Rapper J. Cole has been relatively quiet for most of the year, but he has now dropped his first song of 2020 “Snow on Tha Bluff.” This song was released on the rapper’s YouTube page and was produced by Cole and producer Wu10, who has worked with the likes of  SiR, Maxo Kream and Raphael Saadiq.

“Snow On Tha Bluff” begins with an ethereal acoustic guitar and jazz keyboard, while Cole states that while he is college educated, his intelligence is on par with the average person. He goes onto discuss through a woman’s timeline, stating that “She mad at the celebrities, low key I be thinkin’ she talking bout me,” then going on to say “But shit, it’s something about the queen tone that’s bothering me.”

According to Pitchfork, some have interpreted this song to be a reference to the rapper Noname, who criticized some notable hip hop artists for their silence regarding George Floyd. Pitchfork also states that the rapper tweeted QUEEN TONE!!!!!!” in a now-deleted tweet. While Cole has been relatively quiet on social media since the death of Floyd, he was seen protesting in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in support of a local Black Lives Matter march against white supremacy and police brutality.

Cole’s most recent album release KOD came out in 2018 and eventually became his third album to go platinum without any musical features. He appeared on Gang Starr’s first new track in 16 years “Family and Loyalty” last fall, which the rapper stated would be his last feature ever.

UPDATE (6/17): J. Cole made a post on Twitter stating “I stand behind every word of the song that dropped last night,” while also telling followers that they should follow Noname on social media, as she has ” done and is doing the reading and the listening and the learning on the path that she truly believes is the correct one for our people.” He did not specify that he was talking about her on the song however, before concluding “We may not agree with each other but we gotta be gentle with each other.”

Morning. I stand behind every word of the song that dropped last night.

— J. Cole (@JColeNC) June 17, 2020

Follow @noname . I love and honor her as a leader in these times. She has done and is doing the reading and the listening and the learning on the path that she truly believes is the correct one for our people. Meanwhile a nigga like me just be rapping.

— J. Cole (@JColeNC) June 17, 2020

We may not agree with each other but we gotta be gentle with each other. ✌🏿

— J. Cole (@JColeNC) June 17, 2020

Photo Credit: Mehreen Rizvi