7 Minute Drill

Last updated

"7 Minute Drill"
Song by J. Cole
from the album Might Delete Later
ReleasedApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Recorded2024
Genre Hip hop
Length3:32
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"7 Minute Drill" was a diss track written and recorded by the American rapper J. Cole for his fourth mixtape, Might Delete Later (2024). It was his response to fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar's diss verse on his single "Like That" (with American rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin). Produced by T-Minus, Conductor Williams, Al Hug and Elyas, the track was titled after and taken from one of Cole's seven-minute songwriting drills with the former producer.

Contents

Two days after the song was released, Cole retracted his diss and issued a public apology to Lamar. He sought to stay out of the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud that was rapidly emerging more than a decade after it began. Five days later, Cole pulled the song from music streaming services.

"7 Minute Drill" debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, but immediately following its removal from streaming platforms it fell off the chart. Critics were polarized by "7 Minute Drill", as they felt that it was a restrained and subpar response to Lamar's verse. Cole bowing out further divided critics; some were disappointed and believed that it left a stain on his reputation, while others commended him for prioritizing his mental health over competition.

Background and composition

J. Cole was featured on Drake's single "First Person Shooter", released on October 6, 2023, from the latter's eighth studio album For All the Dogs . During his verse, Cole supported the idea that he, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar make up the "Big Three" of modern rap music. [1] Six months later, Lamar responded to "First Person Shooter" through a surprise appearance on Future and Metro Boomin's single "Like That", from their collaborative album We Don't Trust You (2024), where he dismissed Cole's "Big Three" remark and claimed that he alone rules the rap scene. [2] Although the majority of his diss verse was aimed at Drake, it also featured a few "warning jabs" aimed at Cole. [3]

T-Minus, who produced "7 Minute Drill" alongside Conductor Williams, told Complex that Cole enjoys doing songwriting drills, consisting of him "writ[ing] a joint for seven minutes and see[ing] how far he can get." [4] The method, according to his manager Ibrahim Hamad, is his way of "breaking out of overthinking." [4] After "Like That" was released, Cole and T-Minus met at a recording studio to work on a writing drill. The latter artist kicked off the challenge by producing a beat via FL Studio within the seven-minute timeframe. Before Cole headed to a separate room to complete his portion of the drill, he asked T-Minus to give him a word to start with. He suggested "light" after noticing the word on his workstation. [4] When his seven minutes were up, Cole left the room and told T-Minus, "just give me another seven minutes. I think I've got something going," ultimately resulting in "7 Minute Drill." [4] [5] [6] Rolling Stone thought that the title was a reference to military exercises where officials discuss how to respond to an enemy threat. [7]

Lyrics

"7 Minute Drill" is Cole's "lyrical exercise" in response to Lamar's verse on "Like That". [8] [9] [10] He begins by comparing Lamar's career trajectory to The Simpsons (1989–present); despite being the longest-running American animated series in history, critics and audiences have noticed a "waning quality" with its recent seasons. [11] Cole elaborates on the comparison by evaluating Lamar's discography: [12]

Your first shit [2012's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ] was classic, your last shit [2022's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers ] was tragic / Your second shit [2015's To Pimp a Butterfly ] put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit [2017's Damn ] was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine

Even though Lamar's debut studio album is Section.80 (2011), publications interpreted that the dig began with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City as it is his first album under a major record label. Cole continues the verse by throwing backhanded compliments and "light" jabs at his "brother" instead of hard insults, alluding his conflicted feelings to Nino Brown killing Gerald "Gee Money" Wells in the crime film New Jack City (1991). Complex's Jordan Rose, in his breakdown of "7 Minute Drill", suggests that he "doesn’t want to fully commit to dissing [Lamar] because they’ve been cordial up until this point." [11]

The second half of the song takes aim at Lamar's small stature ("Your arms might be too short to box with the God") and sparse release schedule ("He averagin' one hard verse like every thirty months or somethin' [...] Four albums in 12 years, nigga, I can divide"). [7] The latter lines are direct parallels to Jay-Z's 2001 song "Takeover", a diss track aimed at Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. [11] Cole closes the song by saying, "This is merely a warning shot to back niggas down," which Rose took as him "indulging in this lyrical warfare simply because he loves the sport of rap competition, rather than because he has any real malice in his heart for his opponent." [11]

Critical reception

"7 Minute Drill" polarized music critics, most of whom considered the song to be a weak response to "Like That". They also found it ironic that Cole claimed Lamar's work put listeners to sleep, considering his own discography was also criticized and turned into Internet memes for its alleged "sleepy" nature. [11] [12]

