Few canceled music albums have reached mythical fable status quite in the same vein as the once - purport collab album of J. Cole andKendrick Lamar . It ’s the modern eq of the kind ofmystery that Dr. Dre’sDetoxstirred once upon a time ago . Some lover and reviewer proceed to inquire if K. Dot and J. Cole still have plan to free aforesaid record album , while others have questioned if it ever existed to set about with .

J. Cole substantiate the album ’s design macrocosm on hisInevitablepodcast , where he has released multiple unreleased tracks this year featuring himself and Kendrick Lamar that would have wind up on a project collaboration projection . The releases have fans hold out hope that this long - awaited album maystillcome out . It ’s absolved now that full track have been develop between the two iconic rapper - so why did the record album never come out ?

That interrogative has alluded even the most dice - hard of rap rooter , but a comprehensive timeline chronicling the record album from start to complete is the best style to serve that question .

Kendrick Lamar’s Damn Cover

When Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole First Tried to Collaborate

More Than a Decade Ago

On hisInevitablepodcast , J. Cole echo having match Kendrick Lamar during a XXL photoshoot in 2010 , back when Cole and Kendrick ’s friend / collaborator Jay Rock made the Freshman Class . Kendrick and Cole shared a conversation and stayed in touch . Kendrick even called Cole after the latter dropped " Blow Up " forFriday Night Lights , complimenting Cole on the cadence he made and saying , " I involve one of those ! " Cole then recalls him andthe future genius ofGNXreuniting at producer No I.D. ’s studio .

In that session , Kendrick Lamar take on the song " Temptation " ( one of their unreleased Song dynasty played by Cole ) for Cole with his verse line on it , while Cole in coming back play the beat for " HiiiPower , " which Dot would use for his first studio album , Section .80 . Kendrick was surprised Cole would give him a beat like that , require nothing in income tax return . “Bro , you sleeping on yourself,“Cole remembers Kendrick order him . Realizing he was underestimating his power , Cole take those Book to heart while Kendrick appreciated such literal forgivingness from another rapper .

Kendrick Lamar has the distinction of being the only knocker to win a Pulitzer Prize award . Was maledict worthy of the honored music honor ?

The background is black. This is white triangle in the middle. A white line comes off the left side of the triangle and a rainbow comes off the right side with the color’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

A legitimate friendship had begin to blossom in that consequence . During that studio sitting , they continued to discourse , as well as act more beats and verses for each other . As J. Cole would mention on his guest podcast visual aspect on Lil Yachty’sA Safe Place , Kendrick was impressed with what he was hear and suggested they should do an record album together . This was n’t just industry talk to fill space in a conversation . Both artist took the expectation of a duo labor gravely . They would talk about a potential conception , as well as start enter call together .

Why Did Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole’s Joint Project Never Come Out?

Time Was Always the Issue

From there , while an album was far from encounter a tentative release engagement , or even a title , both men would find time to at least raise medicine together . Kendrick would appear as a feature on Cole ’s 2013Born Sinneralbum for the song " Forbidden Fruit , " all while both piece teased the project in respective interviews . Cole pass away as far as to tellXXLin late 2011 that not only were they working on a mixtape together , butat that stop , the album was 90 % done .

Most infamously , in 2015 , they ’d release a brace of songs - both title " Black Friday " - where Kendrick would pink over Cole ’s " Tale of 2 Cities , " while Cole would tap over Kendrick ’s " Alright " beat . What made this so infamous is this bar near the ending of Cole ’s adaptation :

When you and K. Dot ’s reciprocal ohm * * * ' gon drop ? B * * * * never !

sammy Hagar stands in front of old style microphone. He has on sunglasses, a red long sleeve that is opened and a black shirt. Behind his is two lighting rigs on the ground and two that are standing up.

They ca n’t treat two black n * * * * * this cunning !

It was never clear at the fourth dimension if Cole was being braggadocious about how strong of an record album he and Kendrick would make once it cast , or if this was his style of announce the album was no longer come about . Cole confirm the latter in the said Yachty podcast episode , admittingthat fourth dimension had become an proceeds .

Time and life , we ai n’t ever got the chance to go in and do it correctly , because that would take time , bro . For us to do something that ’s full of our potential , that meets our real potential , you ’re gon na ask time … at least a year .

J Cole and Kendrick Lamar

In fairness to J. Cole , it makes perfect sensation as to how time would get in the way . Both men met each other before either ’s career had truly require off . Within a couple of years of meeting each other , Kendrick Lamar ’s breakout albumGood Kid m. A.A.d . Citydropped . Then , in 2014 , both valet de chambre would become revered as GOATs of rosehip record hop once they respectively released2014 Forest Hills DriveandTo Pimp a Butterflywithin calendar month of each other . Musically , they ’d jump selling out scene of action , while other animation events like Cole getting hook up with would pass just how engaged they would be outside their profession .

Can The Kendrick Lamar And J. Cole Album Still Come Out?

J. Cole Gave Fans New Hope

They would circumstantially bilk path again in 2023 and 2024 , not as collaborationist , but as opponents . J. Cole establish himself in the middle ofthe Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar gripe . Cole ’s rhyme that start it all on " First Person Shooter , " followed by Kendrick Lamar ’s " Like That " verse seemed to be in the feeling of well-disposed competitor . When lines between Drizzy and K. Dot capture especially nasty , Cole in public removed himself from the gripe , first by removing " 7 Minute Drill " - a direct diss to Kendrick - from streaming inspection and repair and expressing his love for Kendrick onstage at Dreamville Fest .

It ’s evident that J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar , even past the well-disposed jabs on records , still hold respect for each other as player and as friends who used to be closer . In addition , Cole would play unreleased cut featuring Kendrick on Inevitable , all total to speculation that all hope is not mislay for an album . Both man always expressed they never lost interest in producing an album , time just puzzle in the fashion . While it ’s unbelievable as long asKendrick LamarandJ. Cole’scareers continue to take off , anything is potential at this point .

informant : XXL

Headshot Of Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar