J. Cole Discusses Black Lives Matter Discourse in ‘Snow on Tha Bluff’

J. Cole has released his first song of 2020. On the introspective track, “Snow on Tha Bluff,” the rapper discusses the current discourse around the Black Lives Matter movement, particularly on social media.

On the free-flowing song, he opens by addressing a social media thread made by someone who’s “mad at these murder police” among others, including being “mad at the celebrities, low key I be thinkin she talking bout me,” he raps. “Now I ain’t no dummy to think I’m above criticism so when I see something that’s valid I listen,” he continues, adding that he understands the frustration that drives it.

“These shackles be lockin the mental way more than physical, I look at freedom like trees/Can’t grow a forest like overnight, hit the ghetto and slowly start planting your seeds,” he raps. “Fuck is the point of you preaching your message to those that already believe what you believe?/I’m on some ‘fuck a retweet,’ most people is sheep/You got all the answers but how you gon reach?”

“This change is inevitable but ain’t none of us seen this before/Therefore we just gotta learn everything as we go,” he raps. He also questions whether he is doing enough and the song concludes with the uplifting lines: “Fill me up with wisdom and some courage/Plus endurance to survive help mine thrive.”

It’s unclear if “Snow on Tha Bluff” will appear on his upcoming album, The Fall Off, which is the follow-up to 2018’s KOD. The Fall Off  does not yet have an official release date. Last month, his Dreamville Festival in North Carolina was canceled after initially being postponed to August due to COVID-19 concerns.