Andre Gee of Rolling Stone wrote that "if '7 Minute Drill' is in fact a reference to military deliberation, maybe the command decision should've been to stand down and not say anything at all." He acknowledged Cole taking a sensible and measured approach to competition, but argued that rap beefs are a "toxic, nonsensical arena" and its fans want artists to "take it all the way there, not be overly conscientious and almost deferential on the battlefield." [7] Writing for Billboard , Angel Diaz felt that the song alluding to New Jack City was accurate as Cole sounded restrained. He believed he fired a "shot in the air" instead of a "headshot like most expected," ultimately deeming his retort was not enough. [13]

Pitchfork 's Alphonse Pierre found "7 Minute Drill" to be an "even more boring" addition to an "already boring" feud, with heavy criticisms towards Cole's "worn" delivery, camp counselor-esque disses and cheap production. He concludes that the song "feels less like a diss track and more like the sad, conflicted texts you send after a breakup, when you still have a little hope that, one day, eventually, you will be back together like none of this ever happened." [14] In a more positive review, Clash 's Robin Murray felt the production was "slightly out-of-step" with Might Delete Later, but "it taps into some of the project’s over-arching themes—self-worth, separating talent from hype—and feels more ingrained, really, than [Lamar]’s own bars on the hit ‘n’ miss Metro Boomin and Future tape." [15]

Aftermath

Apology

On April 7, 2024, two days after "7 Minute Drill" was released, Cole headlined his annual Dreamville Festival in his native North Carolina. He addressed the crowd towards the end of his performance in a six-minute speech, where he stressed the importance of the forthcoming song "Love Yourz" and reflected on Might Delete Later. Cole was "so proud" of the mixtape, as it served as a lead-up to his upcoming studio album The Fall Off, but there was one part that he felt was "the lamest shit I did in my fucking life." He admitted he was "conflicted" about "7 Minute Drill" for two reasons: the respect he has for Lamar and Drake, and the general public wanting bloodshed. Neither motive "sat right" with Cole's spirit and "disrupt[ed] my fucking peace." [16]

Cole further confessed that he tried looking for an angle to justify downplaying Lamar's catalog and his "greatness". He asked the audience if they thought Lamar is "one of the greatest motherfuckers to ever touch a fucking microphone" and love him like he does, resulting in cheers from the crowd. Cole then formally apologized to Lamar for "moving incorrectly" and prayed that he "didn't feel no way" and that "God will line me back up on my purpose and on my path." He gave Lamar permission to diss him back if he was offended by the song and hoped that the audience forgave him for the "misstep". [17]

Later, it was reported that Schoolboy Q, a member of Black Hippy and close collaborator with Lamar, was at the Dreamville Festival and had a conversation with Cole, possibly giving him a heads up about the animosity between Drake and Lamar. [18]

Removal

After apologizing to Lamar, Cole vowed to remove "7 Minute Drill" from music streaming services. Five days later, he upheld his commitment and pulled the song from streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. [19] Luminate was able to track its opening week commercial performance despite the removal, allowing the song to debut at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated April 20, 2024; it is Cole's thirteenth top-10 hit. [20] "7 Minute Drill" fell off the chart entirely the following week as a result of it being removed from streaming. It broke the record for the steepest drop off the Hot 100 one week after debuting, surpassing Soko's viral single "We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow" which fell off the chart from its number nine debut. [21]

Commentary

Cole's apology sparked divided conversations amongst journalists and other rappers centered around hip hop's competitive spirit, Black masculinity, and men's mental health. Sowmya Krishnamurthy was disappointed with the apology and described it as a "let down" for the genre in an opinion piece for Business Insider . [22]

With the escalating nature of the feud between Lamar and Drake, following the release of "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams," many media commentators noted that Cole was wise to bow out of the feud. [23]

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for "7 Minute Drill"
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [24] 42
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA) [25] 6
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [26] 17
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [27] 14
Greece International (IFPI) [28] 35
Ireland (IRMA) [29] 44
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [30] 26
South Africa (TOSAC) [31] 3
UK Singles (OCC) [32] 38
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [33] 9
US Billboard Hot 100 [34] 6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [35] 2

Related Research Articles

A diss track, diss record or diss song is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the two people; for example, the artists involved may be former members of a group, or artists on rival labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole</span> American rapper (born 1985)

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) to further critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar</span> American rapper and songwriter (born 1987)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to receive the honor.

