Few canceled music albums have achieved mythical legend status in the same vein as J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. It's the modern equivalent of the kind of mystery that Dr. Detox stirred once ago. Some fans and commentators continue to wonder if K. Dot and J. Cole still have plans to release said album, while others question whether it ever existed.
J. Cole confirmed the album's planned existence on his Inevitable podcast, where he released several new tracks this year with himself and Kendrick Lamar that would have ended up in a proposed collaboration project. The releases have fans hoping that this long-awaited album can yet to go out. It's clear now that entire tracks were produced between the two iconic rappers – so why was the album never released?
This question has alluded even the most die-hard rap fans, but a comprehensive timeline chronicling the album from start to finish is the best way to answer this question.
When Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole First Tried to Collaborate
More than a decade ago
In your Inevitable podcast, J. Cole recalled meeting Kendrick Lamar during an XXL photo shoot in 2010 when Cole and Kendrick's friend/collaborator Jay Rock was in the freshman class. Kendrick and Cole talked and kept in touch. Kendrick even called Cole after the latter released “Blow Up” for Friday night lightspraising Cole for the beat he made and saying, “I need one of those!” Cole then remembers him and the future star of GNX meeting at producer No ID's studio.
In that session, Kendrick Lamar played the song “Temptation” (one of his unreleased songs performed by Cole) for Cole with his verse, while Cole, in return, played the beat for “HiiiPower”, which Dot would use in her first studio. album, Section .80. Kendrick was surprised that Cole would give him such a beating without expecting anything in return. “Bro, you're sleeping alone,” Cole remembers Kendrick telling him. Realizing he was underestimating his ability, Cole took those words to heart, while Kendrick appreciated another rapper's genuine kindness..
A legitimate friendship began to blossom at that moment. During that studio session, they continued to talk, as well as play more beats and verses for each other. As J. Cole would mention in his appearance on Lil Yachty's podcast A safe place, Kendrick was impressed with what he heard and suggested they should make an album together. This wasn’t just industry talk to fill space in a conversation. Both artists took the prospect of a duo project seriously. They would discuss a potential concept as well as begin recording music together.
Why was Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole's joint project never released?
Time has always been the problem
From then on, although an album was far from receiving a tentative release date, or even a title, the two men would find time to at least produce music together. Kendrick would appear as a featured performer at Cole's 2013 Born Sinner album for the song “Forbidden Fruit”, as the two teased the project in their respective interviews. Cole went so far as to tell XXL in late 2011 that they were not only working together on a mixtape, but At that point, the album was 90% done.
Most infamously, in 2015, they released a pair of songs – both titled “Black Friday” – where Kendrick rapped over Cole's “Tale of 2 Cities”, while Cole rapped over Cole's “Alright” beat. Kendrick. What made this so famous is this bar near the end of Cole's version:
When are you and K. Dot going to fall? Bitch never!
They can't handle two black guys that smart!
It was never clear at the time whether Cole was bragging about how strong the album he and Kendrick would make when it came out, or if this was his way of announcing that the album was no longer happening. Cole confirmed the latter on the aforementioned Yachty podcast episode, admitting that time became a problem.
Time and life, we never had the chance to go in and do it right, because that would take time, bro. For us to do something that is full of our potential, that meets our real potential, you will need time… at least a year.
To be fair to J. Cole, it makes perfect sense how time would get in the way. The two men met before either of their careers really took off. A few years after we met, Kendrick Lamar's debut album Good boy mAAd City knocked down. Then, in 2014, both men would be revered as hip hop's GOATs once they released, respectively. Forest Hills Road 2014 and To pimp a butterfly within months of each other. Musically, they would begin to sell out arenas, while other life events, such as Cole's wedding, would increase how busy they would be outside of their professions.
Could Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole's album still be released?
J. Cole Gave Fans New Hope
They would unexpectedly cross paths again in 2023 and 2024, not as collaborators but as opponents. J. Cole found himself in the middle of the fight between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Cole's verse that started it all on “First Person Shooter” followed by Kendrick Lamar's verse on “Like That” seemed to be in the spirit of friendly competition. When lines between Drizzy and K. Dot grew particularly nasty, Cole publicly removed himself from the feud, first removing “7 Minute Drill” — a direct diss to Kendrick — from streaming services and expressing his love for Kendrick on stage at Dreamville Fest.
It's evident that J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, even after their friendly jabs on records, still respect each other as musicians and as friends who used to be closer.. Additionally, Cole would play unreleased tracks with Kendrick on Inevitable, all adding to speculation that there is no lost hope for an album. The two have always expressed that they never lost interest in producing an album, time just got in the way. Although it is unlikely, as long as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Careers continue to take off, anything is possible right now.
Source: XXL