A$AP Rocky isn’t slowing down his press run for his newly released album, Don’t Be Dumb. In a recent conversation with DJ Akademiks, the Harlem icon addressed the shifting alliances in hip-hop, specifically focusing on how J. Cole has been handled during recent industry beefs.
While the atmosphere between Rocky and Akademiks remained respectful, the rapper didn’t mince words when it came to Drake’s recent choices.
Rocky took issue with how Drake seemingly distanced himself from J. Cole following their First Person Shooter era. “I think from a man perspective, if I’m being 100 that nigga move like a female. Like that’s it! That’s just my opinion, take it or leave it, it’s my two cents, you know what I’m saying?” Rocky stated. He expressed genuine confusion over the decision to “throw Cole under the bus” after the two had been so closely aligned.
“Stop playing, that nigga fire bro,” Rocky said, defending Cole’s lyrical ability. “You could not drop this song then delete it and apologize before the niggas. That’s just wild!” Rocky’s critique centered on what he sees as a lack of consistency, noting that it’s difficult to take someone seriously when they “run away” from a challenge one week only to talk “hot” on the block the next.
Despite the industry games, Rocky made it a point to give Cole his flowers as a fan. “Cole not one of them nigga. He is. No he is. By the way, I thought that year when him and Drake even did the first person shooter shit and a year before he was going crazy. He was rapping the best,” Rocky insisted. “That nigga Cole is fire bro. I look forward to that nigga’s project man. Nah but I just, I’m fan of his shit.”
With Don’t Be Dumb currently out and making noise, Rocky is making it clear that while he’s finally addressing his issues with Drake after years of back-and-forth, his respect for the actual art of rapping, and those who do it best like Cole, remains at the forefront.
“I think from a man perspective, [Drake] moves like a female. That’s it. That’s just my opinion… I feel like it’s crazy how [Drake] threw J. Cole under the bus.”
— A$AP Rocky on Drake pic.twitter.com/havsX8rE52
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) January 24, 2026
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