J. Cole and Wiz Khalifa have officially reconnected for their first collaboration in 15 years, surprising fans with a remix of Cole’s latest single, cLOUDs. The unexpected release dropped on March 6 via The Algorithm, Cole’s recently launched blog, marking a nostalgic moment for fans of the Blog Era’s elite.
Cole, always one to acknowledge the talent around him, gave a shoutout to Wiz’s recent hot streak of mixtapes and freestyles, writing, “Wiz skating. TGOD. And he been on a wave.” He also shared a link to Wiz’s Jill Scott collaboration with Premo Rice, Harry Fraud, and Curren$y, giving credit to NBA player TJ Warren for putting him onto the track.
The Taylor Gang leader had already hinted at this remix earlier in the month, teasing on Instagram, “Cole asked me to do a verse on here I don’t know when he’s gonna drop it so I figured I’d let y’all get a sneak peek.” Now that it’s here, the long-overdue link-up between two of the Blog Era’s most celebrated names is making waves.
A Hard-Hitting Original
The original cLOUDs single, released on February 20, saw J. Cole tackling some heavy topics, including the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and the growing impact of artificial intelligence. The North Carolina rapper didn’t hold back, delivering thought-provoking bars about power, corruption, and the future of creativity.
“I’m that bass in your trunk, the bullet that missed Trump / The gun that jammed ’cause it seemed God had other plans,” he rapped, referencing last summer’s shocking attack on the former president.
Cole also took aim at billionaires profiting off global instability:
“Served on a plate with sirloin steak to billionaires who don’t care the world’s gon’ break / Long as they make money off it, pain brings profit.”
His second verse explored the threat A.I. poses to human creativity, warning that in the near future, “all the songs the whole world sings’ll be generated by latest of AI regimes / As all of our favorite artists erased by it scream / From the wayside, ‘Aye, whatever happened to human beings?’”
Not Everyone’s a Fan
While cLOUDs has been well-received by many, it hasn’t escaped criticism. Freddie Gibbs appeared unimpressed, posting a yawn emoji on X (formerly Twitter) and calling out rappers who “talk about killing careers” but “back outta rap beefs.” His comments were seemingly directed at Cole’s decision to apologize to Kendrick Lamar for his 7 Minute Drill diss last year.
Despite the critique, J. Cole’s latest offering—and the addition of Wiz Khalifa—further solidifies his status as one of the most unpredictable and thought-provoking voices in hip-hop today. With cLOUDs and The Algorithm now in play, it looks like Cole is embracing a new era of creativity on his own terms.
