“He kinda cracked my mind open”- J. Cole Credits Ye for His Career on the ‘Inevitable’ Podcast Despite Years of Friction 

Ye, aka Kanye West, and J. Cole do not really share the same bond they once did. Their beef, if one can even call it that, mostly stemmed from misunderstandings and tensions in the industry, though it was never as public or heated as some other rap feuds. But before things went south, J. Cole was one of Ye’s biggest fans. And despite their complicated history, Cole has always spoken highly of Ye for recognizing him and has acknowledged him as a major influence on his own work. Recently, he did so once again. 

On Inevitable, J. Cole talked about the Ye he looked up to as an aspiring rapper, and how the ‘Donda’ artist had a huge impact on his career. 

J. Cole owes some of his success to Ye forgetting about their beef

Ye has often been praised for giving up-and-coming artists a chance, and J. Cole was one of those artists. The ‘College Dropout’ rapper took Cole under his wing by offering him opportunities to open for him at live shows and signing him for several collaborations. Recently, a segment from Cole’s podcast, Inevitable, was shared on the Reddit page GoodAssSub, where the rapper allegedly talked about how his life was “hella regular” before “Kanye West happened”.

In a special mention of Ye’s debut solo album, ‘Through the Wire,’ J. Cole said that the video’s release completely changed his life. “Kanye was the first time I saw myself in somebody,” he said. It was Ye who made it possible for Cole to talk about life and everyday perspectives in a way that resonated with people. “He became my favorite artist at that point. He kind of cracked my mind open,” the ‘She Knows’ rapper added. But a lot has changed since those days. 

Ye no longer seems to have the same mentor-like relationship with Cole, something that became even more apparent during the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef earlier this year.

Ye takes a strong shot at J. Cole

J. Cole was right in the middle of the drama when the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake first broke off. But, he quickly backed out and issued an apology to Lamar. During an interview on Justin LaBoy’s The Download Podcast, Ye called it a “***sy” move. He also pointed out that Cole was Drake’s collaborator on ‘First Person Shooter’ and toured with him, saying that Cole “can’t run now.” 

The ‘Vultures’ rapper also took a direct shot at both Drake and J. Cole in his ‘Like That (Remix),’ which he debuted during LaBoy’s podcast. Considering the tension between them, it is tough to say whether this mentor-mentee relationship will ever come back to life.

What do you think about J. Cole’s talk on Ye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!