wasn’t. But what we got instead was Jermaine at his most aggressive, proving he could handle the jazzy, frenetic production of Pharrell Williams just as well as the TDE frontman.
The Raw Energy of the Alright Remix
When you first hear those opening horns from "Alright," you expect Kendrick's high-pitched, rhythmic "Huh!" But instead, you get Cole’s deep, North Carolina drawl. It’s jarring in a good way. He doesn't try to mimic Kendrick's flow. He basically colonizes the beat.
He starts off with a humble-brag about selling out Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center back-to-back.
"I sold out the Garden, I should play for the Knicks / Took a couple minutes and I sold out Staples / A nigga getting cream like an old ass Laker."
It’s classic Cole. He’s flexing, but it feels like he’s just telling you about his day over a beer. He moves through metaphors about ebola, mustard jams, and "suicidal doors" with a speed that reminded everyone he isn't just the "storyteller"—he can actually rap circles around most of the industry when he feels like it.
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Standing Up to Uncle Sam
One of the most quotable parts of the j cole black friday lyrics is his jab at the IRS. It’s a sentiment every person who has ever looked at their paycheck and sighed can relate to. He says:
"Got a middle finger for Uncle Sam / I done paid so much taxes I can fund Japan."
It's funny, sure. But it also highlights the transition Cole was making at the time—from the hungry kid in the "Sideline Story" era to a massive mogul realizing exactly how much the government takes from a "young nigga" who made it out.
The "Scary" February Tease That Never Happened
We have to talk about the ending. It's the reason why fans still bring this song up ten years later. Right at the end of the verse, Cole drops the bombshell that sent the "Cole-Kendrick Album" theories into overdrive:
"When you and K. Dot shit drop? Bitch never / They can't handle two black niggas this clever / But this February, bet shit get scary when I fuck around and drop—"
Then the beat cuts out. Silence.
For months, the hip-hop world waited for February 2016. We got Untitled Unmastered from Kendrick shortly after, and eventually 4 Your Eyez Only from Cole later that year, but no joint album. Looking back, Cole was likely teasing the release of his own project or perhaps a Dreamville compilation. Or maybe, just maybe, they really did have a vault full of tracks that they decided to keep for themselves.
Technical Mastery: Flow and Delivery
If you analyze the structure of the j cole black friday lyrics, he uses a lot of internal rhyme schemes that people often overlook because his voice is so conversational.
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Look at this sequence:
- "Spit different flows, hit different chicks"
- "Let my Brixton hoes feed me fish and chips"
- "Why I do a lot of shows? I'm the shit, that's it"
It’s punchy. It’s simple. It sticks in your head. He’s also playing with the "Alright" theme of fighting demons. While Kendrick’s original version was a spiritual, communal anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, Cole’s version is more personal. He talks about fighting his own demons without "leaning" on substances like promethazine.
Why People Still Debate "Who Won?"
In the world of rap, everything is a competition. Even a friendly beat swap.
Most fans will tell you Kendrick "won" Black Friday because his verse on "A Tale of 2 Citiez" was absolutely demonic. He was screaming, his flow was changing every four bars, and he mentioned Kanye West for President.
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But Cole’s contribution is arguably more "re-listenable." It’s a song you can put on in the car and actually catch every word. He didn't try to out-weird the beat; he just provided a masterclass in traditional lyricism.
Key Takeaways from the Lyrics
- Independence: He reinforces the "no features" era mentality.
- Social Awareness: Even in a freestyle, he’s thinking about the systemic "man" trying to keep people down.
- Longevity: He uses the "civic getting towed" line to remind us he hasn't forgotten his roots, even while playing for the Knicks (metaphorically).
How to Apply Cole's Mindset
If there’s one thing to take away from the j cole black friday lyrics, it’s the idea of "proceedings proceeding." Cole wasn't waiting for a perfect rollout. He and Kendrick just dropped the tracks on SoundCloud and Twitter.
Next Steps for the Fans:
- Go back and listen to both tracks back-to-back to hear how the production changes the energy of their voices.
- Check out the "Black Friday" fan-made mashups on YouTube that splice the two verses into one mega-track.
- If you're a writer or creator, notice how Cole uses "boring" everyday details (like a Toyota Corolla) to make his high-level flexes feel more grounded and "human."
The joint album might be the "Half-Life 3" of hip-hop—always rumored, never arriving—but these four minutes of J. Cole on a Kendrick beat are enough to remind us why they are the two pillars of their generation.