"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It entered US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single originally meant for Big Sean's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013), but was ultimately cut from that album due to sample clearance issues.

"The Language" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same (2013). "The Language" was produced by frequent collaborator Boi-1da, along with additional production by Allen Ritter and Vinylz. It also features an outro from Cash Money Records founder Birdman. The song was serviced to mainstream urban radio on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album in the US and has peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Boomin</span> American hip hop producer

Leland Tyler Wayne, known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and songwriter. Known for his dark production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern hip hop and trap music. His frequent collaborators include Big Sean, Future, Young Thug, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Gunna, and Nav.

"First Person Shooter" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rapper J. Cole. It was released through OVO Sound and Republic Records on Drake's eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. Drake and Cole wrote the song with producers Boi-1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith, FnZ, Oz, and Coleman, alongside Snorre Tidemand. It is notable for reigniting Drake's decade-long feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like That (Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar song)</span> 2024 single by Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

"Like That" is a song by American rapper Future and record producer Metro Boomin with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was sent to US rhythmic radio through Freebandz, Boominati Worldwide, Epic Records, and Republic as the third and final single from Future and Metro's collaborative studio album, We Don't Trust You, on March 26, 2024.

<i>Might Delete Later</i> 2024 mixtape by J. Cole

Might Delete Later is the fourth mixtape by American rapper J. Cole. It was released through Dreamville Records and Interscope Records on April 5, 2024. The mixtape features guest appearances from Young Dro, Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, Cam'ron, Central Cee, Bas, Daylyt, and Ab-Soul. Included in the mixtape's production credits are Cole himself, T-Minus, Charlie Heat, FnZ, ATL Jacob, The Alchemist, Mike Will Made It, and Pluss, among others. The mixtape was supported by one single, "H.Y.B.", a collaboration with Bas and Central Cee that was sent to US rhythmic radio on April 30, 2024, weeks after the mixtape's release. Might Delete Later was J. Cole's first project not to be released under the Roc Nation imprint. It will be nominated for Best Rap Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Push Ups (song)</span> 2024 song by Drake

"Push Ups" is a diss track written and recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 19, 2024, through OVO Sound and Republic Records. The track serves as a response to several songs from Metro Boomin and Future's collaborative albums We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You. "Push Ups" targets Metro Boomin, Future, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, the Weeknd, and Ja Morant.

"Taylor Made Freestyle" is a diss track by the Canadian rapper Drake in response to Kendrick Lamar, released on April 19, 2024. It follows "Push Ups", another diss directed towards Lamar. The song features AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg; the use of Shakur's likeness in the song prompted a response from his estate that urged Drake to take down the song over personality rights reasons. Following the response from Shakur's estate, Drake took down the song from all platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud</span> Ongoing hip-hop feud

The Canadian rapper Drake and the American rapper Kendrick Lamar have been involved in a rap feud since at least 2024—after the release of "Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin, and Lamar on March 22, 2024—and potentially since the early 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar song)</span> 2024 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Euphoria" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, in response to Canadian rapper Drake's single "Push Ups" and his independently released song "Taylor Made Freestyle". It was unexpectedly released on April 30, 2024, through Interscope Records, initially as a YouTube exclusive before being released to streaming platforms hours later. "Euphoria" takes its name from the American teen drama series of the same name, of which Drake serves as an executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Matters (song)</span> 2024 diss track by Drake

"Family Matters" is a diss track written and recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on May 3, 2024 through OVO Sound and Republic Records, amid his feud with Kendrick Lamar alongside an accompanying music video. It is Drake's third installment in his series of diss tracks directed at Lamar. The track is a response to several songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meet the Grahams</span> 2024 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Meet the Grahams" is a diss track by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on May 3, 2024, through Interscope Records, during his ongoing feud with Canadian rapper Drake. It is Lamar's response to the release of Drake's "Family Matters," a diss track mainly aimed at Lamar. "Meet the Grahams" premiered roughly in under an hour after the release of "Family Matters".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Like Us</span> 2024 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Not Like Us" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, amidst his feud with Canadian rapper Drake. It is Lamar's fifth installment in his series of diss tracks directed at Drake; it premiered less than 20 hours after his previous single, "Meet the Grahams".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBL Drizzy</span> 2024 song by Metro Boomin

"BBL Drizzy" is a "diss track beat" by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released on May 5, 2024 in response to the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud which consisted of multiple diss tracks from both sides. "BBL Drizzy" samples an artificial intelligence-generated track, released on April 14, of the same name by comedian King Willonius. It is the first notable example of AI sampling in mainstream hip-hop music, according to Billboard.

