J. Cole Returns with Powerful New Song ‘Snow On Tha Bluff’

J. Cole speaks.

Because the nation continues to reckon with systematic racism and police brutality, the North Carolina rapper returns along with his shock music “Snow On Tha Bluff.” The highly effective four-minute observe is a stream of consciousness from Cole, who addresses a “younger woman on the market she approach smarter than me.” He scrolls by way of her timeline and sees her tweeting about protesters, police, and celebrities like himself.

“She mad on the celebrities, low key I be thinkin’ she speaking about me,” he raps. “Now I ain’t no dummy to suppose I’m above criticism so once I see one thing that’s legitimate I hear / However shit, it’s one thing in regards to the queen tone that’s bothering me.”

However regardless of her information, he says that’s not an excuse to “discuss such as you higher than me.”

“The way you gon’ lead, while you attacking the exact same ni**as that actually do want the shit that you simply saying?” he asks. “As an alternative of conveying you holier, come assist get us on top of things … Fuck is the purpose of you preaching your message to people who already imagine what you imagine?”

He asks that she use her platform to transcend social media and educate others. “I’m on some ‘fuck a retweet,’ most individuals is sheep / You bought all of the solutions however the way you gon’ attain? / If I might make another suggestion respectfully I’d say it’s more practical to deal with folks like kids, understanding the time and love and endurance that’s wanted to develop.”

There’s hypothesis that the music was impressed by rapper Noname, who just lately known as out her friends for staying silent. “Poor black of us all around the nation are placing their our bodies on the road in protest for our collective security and y’all favourite high promoting rappers not even prepared to place a tweet up,” she wrote within the since-deleted tweet. “ni**as complete discographies be about black plight they usually no the place to be discovered.”

After the music dropped, Noname seemingly acknowledged Cole, tweeting, “QUEEN TONE!!!!!!”

Cole realizes that he too is a part of the issue. He ponders what he can do to assist, whereas reflecting on a current encounter with a person exterior a retailer. “He was like, ‘Cole, ‘preciate what you been doin’ my ni**a, that’s actual’ / However rattling, why I really feel faker than snow on the bluff? / Nicely perhaps deep down I do know I ain’t doing sufficient.”

That is the primary time Cole has spoken out because the protests in opposition to police brutality and racial inequality. Final month, he attended a protest following the loss of life of George Floyd in his hometown of Fayetteville.