J. Cole's upcoming collaboration with Nigerian songstress Tems has stirred mixed reactions among fans, following the backlash from his recent verse on Cash Cobain's track "Grippy." The new song, titled "Free Fall," is part of Tems' forthcoming album *Born in the Wild*, set for release on June 7.
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The announcement of "Free Fall" on Thursday (May 30) was met with a blend of excitement and apprehension from fans. Many took to social media to voice their concerns, referencing Cole's controversial performance on "Grippy," which featured sexually explicit lyrics that deviated from his usual style.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, “have a good verse have a good verse have a good verse have a good verse,” seemingly hoping for a redemption from Cole. Another expressed their anxiety with, “He ain’t gona mess this one up. Right?” A third user, employing Cole’s own lyrics, commented, “This shit can go one of two ways/ This shit can go up, it can go down.”
Despite the skepticism, some fans remained optimistic. One user highlighted Cole's track record, stating, “It’s funny how many people counted J. Cole out after 1 bad feature, when he delivered us a whole catalog of incredible features. This feels like it’ll be on the sound of a ‘Pretty Little Fears’/’Sacrifices’/’Audio Hug’ and I can’t wait for it.” Another added, “Thank god, grippy verse redemption.”
The criticism of Cole's verse on "Grippy" stemmed from lines like, “Grippy, I call her that ’cause it’s grippy/ She thinkin’ it hip, she a hippie/ And she thinkin’ of lips, she gon’ lick me/ And she sendin’ a flick when she hit me/ With a kissin’ emoji, she miss me/ When she see me, she say she gon’ strip me.” This explicit content was uncharacteristic for the Dreamville founder and sparked significant backlash.
One blunt critic wrote, “J Cole’s verse on that Cash Cobain song was fucking atrocious,” while another speculated, “Y’all know how J. Cole has been teasing ‘The Fall Off’ dropping? What if bro was talking about himself the whole time?” A TikTok user even posted a video appealing to Cole, saying, “Please take the ‘Grippy’ song back like you took ‘Seven Minute Drill’ back. It’s not too late.”
This incident follows another controversial moment for Cole, where he dissed Kendrick Lamar on "7 Minute Drill," only to apologize and remove the track from streaming services shortly after.
As fans eagerly await the release of "Free Fall," the anticipation is fraught with hope for a return to form for J. Cole, balancing the potential for a stellar international collaboration with the fear of another misstep.
