J. Cole is breaking his silence about the moment he decided to publicly apologize to Kendrick Lamar after releasing his diss track “7 Minute Drill.”
In a recent interview with Apple Music, the rapper reflected on the days leading up to his onstage apology at the 2024 Dreamville Festival, admitting the situation weighed heavily on him. “I was stressing,” he said, recalling how the decision to speak out came shortly before he went onstage.
Cole explained that after releasing the song, he began to question his actions. “All of a sudden I’m giving life to division… on somebody that I f–k with and got love for,” he said, adding that the track did not align with who he felt he was.
J. Cole reveals that his public apology to Kendrick Lamar at Dreamville Fest came to him with an hour before his set.
“I’m giving life to division and negative storylines on somebody that I f*ck with, and I got love for…”pic.twitter.com/FTCnKO8yFY
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) March 20, 2026
The moment became even more personal when he shared the news with his wife, Melissa Heholt. “I told my wife… ‘This is what I’m about to go do,’” he said. “She starts crying because she knows how I feel about him.”
Cole described feeling conflicted in the days before the apology. “She saw how it was weighing on me,” he said.
After taking the stage and addressing the situation, Cole said he felt relief. “I felt even better,” he shared.
The rapper later removed the track from streaming platforms and has since reiterated that he has “genuine love” for Lamar despite their brief rap clash.