In a recent episode of Lil Yachty’s “A Safe Place” podcast, J. Cole candidly discussed his views on collaborating with other artists. When Yachty inquired about the cost associated with featuring Cole, he revealed that he offers his verses freely.
“Yo, bro, it’s just a bar, bro,” Cole said. “Like, a lot of my bars be really on point but that’s just a flex. I’m not gonna charge a n*gga $2,000 a word. I don’t even charge n*gga for the verse, I’m doing this sh*t because I’m inspired to do it.”
Cole has previously mentioned charging your favorite artists for guest appearances on multiple occasions. One of the more recent instances was in Young Thug’s “The London” track.
“How could you come up out your face/And say I ain’t the hardest n*gga you done ever heard?/I left a flock of rappers dead and buried/A verse from me is like eleven birds/Just did the math, that’s like two thousand dollars every word,” he rapped.
Cole has engaged in numerous collaborations this year, teaming up with artists such as Gucci Mane (“There I Go”), Lil Durk (“All My Life”), J-Hope (“On the Street”), and Drake (“First Person Shooter”). Regarding the last mentioned song, Cole expressed that he would have preferred his initial Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper, which also marked his first No. 1 hit, to have not relied on assistance from Drake.
“If the other song would have went No. 1, it’s like, bruh, I’m cool,” Cole said. “I’d almost feel better not having my first No. 1 be off a Drake alley-oop, you know what I mean?”
He continued, “Like, I love Drake and I love that I’m a part of that moment with him with Michael Jackson. But it’s like, bruh, I’m grateful I’m a part of it. But if the other song would have went No. 1, n*gga, I’m still grateful I’m a part of it. I wasn’t at home like, ‘Come on, y’all! Pick up the streams, man! We gotta beat this motherfucker Yeat! Come on now!’ I wasn’t doing that.”
