BY REGGIE WILLIAMS • DECEMBER 23, 2018

Budden contends that J. Cole’s withdrawal from the spotlight doesn’t just impact his artists, it’s hurting him, too. “Cole gives you his presence on album time, and he leaves. And, you never hear a word until a feature, and it has an effect. This is a perception-based game. It has an effect on how we view him…Imagine what his numbers would be if he used a little bit of effort on the people who are not in his core base.” Budden also says that even when Cole puts himself out there, it isn’t in the type of chest-thumping way that his peers like Kendrick and Drake do. “How can we view a ni**a who is as talented as all the people we think are talented, if every time we hear him he don’t sound that way?,” he asks. He also asserts that the only time Cole does flex is during his guest verses. “On the features is the only time he goes out of his way to sound that way to people who don’t normally hear him that way.”

Next, the conversation shifts to J. Cole’s sound. One of the longstanding criticisms of Cole is that he relies too much on his own production. While he is a talented producer, many believe he would be better served by diversifying his beat selection to include music crafted by others. “I would love to hear Cole on some Alchemist beats. I would love to hear Cole on some J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League,” says Mal. Budden agrees, adding “If Cole is on a J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League beat, we’re going to start having different conversations about Cole. Why do I have to use my imagination to know just how deadly a ni**a is?”

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