J. Cole Provides Insight on Unfinished Kendrick Lamar Collaboration Album

J. Cole recently shed light on the much-discussed collaborative album with Kendrick Lamar, dispelling rumors and revealing the backstory behind their long-awaited joint project.

During a conversation on the A Safe Place podcast, Lil Yachty raised the topic of the highly anticipated collaboration between the two superstars, leading J. Cole to share insights on the intended album’s origins and their initial plans for the joint effort.

J. Cole reminisced on the early stages of their potential project, recalling a moment when Kendrick Lamar visited him at No I.D.’s studio. “He had pulled up on me at No I.D.’s spot after we were already building this relationship, and I had these beats at the time and I was playing them for him,” he shared.

Their initial interactions involved sharing beats and discussing the idea of working together on a collaborative album. J. Cole mentioned, “At that time he’s not on like that, but I’m f***in’ with him.”

However, due to the demands of their solo careers and personal lives evolving, the duo couldn’t find the necessary time to commit fully to the project. “At one point, it was a real thing,” J. Cole affirmed. “But bro, time and life, we ain’t ever got the chance to go in and do it correctly, because that would take time.”

He explained that crafting an album of substantial quality would require significant dedication and time, which became challenging given their individual successes and personal commitments. Eventually, they put the idea aside, but it was a genuine conversation between them at one point.

J. Cole emphasized that the collaborative album was not an extensive collection of songs sitting on a shelf, clarifying that they had begun the process, but life’s demands prevented them from fully realizing the project. He reminisced about their earlier collaborations, such as producing “HiiiPoWeR” for Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80 album and working on tracks like “Forbidden Fruit” and other joint efforts over the years.

Their joint album was a topic of discussion as early as May 2012 when J. Cole mentioned in an interview that they were in the process of working together and had around four to five songs completed for the potential album.

While the much-anticipated album remains unfinished, snippets of their collaborative efforts, such as the track “Temptation,” have surfaced over the years, leaving fans eagerly anticipating any future release between the two acclaimed artists.