Rapper J. Cole releases new single in response to protests, police violence

Grammy-winning rapper and Fayetteville native J. Cole has released a new single, his first song of 2020, in response to police violence and ongoing protests over racism nationwide.

The single, “Snow on Tha Bluff,” first appeared Tuesday and has already found wide attention, collecting more than 700,000 views on YouTube by Wednesday morning.

The song speaks to J. Cole’s frustration in finding a way to help as a celebrity, sharing the Black community’s anger and fatigue.

Toward the song’s end, he raps: “Why I feel faker than Snow on Tha Bluff? Well maybe ‘cause deep down I know I ain’t doing enough.”

He evaluates his own response compared to his peers.

“There’s a young lady out there she way smarter than me,” he raps early in the song. “... she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police ... And the frustration that fills her words seems to come from the fact that most people don’t see.”

In a Twitter post Wednesday, J. Cole wrote: “ I stand behind every word of that song dropped last night.”

Last month, J. Cole announced his Dreamville Festival in Raleigh will be canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last year’s festival drew roughly 40,000 people to Dix Park.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Rapper J. Cole releases new single in response to protests, police violence."