J. Cole’s latest album, “The Fall-Off”, has finally arrived, and it features a particularly poignant track that channels the perspectives of two of hip-hop’s most legendary figures.
On the song “What If,” the Dreamville artist envisions an alternate reality where 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. resolve their differences, putting an end to the notorious East Coast-West Coast feud that claimed their lives far too soon.
Rapping from Biggie’s perspective, Cole addresses the tension and mistrust between the two rap icons, referencing the 1994 Quad Studios incident when 2Pac was shot and held Biggie partly accountable.
Cole delivers lines like, “Perhaps you might’ve felt that I betrayed you or played you / Or thought that I knew about that set-up and coulda saved you,” confronting the pain surrounding their rift.
Later, Biggie’s voice admits regret, “Or maybe that made you come out on some war shit / East Coast, West Coast, now media’s tryna force it … Well fuck that, n*gga, I’m hurt / I miss my dawg, I ain’t gotta hide / If I hurt you, I apologize.”
Shifting to 2Pac’s perspective, Cole delves into the turmoil, paranoia, and anguish that marked Pac’s final days. He narrates a moment of reconciliation as 2Pac accepts Biggie’s apology and takes responsibility for his part in their tragic fallout.
Over a rich, Dre-inspired production by Tae Beast and Beat Butcha, Pac’s lyrics pour out through Cole: “‘Cause tears fillin’ my eyes, your letter helped me understand / The power in love, the choice to be the bigger man / I know shit got outta hand, I’ll take the blame for it / For my mistakes, I couldn’t take you gettin’ slain for it.”
The verse concludes with, “For fallin’ victim to ego, vengence, and dollar signs / I wanna say from the heart, ‘I apologize.’”
Positioned as J. Cole’s eighth and reportedly final studio album, “The Fall-Off” is an expansive double-disc project featuring 24 tracks.
Guest appearances include Future, Erykah Badu, Burna Boy, Tems, and Petey Pablo. The production lineup is equally stacked with contributions from The Alchemist, Boi-1da, T-Minus, Vinylz, Jake One, Carter Lang, Wu10, DZL, Tae Beast, Beat Butcha, and J. Cole himself.
