J. Cole has released two new songs, his own production “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice”, which he co-produced with T-Minus and Jetson. The singles are the rapper’s first two songs from his upcoming The fall album.
In “The Climb Back”, the rapper addresses the cyclical nature of working to get ahead, both in the rap game and in life. “Everything is a complete circle again / Why do lies sound nice but the truth is painful?” “Everybody has to cry from time to time / But how long will it take before they smile / This is what comes back to life.”
With the “Lion King on Ice,” J. Cole talks about his appearance, and the struggles and sacrifices he made to get there, with “blood on my hands,” he hits the hook. It closes with an uplifting note: “I prayed for better days / Then I found a better me / I understood well.”
The singles follow the release of “Snow on Tha Bluff,” which launched last month. The song elicited negative reactions from many who believe J. Cole was criticizing Noname. The Chicago rapper in turn seemed to respond to J. Cole’s song with her own “Song 33”.
The fall is the continuation of J. Cole’s 2018 album, KOD. The rapper said he continues to work on his next LP, and the release date has yet to be announced. “There is no date yet for the new album, taking my time, still ending,” wrote J. Cole in a post announcing “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” via Instagram.
