Joe Budden criticizes J.J.'s “Port Antonio” response. Cole on bowing out of Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud

J. Cole gave his response to Kendrick Lamar and Drake's takedown of the feud with his song “Port Antonio” last week, which sparked a lot of discussion on X and other social media platforms. One person who wasn't feeling Cole's response was Joe Budden, who fell to the Dreamville boss on October 13 Joe Budden Podcast episode about his alleged lack of accountability when it came to the “big three” and the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef he played a part in.

“What do you mean by free anyway?” This absolves any responsibility from the role he played in the three major disasters,” Budden said on his show. “What do you mean you finally broke free like you never wanted pieces of the three big talks? That's a load of crap and I'm not going to let you piss me off and tell me it's raining. Get the fk out of here.'

But it didn't end there. “Don't come back and say, 'If I did I could, but then I'd miss one [bro].' N—ah, no, not over “Dead Presidents.” Have you ever heard 'Dead Presidents?'” the rapper-turned-podcaster continued. “The n—a was holding his husband's hands in the hospital bed saying, 'I'll kill them n—s for you.' Get the fk out of here with this smooth st. I hate this soft hip-hop st. It's soft.”

Budden's caveat is that Cole raps at an extremely high level, but the points are separate from each other.

It's been just six months since J. Cole first slammed Kendrick with his diss track “7 Minute Drill” back in April, before taking the stage at his Dreamville festival a few days later and apologizing.

Baden compared the move to a UFC fighter throwing a punch and leaving the ring seconds later. “He got in the Octagon and did it,” he said on his podcast. “And he climbed out. If we saw that in a UFC fight, we'd be laughing at na… He can't come in and put some sts back in and redefine what we forgot.”

Cole opens up about the controversy with added perspective on “Port Antonio,” which arrived on Oct. 9, claiming he wasn't going to lose the battle, but he lost “a brother.”

“I pulled the plug 'cause I saw where it was going / They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make their pockets bigger / They see this fire in my pen and they think I'm dodging smoke / I wouldn't lose a fight, dog, I'd lose a brother/ I'd make an enemy,” he raps.

Cole then showed love to Drake while trying to inspire him to keep his head up. “They say I'm picking sides, don't lay on me, n—a to start another war/ Hey Drake, you'll always be my —a/ I'm not ashamed to say you've done a lot for me, my n—a/ F –k all narratives/ Tapping your magic pen again is what’s imperative,” he rhymes.

Watch the episode below. J. Cole's discussion starts around the 37 minute mark.