J. Cole‘s use of the n-word in his music has turned The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner away, despite his love for the rapper’s lyricism.
The 53-year-old launched his new podcast Not All Hood on Monday (June 10), where he discussed his disdain for the liberal use of the word in current Hip Hop, among other things.
“I think why I’m more against it now is because it’s used so gratuitously,” he said. “It’s used without regard. At this point, for me, in Hip Hop, I think there should be a moratorium on ‘n-gga’ and ‘bitch.’ It’s low hanging fruit. It’s so easy. Everybody fucking does it to the point that it’s corny.
“There are MCs who I love, who I cannot listen to anymore. I love J. Cole but I had to stop listening to J. Cole because I got tired of hearing ‘n-gga’ and ‘bitch’ every two sentences. Because he’s proven himself to be such an incredible lyricist, [so I hate] the regularity that he does [use those words].”
While he may not have a fan in The Cosby Show star any more, J. Cole did recently receive praise from T.I. for apologizing to Kendrick Lamar after dissing him on “7 Minute Drill.”
During an interview on Big Boy’s Neighborhood last month, the Atlanta rapper weighed in on the brief battle between K. Dot and Cole, which the latter controversially bowed out of.
J. Cole Silences Critics With ‘Fire’ Verse On New Tems Song ‘Free Fall’: Listen
“I feel he chose peace and tranquility,” the Southern icon said with a laugh when asked about the divisive apology. “You gotta have thick skin and really be unfazed and unbothered. And we don’t know the temperament or the sensitivity of Cole’s dynamic. We’ve never seen Cole upset. We don’t know where that would take him.”
He added: “I think that was quite mature of him.”
T.I.’s comments echo those of Black Thought, who also recently praised J. Cole for apologizing to Kendrick live on stage at his Dreamville Festival.
Appearing on the This Week in White Supremacy podcast, The Roots MC said: “Though I hadn’t heard any of the music, I thought it was a beautiful thing. That was what was unprecedented.
“What we’ve seen, time and time again since the ’80s, are MCs going back and forth, like battling out. Sometimes they keep it to the record, sometimes it gets physical and it gets crazy.”
He continued: “What we’ve yet to see is somebody nip that in the bud, right? That’s what I felt like he was in effect doing. It just showed humility, nobility and a sense of elevation that you don’t see too often across the board.
“When the plane’s going down, you gotta situate your own oxygen mask first. He’s been on a trajectory of just that, self-revelation, and investing in himself.”
