North Carolinian hip-hop icon J. Cole ruffled a few purple hairs with the finale track of his newly released KOD album, 1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’).
Some clumsily labeled the record a “diss” track at the millennial rap generation, namely Lil Pump: the 17-year-old Miami rapper who dropped an unprovoked “F**k J. Cole” diss song. But it’s actually a page from Cole’s 33-year-old book of wisdom that he was generous enough to share with the emerging rap generation beneath him without needing to resort to a “diss” record. However, according to Coke Boys founder French Montana, “every generation of hip-hop” is to be respected.
The South Bronx native spoke with LA Weekly after a question about hip-hop enthusiasts who “hate” on Lil Pump. French said that he loves what the rapper is doing for the rap game, though it isn’t clear what that specifically is.
“I love what Tupac and Biggie did for the game, I also love what Run-DMC and them did for the game,” he continued. “I just feel like the game just changes.”
The “Unforgettable” rapper championed the financially elevated lifestyle rap has afforded artists in this day and age as it “just shows growth.” Without name-dropping anyone, French believes that anyone who doesn’t like Pump shouldn’t listen to him, anyway, especially since there are still lyrical artists existing in the current state of rap.
“Whatever kind of rap you want to listen to, go listen to it,” he said. “I love Lil Pump’s music.”
As aforementioned, French doesn't specifically name anyone, but also doesn’t speak much to Pump’s shots at Cole which—if anyone could take a wild guess—might presumably stem from not appreciating or liking the Dreamville leader as a “lyrical” artist. He’ll be happy to know he has at least one friend and fan in French.
See the purple-haired rapper’s new attempt at Cole’s attention in the video below.
(Photos from left: Prince Williams/WireImage, C Flanigan/Getty Images)