"U My Everything" is a song by American rapper Sexyy Red and Canadian rapper Drake. It was sent to US rhythmic radio through Open Shift and Gamma as the second and final single from Sexyy's third mixtape, In Sexyy We Trust. The song was produced by Tay Keith, Jake Fridkis, and Luh Ron. Both artists wrote it together; King Willonius is also credited as a songwriter as the song contains a sample of his 2024 song, "BBL Drizzy", which was created as a comedy diss towards Drake, who raps over the sample. "U My Everything" marks the second collaboration between Sexxy Red and Drake, following the latter's single, "Rich Baby Daddy", which also features American singer-songwriter SZA, from his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pop Out: Ken & Friends</span> 2024 concert by Kendrick Lamar

The Pop Out: Ken & Friends was a one-off concert by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was held at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on June 19, 2024. The Juneteenth and Black Music Month celebration marked Lamar's first major performance following his highly publicized feud with Canadian rapper Drake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Rosary</span> 2024 single by ASAP Rocky featuring J. Cole

"Ruby Rosary" is a song by American rapper ASAP Rocky featuring American rapper J. Cole. Produced by The Alchemist, it was released on September 6, 2024 as the third single from the former's upcoming fourth studio album Don't Be Dumb.

References

  1. Walker, Joe (March 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar torches Drake & J. Cole on ruthless new collab: 'MF the big 3!'". HipHopDX . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  2. Lamarre, Carl (March 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Takes Hard Shots at Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin's "Like That"". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  3. Perry, Kevin E.G. (March 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar disses Drake and J Cole on new song: 'It's just big me'". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Skelton, Eric (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole's "7 Minute Drill" Was Made During One of His '7-Minute' Exercises, According to Producer T-Minus". Complex. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  5. Zemler, Emily (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole Responds to Kendrick Lamar Diss on Hard-Hitting '7 Minute Drill'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  6. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole Responds to Kendrick Lamar Diss on '7 Minute Drill,' Included on Surprise New Album 'Might Delete Later'". Variety . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Gee, Andre (April 5, 2024). "J Cole Brought A Knife To A Gunfight On '7 Minute Drill'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  8. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole Responds to Kendrick Lamar Diss on '7 Minute Drill,' Included on Surprise New Album Might Delete Later". Variety . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  9. Shifferaw, Abel. "J. Cole Fires Back at Kendrick Lamar With "7 Minute Drill" Following "Like That" Diss". Complex . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  10. Gonzalez, Alex (April 5, 2024). "Did J. Cole Diss Kendrick Lamar On '7 Minute Drill?'". Uproxx . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Rose, Jordan (April 5, 2024). "A Detailed Breakdown of J. Cole's Response to Kendrick Lamar". Complex. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  12. 1 2 Saponara, Michael (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole Appears to Take Aim at Kendrick Lamar on '7 Minute Drill': Listen". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  13. Diaz, Angel (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole's Response Is Good, But It's Not Enough". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  14. Pierre, Alphonse (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole: "7 Minute Drill" Track Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  15. Murray, Robin (April 5, 2024). "J. Cole – Might Delete Later". Clash. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  16. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 8, 2024). "J. Cole Says He Regrets Kendrick Lamar Diss: 'The Past Two Days Felt Terrible'". Variety . Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  17. Saponara, Michael (April 8, 2024). "J. Cole Regrets His Kendrick Lamar Diss & Calls It 'the Lamest S–t' During Dreamville Fest: Watch". Billboard . Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  18. Williams, Houston (May 5, 2024). "Here's Why J. Cole Likely Left Kendrick Lamar Vs. Drake Beef So Quickly". AllHipHop. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  19. Horowitz, Steven J. (April 12, 2024). "J. Cole Removes Kendrick Lamar Diss '7 Minute Drill' From Streaming Services". Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  20. Trust, Gary (April 15, 2024). "Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar's 'Like That' Leads Hot 100 for Third Week". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  21. Trust, Gary (April 22, 2024). "'Sweet' Success: Hozier Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  22. Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (April 9, 2024). "J. Cole let hip-hop down". Business Insider. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  23. Tharpe, Frazier (May 8, 2024). "J. Cole's Beach Is Better". GQ. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  24. "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  25. "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  26. "J. Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  27. "J. Cole Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  28. "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) (Week: 15/2024)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  29. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  30. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  31. "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 10 Week 15-2024". The Official South African Charts. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  32. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  33. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  34. "J. Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  35. "J. Cole Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.