Last month, J. Cole shared a new song called "Snow On Tha Bluff," which stirred up some unwanted trouble for the rapper.
Now, he seems to be trying to get back on track and focus on his next album, releasing a two-song single called "Lewis Street," which consists of two new songs “The Climb Back,” which he self-produced, as well as “Lion King On Ice," which he produced alongside T-Minus and jetsonmade.
Both new tracks are from Cole's newly confirmed album The Fall Off, which doesn't yet have a release date but would presumably be coming later this year. It would be the followup to his to 2018 album KOD.
J. Cole's previous song "Snow On Tha Bluff" drew criticism because it seemed like he was not-so-subtly taking aim at Chicago artist Noname, who has been increasingly vocal of the need for public figures (and Black men, in particular) to speak out and demand change following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others.
Many fans had been expecting new music from J. Cole this week after he teased new material. He also directly referenced the new album title on his KOD closing track "1985," which includes the subtitle "Intro to 'The Fall Off.'"
Hear “The Climb Back" and "Lion King On Ice" below.