J. Cole fans are currently enjoying his new studio album, The Off-Season. The 12-track project contains several samples and features, including one soundbite from Damian Lillard on “p u n c h i n ‘ . t h e . c l o c k.” The audio snippet is from last August after Lillard’s 61-point game against the Dallas Mavericks.
“It ain’t nothing I want more. I told you when I first came here, I didn’t come here to waste my time,” Lillard says in the sample. “They gave us a chance to get in like we asked for and that’s what we’re here to do. Job still ain’t done, but you know what I’m here for.”
Lillard was clearly happy with the sample and reacted to Cole’s new album on Twitter. The Portland Trail Blazers star retweeted a fan who called The Off-Season the “album of the year.”
“Cole a real one,” Lillard added to the tweet. “Album [fire].”
In addition to Lillard, Cole also shouts out the likes of LeBron James, Ja Morant and more throughout his album. Cole’s NBA references arrive as the rapper is gearing up to play in his first professional basketball game this weekend. Cole will play in three to six games for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League’s inaugural season.
Many fans besides Lillard also praised The Off-Season on Friday (May 14).
“The Off-Season by J. Cole is clearly his peak as an MC,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Lyrically it is arguably his best work & even though it was just a 40 min album, it felt consistent & concise. He ate on this album.”
“The features was perfect for the songs, the production was great, the vocals were well put in their perfect place,” another person wrote.
See Lillard’s tweet about The Off-Season below.