J. Cole Gets Slammed For His “Transphobic” Lyrics On ‘Might Delete Later’ Album
J. Cole has come under fire for seemingly transphobic lyrics on the rapper’s new album, Might Delete Later.
Released on Friday (April 5), the project, which arrived unannounced aside from cryptic mentions of its title leading up to its release, garnered headlines for the song “7 Minute Drill,” a rebuttal to Kendrick Lamar’s jabs on Future and Metro Boomin’s hit single “Like That.”
However, another track on Might Delete Later, “Pi,” featuring Daylyt and Ab-Soul, includes rhymes by Cole comparing his adversaries to trans men.
“Is you a demon or is that demeanor for the ‘Gram? Tell us/ They plead the fifth, I’m seeing hints of a trans fella,” the North Carolina native raps on the song’s third verse. “In cancel culture’s vicinity, he’s no killer, trust me/ Beneath his chosen identity, there is still a pussy, period.”
The couplets find Cole attempting to ridicule his foes by alleging that they’re posturing as masculine men despite being inherently feminine. A number of listeners took offense to the lyrics, expressing as much with posts accusing the rapper of promoting transphobia.
“An artist as big as j Cole shouldn’t be getting away with these weirdly transphobic lines anymore,” wrote one user. Another was more pointed in their criticism, writing, “F**k J Cole for this transphobic a** bar btw this sh*t is not cool,” another critic exclaimed, sharing a snippet of the lyric.
While the 39-year-old has yet to comment on the backlash, this does not mark the first time J. Cole has been lambasted for seemingly inappropriate or offensive lyrics and subject matter in his music. In 2014, the lyricist caught major flack for his rhymes on “Jodeci’s Back” with Drake, on which he labeled his rivals as “autistic,” with supporters of that community voicing their displeasure with referring to those diagnosed with autism in a demeaning manner.
After a petition was filed demanding an apology from the hitmaker, Cole responded with a statement acknowledging and atoning for his misstep and would later have the offensive lyric edited out of the song on all streaming services.
“I said something highly offensive to people with Autism. Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away that what I said was wrong,” the Grammy Award winner wrote, in part, at the time.
“I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better. To the entire Autism community who expressed outrage, I’m moved and inspired by your passion, and I’m amazed at how strong you are as a unit.”
He continued, “I have now read stories online from parents about their struggles and triumphs with raising an Autistic child and I admire how incredibly strong you have to be to do so. It’s touching. It also makes what I said even more embarrassing for me. I feel real shame. You have every right to be angry. To anyone suffering from Autism, either mildly or severely, I am sorry.
On Sunday (April 7), J. Cole issued his latest apology, as he expressed his regret in dissing Kendrick Lamar on “7 Minute Drill” during his headlining performance at his annual Dreamville Festival in North Carolina. Cole, who has collaborated with Lamar on multiple occasions and considers him a friend, called the move “lame” and “goofy” on his part.
See footage from J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival performance below.
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