Listen to J. Cole Rap His Ass Off on “The Climb Back” & “Lion King on Ice”

J. Cole is back with a new two-pack called Lewis Street,

J. Cole has released the first two songs from his upcoming album The Fall Off. The songs are called “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” and are part of a two-song pack called Lewis Street.

The first song is "The Climb Back" and it was produced by J. Cole himself. On the song, Cole is rapping rapping. He spits:

"Well you know what Cole do, make a diamond, they just rhymin'

Me, I'm quotin' gold

One phone call get you canceled like a homophobe

In this PC culture, address me as the G.O.A.T.

Like they call Chief Keef Sosa, in my sectional like a fuckin' three piece sofa

I'm known as the chosen one"

"Lion King on Ice" is a bit different. The song was produced by J. Cole, T. Minus, and Jetson. And the track features the rapper taking a more melodic approach. On the song J. Cole raps:

"I tried to warn niggas they wouldn't last long

I hope that you see how they came and they went

They shots never hit but they made their attempts

May have a good year like their name on a blimp

But you know what it take to be poppin' this long

Dedication on another level niggas never seen in they life

Celebratin' all your first downs like they touchdowns, bring a price"

Some see the song almost as a sequel to "1985," a track where J. Cole rapped about younger rappers not having any longevity in the game. (Fans saw that song as a shot against Lil Pump.) Funny enough, it was on that track where J. Cole first announced The Fall Off.

Even though J. Cole says the album isn't done, and that there isn't a release date, the rapper seems to be in rollout mode.

In the latest post on The Players' Tribune, Cole opened up about his high school hoop dreams, his journey to a record deal and much more. He spoke about moving into his old apartment in Queens to regain a sense of motivation. In the process of making the album, he considered what he'd like to accomplish before leaving the game for good.

"It was the last place I had ever been broke in," he wrote. "I decided to move back in for a while...for me, this house was a physical representation of the hunger that I craved--in a rap sense and in a literal sense. For the next three months I would wake up in that old, familiar room, putting myself through morning writing drills before heading off to Electric Lady Studios with a short term plan to finish the 4 Your Eyez Only album before the arrival of my first child, and a long term plan of becoming the best rapper I could possibly be before hanging up my jersey, leaving nothing on the table when all was said and done. The seeds for The Fall Off were planted."

Cole reflected on the changes in his life in the four years since the album.

"In that time I've been blessed with two sons," he wrote, "learned the delicate art of balance between parenthood and career, had the pleasure of working with a ton of talented artists as a featured rapper, spent 10 magical days recording a Dreamville album in Atlanta, and put a lot of time and energy into sharpening my sword and growing as an artist. The fire that was once dying out has returned, and for that I’m grateful."

This story was updated on July 23rd, 2020.