J. Cole has just dropped a surprise single “Heaven’s EP”, his first single since the release of his latest album The Off-Season. In the song, J. Cole uses the beat from Drake’s Certified Lover Boy cut “Pipe Down” to give a soulful backdrop to let off a verse about his place in the current rap pantheon with lyrics like “Some people say that I’m running third, they threw the bronze at me/ Behind Drake and Dot, yeah, them niggas is superstars to me.”

In the video, J.Cole raps about the successes of his life, which he keeps private, among opulence. He is surrounded by expensive buildings, private planes, and cars as he performs in various spots in Las Vegas. However, J.Cole also touches on his feelings of not belonging rapping “Maybe deep down, I’m afraid of my luminosity/ So when you see me on red carpets, I’m movin’ awkwardly/ Posin’ all nervous, afraid of the judgement/ And the thought of showin’ too much of my day is repugnant.”

Watch “Heaven’s EP” here:

The song’s release comes just in time with J.Cole’s upcoming tour, in which he will travel with 21 Savage from Miami to Los Angeles over the course of a month and 18 different performance dates. Alongside his new music, J.Cole has also fulfilled his dreams of playing basketball, which he played for Basketball Africa League’s inaugural season, having signed with the Rwanda Patriots in May.

Photo Credit Mehreen Rizvi