Former A&R Ray Daniels is calling cap on Fat Joe’s recent commentary about J Cole, arguing that the moment wasn’t about rap bravado but about power, permission, and boardroom politics.
On the latest episode of The Ray Daniels Presents Podcast, Daniels broke down why he believes Joe’s remarks on the Joe and Jada Podcast were not spontaneous—but sanctioned. Joe’s comments arrive as J. Cole promotes his so-called “final album,” titled The Fall Off.
Daniels zeroed in on business alignment first. “Fat Joe is managed by Roc Nation, and we all know J Cole music is with Roc Nation,” he said, repeatedly stressing that listeners were “missing the point.”
In Daniels’ view, the issue wasn’t the substance of Joe’s take, but the infrastructure behind it. “Who is the ‘y’all?’” he asked, referencing Joe allegedly weighing whether the controversy was worth it. “The motherfuckers [Roc Nation] that’s telling him who’s running a business. So he got permission from them to go at Cole.”
Fat Joe’s original comments questioned Cole’s place in hip-hop’s modern hierarchy, comparing his approach to earlier eras defined by open conflict.
Ray Daniels Claims Roc Nation Approved Fat Joe Speaking On J. Cole
“Do we look at him the same, being that they screwed his head off the big three?” Joe said. “I’m talking about hip-hop… [The LOX was] f**kin’ miniature compared to 50 Cent. 50 Cent just sold 30 million records. You went at him. You went to the yard with the swarm. [J. Cole] didn’t come outside, Jada.”
For Daniels, the framing—and the timing—felt deliberate. “Bro, he got permission to say that. He’s with them,” he said, suggesting the moment feeds into growing speculation about tension between Jay-Z and J. Cole.
Daniels theorized that the friction has less to do with disrespect and more to do with autonomy. “Jay-Z is mad ’cause J. Cole is being Jay-Z, to Jay-Z,” he said. “You mad at J Cole for being his own man, you’re mad at him for trying to be you.”
Daniels compared the situation to how internal loyalty works in any high-level business. “If Tehran Thomas says something, you better motherfucking believe I’m aligned with him,” he explained. “You don’t think they talked before?”
He also noted what wasn’t said. Jadakiss’ silence during Joe’s comments stood out. “That was whack. I didn’t like that,” Daniels said, adding that artists shouldn’t be penalized for how they choose to move. “None of us can criticize how a man decides to do his business.”
While Daniels believes industry tensions often cool with time, he warned that certain remarks leave scars. “They’ll speak and hug it out,” he said. “But that Joe comment on Cole? That’s the one that sticks.”
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