Fat Joe Claims That The Kendrick Lamar Battle Has Tarnished J Cole’s legacy

J Cole is in a strange place. The rapper was not vanquished in fight, like Drake was. Many see his decision to forfeit and lose ground to Kendrick Lamar as a destiny worse than loss. Drake at least stood by his principles, right? The argument over whether Cole made a wise or cowardly move continues to boil.

During his latest interview on the Jay Shetty Podcast, Fat Joe discussed the Dreamville star’s legacy. He handed J Cole his flowers, but he also acknowledged that things would never be the same.

“He definitely got a stripe off,” Fat Joe said. “They took a stripe off that because in hip-hop, when they call you out, you come out.” The Terror Squad founder admitted that J Cole’s self-preservation strategy was sound in certain aspects, but it came at a high cost. “He probably saw that it could get real messy and real ugly,” according to Fat Joe. “So he said, ‘You know this ain’t me I don’t want no parts of it.'” Joe’s reputation for rap beef is unquestionable, therefore it’s difficult to disagree with his position. The rapper has taken on everyone, from 2Pac to JAY-Z to 50 Cent, and has never back down. He is worried about backing down.

Fat Joe Wishes That J Cole Had Risen To The Challenge

Part of Fat Joe’s logic is that beefing on tape is not the same as beefing in person. The rapper was confused by J Cole’s choice to call it quits, given that his battle with Lamar was purely verbal. “I had one of the biggest, most dangerous beefs with 50 Cent,” Joe said to Shetty. “I was sitting next to him during the game yesterday, having the finest time ever. “We are brothers.” Once again, the rapper chastised Cole for avoiding competition. “When you’re called out in hip-hop, you gotta respond,” he told me. “I’m a big fan of J Cole, but it started from that.”

Fat Joe isn’t alone in his thinking. Kanye West absolutely laid into Cole on the “Like That” remix, throwing more shots at the Dreamville star than his supposed “main” target, Drake. The Game was also frustrated by Cole’s reticence to attack Kendrick Lamar. “Hip hop [or] rap or whatever y’all calling it these days was already watered down,” the Compton emcee tweeted. “Then Cole apologized and turned this sh*t into Kool-Aid wit no sugar.” Here’s hoping J Cole can bounce back. We will all agree to forget “Grippy.”