J Cole Reflects on Drug Usage in Latest Album, ‘KOD’

While drug use and hip hop have always been closely related with each other, it is accentuated even further with rappers such as “Lil Xan,” named after the drug Xanax, or “Smokepurpp,” who names himself after a strain of marijuana. However, on this album, released April 20, 2018, by Dreamville Records, he decided to tackle a topic far beyond color lines and into the increasingly scary epidemic of the drug use culture of today’s youth. Despite a lot of his music being anti-drug, the rapper (real name) Jermaine Lamarr Cole had a three-week stint with cigarettes, before his mum caught him and was ‘heartbroken’.

KOD Has Three Different Meanings

• As of January 2025, these themes remain pertinent, as discussions around race, identity, and privilege continue to shape cultural conversations in the United States.
• In an interview with Fantastic Man, he recalled when he told someone to stop smoking in the studio.
• In a later interview with Vulture, J. Cole spoke in-depth about how getting married and having his first child changed his lifestyle.
• But when Kid Cudi, Gucci Mane, and Lil Wayne all seemed to smoke weed and do other drugs regularly, yet were the picture of talent, work ethic, and success, being an addict not only seemed okay, but cool.

The track also would have does j cole do drugs been improved if it didn’t feature Cole’s alter ego kiLL edward. Cole is notorious for never featuring other artists on his projects — his fanbase incessantly boasted about how he went platinum with no features to the point of memory. He explains why on the trap banger “KOD” when he raps, “Niggas ain’t worthy to be on my shit.” But kiLL edward is so annoying and grating that Cole is exposing himself as not being worthy to be on the level of his contemporaries.

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“Once an Addict (Interlude)” is the apex—Cole gets personal about his mother’s struggles with heartache and alcoholism, delivering a sprawling verse about her battles and his desire to save her. The gloomy track succeeds not only due to its mature introspection and heart-wrenching honesty, but also because Cole avoids victimizing himself or taking the moral high ground. There are way more rap songs celebrating drugs than sobriety—such is the nature of what sells—but I’ve found a few songs to soundtrack my growth. “Same Drugs” by Chance the Rapper can still make me cry. The purpose-driven raps of Main Source, Tobe Nwigwe, and Raz Simone all help a lot.

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And, as is to be expected, most of the vignettes told through the album’s songs are about people who haven’t chosen wisely. In 2019, he impressed fans and NBA players again when he attempted another dunk during a dunk contest. In a genre famous for braggadocious lyrics and over-the-top images, Cole has separated himself from the pack by remaining humble and true to himself. For an emcee whose music pulls from his real life, there’s still a lot that remains unknown about J.

• As the song progresses, the mood shifts from calm introspection to a more desperate and frustrated tone.
• J Cole is very influential with his music if he wants to be.
• «My goal is to have that be a haven for a family,» Cole explained on The Combat Jack Show in 2015.

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“Friends” anonymously calls out people in his neighborhood that the rapper hopes will recover from addiction. He released a collection of anthems for those who have a reliance on some type of drug Friday, also celebrated as 4/20. This album does not preach — it instead serves as a therapy session. One that gives listeners a look into the life of a multimillionaire rapper who not only recognizes his impact and greater responsibility to his audience but identifies with the same struggles they face as well.

It drives the age-old saying home, that “Money doesn’t buy happiness,” and neither does “medicating” with vices, regardless of how they disguise themselves. What Cole does so well on this album and those that precede it is, tuning into what society is dire need of hearing. He doesn’t record tracks that will feed his pockets or his ego, but those that will hopefully reach the ears, hearts and minds of those who need his assistance the most. Or perhaps you’ve gone back further and found yourself reaching for classic Marvin Gaye, Al Green or Aretha Franklin records  trying to get music to touch your soul the way it once did. All in an attempt to try and numb yourself from the current mainstream rap that loses its meaning the moment the second hook is recited.

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The rapper showed his skills on the court during the 2012 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game where he dunked the ball thanks to a sick alley-oop from Kevin Hart. Modeled after his own track «Dollar and a Dream,» the rapper held intimate concerts for devoted fans and only charged them a dollar. His 2015 Forest Hills Drive tour was nothing short of a success. In a rare 2019 interview with GQ, J. Cole spoke about having a son and his life as a new father. «I changed my life amphetamine addiction treatment in order to get ready to have a family and to have a son. I literally changed my life, where I was living, the things that I was doing. I changed. So because of that, when my son came, I was ready,» he said.

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With the late comedian’s Live on The Sunset Strip opening “Brackets,” the song finds meaning in the power of money and what it also does to the ego. Early fan reactions called Cole’s flow on KOD, different but it seems as if the rapper was returning to his roots. With the groove of Native Tongues, the rapper’s beat selection was enjoyable and reminiscent to tracks via The Come Up and Friday Night Lights. Like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples has avoided taking drugs and drinking alcohol. The Long Beach, California rapper’s decision to stay sober stems from the traumatic events he witnessed during his childhood. In an appearance on Drink Champs, Vince expressed that he never wanted to get caught with drugs and always wanted to stay alert when growing up in an area filled with gang violence.