Yesterday (Aug. 2), Drake released his compilation album, Care Package. After the project’s release, it didn’t take long for Drake’s fans to realize that his track with J. Cole, “Jodeci Freestyle,” sounds a little bit different.
On the controversial track, J. Cole’s lyric in which he mentions autism was censored. “Go check the numbers dummy, that’s just me gettin’ started/I’m artistic, you n—as is autistic, retarded,” Cole raps on the track that was released six years ago.
Understandably, it makes sense as to why Drake and Cole left the lyric on the chopping block. The two emcees faced a lot of backlash over that one line, so much so, that Cole and Drake both issued a press release. The father-of-two and Take Care spitter apologized to their fans for being insensitive.
“In a recent verse on the song ‘Jodeci Freestyle,’ I said something highly offensive to people with Autism,” Cole said in a released statement. “Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better.”
Keeping the same energy, Drake’s statement followed along those lines. “I share responsibility and offer my sincerest apologies for the pain this has caused,” Drake wrote. “Individuals with autism have brilliant and creative minds, and their gifts should not be disparaged or discounted. This was a learning lesson for both of us, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to try to right this wrong.”
Nonetheless, fans continue to comment on the track’s latest change. One fan wrote, “Lol I was nervous for @JColeNC when I heard Jodeci Freestyle was gonna be on care package…but that censorship is on point.”
Listen to “Jodeci Freestyle” below.