J Cole has done an exemplary job in sorting out his legacy. The rapper has been speaking out about his mixtape and album via the podcast “Inevitable.” Cole gave fans previews of unreleased songs, but the most notable tidbit from the latest episode had to do with projects that never came to fruition. J Cole told the audience that he was at his creative best with Meek Mill and Big Sean during his 2013 performance of “Born Sinner.” In fact, the pace has him considering dropping a collaborative EP.
This is a surprising revelation. J Cole has never mentioned plans for a hypothetical EP before the podcast, which sounds like a what-if scenario for fans from the blogging era. But it turns out that the EP was almost already a reality, as all three artists were working with each other throughout 2012-13. J Cole appears on “24K of Gold” from Big Sean’s 2012 mixtape Detroit. Sean appeared on “Burn” from Meek Mill’s 2012 mixtape Dreamchasers 2.
J Cole was supposed to star in Meek Mill’s “Burn”
J Cole told listeners that he was supposed to appear on “Burn” with Sean and Meek. Things didn’t work out and the song would be a solo collaboration with Sean. While Cole was working on “Born Sinners,” he also produced “Detroit” and “Dreamers 2.” The rapper claimed that all three stars met at No ID’s home. The producer has worked with Big Sean and J. Cole multiple times over the years. It stands to reason that he will participate in the collaborative EP. In the same podcast episode, J Cole admitted that albums that his peers were dropping at the time pushed him to further hone his skills.
Kendrick Lamar’s debut album is one of the best. “When Kendrick’s album came out, the journey got harder and the hill got steeper,” Cole explains. “It was a transcendent feeling…it was clear that he did what I wanted to do [with The Sideline Story]” Cole’s candor remains one of the best parts of the Inevitable podcast. Especially when it comes to revealing what might have happened.
About the author
Elias Andrews is the music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as chief night writer, which means he covers new releases every week. In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest, most tumultuous stories in music. He’s been covering Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle on the fly, especially with the release of topics like “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams.” He also detailed a list of ongoing allegations and criminal charges against Diddy. Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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