50 Cent Says J. Cole Shouldn’t Have Backed Out of the Kendrick Lamar-Drake Beef

J. Cole was initially the third wheel in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, but he backed out before things got too serious. Many of his peers have had opinions on his choice, and now 50 Cent has weighed in.

During an interview on Big Boy Radio, 50 Cent expressed disappointment in J. Cole for baking out of the beef so early “because he’s one of the top guys.” 50 Cent explained that he sees hip-hop as a competitive art form, which is why he was upset that J. Cole didn’t stay involved just because he has relationships with both Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

“That’s how we gonna find out who really got it,” 50 said. “I understand the relationship. But I don’t understand why the competitive part in the form, if y’all are brothers like that, then why wouldn’t you compete? Why wouldn’t you understand we are just competing?”

Earlier this year, Kendrick took some jabs at Drake J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” J. Cole released his own diss track in response, but soon took it down and publically stated that he was not going to get involved any further.

Kendrick and Drake then traded shots back and forth over several different diss tracks, with the Compton rapper very clearly emerging as the victor with “Not Like Us,” a song that has since gone on to achieve massive mainstream success.

Considering the way it’s all played out, J. Cole is probably pretty content with stepping back and not being drug through the mud for all the world to witness in a chart-topping single, which will very likely be played at the 2025 Super Bowl when Kendrick headlines the Halftime Show.