J. Cole Explains Why He Backed Out Of Battle With Drake & Kendrick Lamar

J. Cole opens up about his stance on Drake and Kendrick Lamar's battle months after he decided to bow out.

The Dreamville founder shared his new song "Port Antonio" on Instagram Wednesday night, October 9, In the five-minute banger, Cole dwells on life after he apologized to Kendrick and formally backed out of the conflict among the Big 3 at Dreamville Fest earlier this month. After he invokes Michael Jackson's "Beat It" to emphasize his neutrality in the glorified rap beef, Cole explains why he declined to participate and describes what could've happened if he remained in the battle.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

"I pulled the plug because I've seen where that was 'bout to go/They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow," Cole raps. "They see this fire in my pen and think I'm dodgin' smoke/I wouldn't have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro/I woulda gained a foe, and all for what? Just to attain some mo'/Props from strangers that don't got a clue what I been aimin' for?"

Later on, J. Cole reflects on how intense the feud between Drizzy and K.Dot became after he benched himself. He recalls the hype on social media during their back-and-forth and shames the alleged bot accounts online that fueled the fire on both sides. He also relives the backlash he experienced from fans who criticized him for backing out of the battle. Despite everything Drake and Kendrick said about one another, Cole says he understands why Kendrick had to swing back and stands firm on his bond with the "First Person Shooter" MC.

"Drake, you'll always be my n***a/I ain't ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n***a," Cole spits. "F**k all the narratives/Tappin' back into your magic pen is what's imperative/Remindin' these folks why we do it, it's not for beefin'/It's for speakin' our thoughts, pushin' ourselves, reachin' the charts/Reaching your minds, deep in your heart, screamin' to find/Emotions to touch, somethin' inside to open you up/Help you cope with the rough times and s**t/I'm sendin' love 'cause we ain't promised s**t."

Kendrick Lamar hasn't reacted to Cole's new song just yet, but Drake did. He liked Cole's post on Instagram, but it's not clear if he'll totally accept his olive branch just yet. See what The Breakfast Club had to say about J. Cole's new song below.