When J. Cole dropped “7 Minute Drill” on April 5 of last year as part of his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later , it landed like the first real flare in the Kendrick Lamar–Drake–Cole triangle . Kendrick had just shaken the entire industry with his verse on “Like That,” a scorched-earth dismissal of the so-called “Big Three” where he took direct aim at Cole’s catalog and legacy. Cole’s response was immediate, sharp and calculated. And then, shockingly, he took it back .

Looking at the rap landscape today, the track’s arrival—and its disappearance days later—feels less like hesitation and more like foresight. Arguments claiming he punked out or never stepped up to the plate out of fear are nothing more than internet gossip fodder. (Hater's gonna' hate). The truth? He recognized

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