J. Cole season is approaching. On Wednesday (Feb. 21), the North Carolina star unveiled a mini-documentary titled Might Delete Later, Vol. 1, which was shared to fans in its entirety on Instagram. The roughly 10-minute clip gave viewers behind-the-scenes footage into Cole's current life, including his ongoing "It’s All A Blur Tour -- Big As The What?" with Drake. Drizzy and associates like longtime collaborator Bas made cameo appearances in the video, which appeared to take inspiration from the classic Smack DVD series.
The most notable takeaway from Might Delete Later, Vol. 1 was an unnamed song teaser that showed Cole putting other emcees on notice. "Said I was finished, but I'm on another two summers, hall of famer, hungrier than all the newcomers, n**gas swear they compare, but the truth humble," he rapped over the song's creeping production. Cole also mentioned his long-awaited seventh studio LP, The Fall Off, which he likened to "Hov droppin' Reasonable Doubt last."
In a feature with SLAM, Cole explained the meaning behind his upcoming body of work, which he first teased on KOD's "1985." According to the Dreamville head honcho, he first began thinking about his potential career decline after the release of the critically acclaimed 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
“It was the first time that I became conscious of, like, 'Oh, this is where n**gas fall off.' This is where it happens. This is the point where it takes place, where the n**gas that you love [just don’t] hit the same."
Cole continued, "It was literally like looking at a fork in the road. 'Okay, you can go this way, and continue to grow, and get better, and push yourself, and still feel feelings of exhilaration when you tap into new s**t and move on. Or, you can go this way, and live a more comfortable life that’s less inspired, less push, less stretching yourself and getting out of your comfort zone.'"