J. Cole says one moment cost him his spot at the top

J. Cole has suggested that a single decision dramatically changed how he is viewed in hip-hop, revealing in a new freestyle that an apology he once made pushed him out of rap’s top tier.

The rapper addresses the moment on a track from his surprise release Birthday Blizzard 26, where he reflects on apologising to Kendrick Lamar after briefly dissing him in 2024. Cole implies that the apology altered his standing among fans and peers, but says the setback ultimately fuelled his motivation.

J. Cole speaks on his apology to Kendrick Lamar in a new freestyle from "Birthday Blizzard '26" 👀

"I used to be top, see, the apology dropped me way out of the top 3, no problem, I’m probably my best when they doubt me."

“The top ain’t really what I thought it would be, so I… https://t.co/2A8IgEx1Xy pic.twitter.com/T5QjO9Y7Y9

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) January 28, 2026

In the freestyle, Cole says he once saw himself firmly at the top, before the apology dropped him well outside the top three. He adds that doubt often brings out his strongest work.

The lines refer to Cole’s track 7 Minute Drill, released in early 2024, in which he took aim at Lamar in a restrained diss. The song arrived shortly before Lamar’s highly publicised feud with Drake dominated hip-hop headlines.

Not long after releasing the track, Cole made the unexpected move of publicly apologising to Lamar during his Dreamville Festival performance in North Carolina. He told the crowd he regretted the diss, saying it did not reflect his values or the direction he wanted to take creatively.

Cole explained at the time that while he was proud of the wider project the song appeared on, the diss itself felt like a misstep. He acknowledged that fans might be disappointed but said the moment left him feeling unsettled and eager to realign with his purpose.

In Birthday Blizzard 26, Cole revisits that decision with greater distance, suggesting he stepped away from the pursuit of status altogether. He says he chose to restart from a position where expectations were lower, allowing him to rebuild and climb again.

The freestyle has reignited debate online, with listeners questioning whether Cole’s apology damaged his competitive edge or reinforced his integrity in a genre often defined by rivalry.

Cole is expected to address the fallout further on his upcoming album The Fall Off, which is set for release on February 6.