J. Cole makes a surprise return to rap on Tuesday evening (Jan. 27) with a collection of new freestyles, titled Birthday Blizzard ’26, that includes the rap star addressing his apology to Kendrick Lamar and more. Jermaine links with DJ Clue for the tape.
A prelude to his anticipated album, The Fall Off, which is proclaimed as his final album. The new batch of freestyles finds the Dreamville boss rapping over iconic instrumentals like Biggie Smalls’ “Victory” and The Lox’s “Money, Power, Respect.” Cole World uses the moment to address old wounds, industry politics, and what real success actually looks like in 2026.
On the “Victory Freestyle,” Cole directly references his much-debated 2024 apology to Kendrick Lamar, a move that shifted the hip-hop conversation and sparked nonstop debate. DJ Whoo Kid also appears on the tape.
“I used to be top, see, the apology dropped me way out of the top 3, no problem, I’m probably my best when they doubt me,” Cole raps, acknowledging how the public perception changed after the apology. Instead of walking it back, he reframes the moment as fuel, leaning into doubt rather than running from it.
J. Cole Discusses Apologizing To Kendrick Lamar & Bots In New Birthday Blzzard ’26 Freestyles
Cole expands on that idea by questioning the value of being on top in the first place. “The top ain’t really what I thought it would be, so I jumped off and landed back at the bottom and restarted at a level where I wasn’t regarded as much, just to climb past them again and tell them all to keep up.”
The bars paint a picture of intentional humility, with Cole choosing long-term respect over short-term dominance. The new collection of freestyles marks Cole’s first collection since 2024’s Might Delete Later.
On the “Golden Goose Freestyle,” Cole turns his pen toward the industry itself. “Lotta rappers make dough then be prone to lose it / For crumbs, dumb ns sold their soul to Lucian,” he spits, calling out exploitative deals and power structures. He doubles down on integrity with, “Ns cheatin’ and I won’t excuse it / If I said it then I wrote it, stupid.”
Cole’s sharpest shots come at streaming culture. “If the streams say you winnin’, why your tours is losin’? / When the math ain’t mathin’, of course you’re juicin’ / That mean the bots is boostin’,” he raps, questioning inflated numbers and artificial hype.
With The Fall Off set for Feb. 6, Birthday Blizzard ’26 positions J. Cole as reflective, unapologetic, and locked in — less worried about rankings, more focused on truth, legacy, and real rap.
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