J. Cole Reflects on Kendrick Lamar Feud & Confirms He’s Not Retiring: ‘I’m Not Using That Word at All’

J. Cole went into The Fall-Off with the intent that the 2026 album would be his last, but he’s had a change of heart following the project and its subsequent sold-out arena tour.

Cole sat down with his longtime manager Mark Pitts and GQ‘s Frazier Tharpe in Las Vegas on Wednesday (Oct. 28), where he confirmed retirement isn’t in the plans for him any longer, saying that word is gone from his vocabulary now.

“Nah, I’m not gon’ use that word. After this tour right here? Come on man, this is crazy,” he said. “Nah, I’m not using that word at all. I’m not using that word.”

Cole continued: “When I was making that album, I was making it like, ‘Damn, this is going to be my last s–t.’ Luckily, by the time I got to actually finishing the album, because of circumstances — it’s like, ‘Nah, I’ll never say I’m going to retire.’ I don’t know when the next thing is going to happen, but I’m definitely not going to say no.”

The Fall-Off arrived as a double-disc album in February and notched Cole his seventh No. 1 atop the Billboard 200.

Elsewhere in the interview, Cole reflected on his mindset during his consequential battle with Kendrick Lamar in 2024. After hearing K. Dot diss him and Drake on Future’s “Like That,” the Dreamville rapper was conflicted about feeling like he had to respond, but also having a verse from Lamar on his next album (Cole previously revealed that there were two Lamar features on The Fall-Off that he ultimately scrapped due to leaks).

“I’m not giving him the real, which is like, ‘N–a, f–k!’ I probably told you I got this n–a on the album, which puts me in a weird position,” Cole said. “I got to like respond without responding, but still try to save face. I was holding a lot. On top of that, I thought I was done with the album. I’m retired, uninspired in my mind. I probably would’ve did a little better getting it all off.”

J. Cole ended up dissing Lamar on Might Delete Later‘s “7 Minute Drill” in April 2024. Days later, he apologized to Lamar and bowed out of the feud later that month while on stage at his Dreamville Festival. The diss track was then removed from streaming services.

“That s–t don’t sit right with my spirit,” he said at his festival. “That s–t disrupts my f—ing peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that and in that s–t, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n—a’s f—ing catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf–kers to ever touch a f—ing microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.”

The decision to pull the plug on feuding with Lamar eventually cleared the way for Lamar to clash with Drake, which reached a head in May 2024.

Watch J. Cole’s full interview with GQ below.