J. Cole has surprised fans with the release of a new EP, “Birthday Blizzard ’26”, adding fuel to speculation that his latest work goes beyond just a forthcoming album.
The project, hosted by mixtape legend DJ Clue, presents four electrifying freestyles from the Fayetteville rapper, coinciding with his 41th birthday on January 28.
Drawing inspiration from the gritty era of ’90s and early 2000s New York hip-hop, the EP showcases Cole delivering sharp lyricism over classic beats like Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya?” Diddy’s “Victory,” and The LOX’s “Money, Power & Respect.”
Far from being merely a showcase of lyrical skill, “Birthday Blizzard ’26” allows Cole to address personal and industry challenges in a confident yet reflective manner within its concise runtime.
On the opening track, “Bronx Zoo Freestyle,” Cole responds to criticism regarding his apology to Kendrick Lamar in 2024, which followed their brief exchange on tracks like “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.”
With pointed bars, he reflects on falling out of the top ranks, only to find renewed strength in doubt
“I used to be top seed / The apology dropped me way out of the top three / No problem, I’m probably my best when they doubt me / Watch me,” he raps.
Cole also says: “The top ain’t really what I thought it would be / And so I jumped off and landed back at the bottom / And restarted at a level where I wasn’t regarded as much / Just to climb past ’em again and tell ’em all to keep up.”
On “Golden Goose Freestyle,” leveraging Black Rob and The LOX’s “Can I Live” instrumental, he critiques industry mishaps, directly addressing the questionable behaviors within the music scene.
“A lot of rappers make dough then be prone to lose it / For crumbs, dumb n*ggas sold their soul to Lucian,” he spits, referencing the Universal Music Group boss Lucian Grainge. “Universal distribution but I own the music / Best n*gga still breathing, leaving no confusion.”
Cole further examines issues around ghostwriting and artificial streaming boosts.
“N*ggas cheating and I won’t excuse it / If I said it then I wrote it, stupid” before adding, “If the streams say you’re winning, why your tours is losing? / When the math ain’t mathing, of course you’re juicing / That means the bots is boosting, cut the tough guy image it is not conducive to breathing.”
“Birthday Blizzard ’26” is currently available exclusively at J. Cole’s website, TheFallOff.com, where fans can purchase and stream the EP for as little as $1.
This surprise drop serves as an appetizer ahead of J. Cole’s highly anticipated final album, “The Fall-Off”, slated for release on February 6.
Birthday Blizzard ’26. hosted by DJ Clue? 🥶🥶🥶
4 new freestyles available now on https://t.co/NS7VjMFmQs pic.twitter.com/2N7JoHMtp6— J. Cole (@JColeNC) January 28, 2026
