Every rap generation spawns its own feature verse killer. You had Busta Rhymes running rampant in the ’90s after bodying “Scenario”, you had Lil Wayne’s transformation into a certified superstar off of features alone, and of course, you have Andre 3000, arguably the greatest guest rapper of all time.
Over the past few years, Fayetteville’s very own Jermaine Cole has cemented his legacy as the guest verse killer of his generation. While the 2010s created some of the best rappers of all time, with the likes of Drake and Kendrick, none of those rappers have Cole’s track record when it comes to guest verses.
Like he said on 21 Savage’s “a lot” – “I’ll show up on everyone album / you know what the outcome will be / I’m batting a thousand / It’s got to the point that these rappers don’t even like rappin’ with me.”
From his star-making performance on Kanye’s “Looking For Trouble” to Moneybagg Yo’s “Say Na” to most recently, Benny the Butcher’s “Johnny P’s Caddy,” here are the 18 best J. Cole guest verses of all time.
18. Cozz – “Zendaya”
Album: Effected
Released: February 13, 2018
Producer: J. Cole
Listen, music my flesh and blood, it's been my only love since ye high I used to play Jay high and Ye high Thinkin' one day I would go from fan to fuckin' player I guess I found a way huh, my nigga Cozz wants Zendaya A side note, I'm rootin' for you, I use these bars and start recruitin' for you But treat her right And just remember, on your lonely nights this mic will be your friend You tell it all your secrets that you keepin' deep within Your fantasies, regrets, your happy moments and your sins And if he doesn't comprehend, at least he can pretend Let's begin to be the men we never seen In the 80's they smoke crack but now today they sippin' lean And poppin' Xannies Fuck niggas runnin' from their families The streets don't give a fuck about the Grammys Wish I could talk to granny, wish I could smoke in peace But when I hit the blunt lately my mind it tortures me Everything ain't supposed to be, apparently I take it as a sign and stick the shit that's steerin' me In the direction of some clarity This music is my therapy, I thank the Lord 'cause he care for me
17. Jay Rock – “OSOM”
Album: Redemption
Released: June 15, 2018
Producer: Crooklin, Pops
Promethazine in a baby bottle Meditatin' on daily dollars Lately problems stem from my bitch 'Cause she know I still fuck with my baby mama So there be drama in the house, I gotta find a outlet Waitin' on a plug just like a fuckin' outlet Fuck it, I'm turnin' my phone off Fantasies of grabbin' the heat and burnin' my nose off Blaow! Niggas might not know but I'm slightly throwed off And I might need Zoloft, but for now, these Xannies'll do Hear the sound, a manic depressive That ain't been prescripted, what can he do? Anywho, boy, when you got it, you keep a close watch On the ones that's befriendin' you (Friendin' you) Them'll be the ones that's envy you (Envy you) Vividly dreamin' 'bout endin' you (Endin' you) But when you low, they don't tend to you (Tend to you) Actin' new when they run into you (Into you) Fuckin' your bitch tryna feel like you (Feel like you) This the message I send to you
16. Bas – “Tribe”
Album: Milky Way
Released: J. Cole, Childish Major
Producer: August 22, 2018
I'm hella faded, I'm hella faded These niggas been hating, I don't know the reason now Sometimes I feel jaded They don't see the real me They only know Cole, they only know Co-ole I had to get back, I had to resort to turning my back I'm doing just that, true that I thought He was through with me, but that wasn't true The proof? You in the coupe with me God shuffled the cards, dealt me a hand with impossible odds Put an obstacle course up Look, and I conquered them all (Conquered them all) With minimal effort I'm fresher than sock in your drawer (Fuck) They spinning my records so heavy, I'm topping the Forbes Stuck in a rock and a hard place though Is it true what they say? The higher you go, the longer the fall? Well, I dropped to the floor, the knock at the door was on cue Uh, I thought that I saw it all 'til I saw you Now I call you when the sun shines and the rain dries up I'm a pit bull, but for you I be on chain tied up (One more time) In the backyard with a muzzle on tail wagging like Oregon Trail Waiting on you to come through just like you do, well
15. Rapsody – “Sojourner”
Album: Eve
Released: October 26, 2018
Producer: 9th Wonder
Yeah, look Born into pain, alcoholic veins Over-analytical brain a product of the shame And runnin' from a past, that's checkered like the game Somewhere 'long the way somebody snatched my peace and main Maybe that's the reason I spent decades seekin' fame And fortune hopin' that a proper portion would contain The sadness in my eyes, remember when I came In this music business, all their questions was insane "Why you never smile in your pictures?" I refrain From givin' you the answer 'cause that answer wasn't plain Enough for me to see 'cause at the time I knew my name But didn't know myself, and so I dealt with shit the same As a fugitive, but running from the truth and shit I shoot the shit with niggas, but they never knew the shit that's hidden deep Within the crevices like ever since I was a child Seen my mama with the pistol pointed at her dome and how In the fuck do you expect for me to ever be the best lil' me That I can be, when trauma's deep inside of me, like I.V. fluid Pumpin' through the blood of wifey, while she's givin' birth To my child, I know my thoughts are runnin' wild Bear with my style, this just a trial run Just heard these kids don't know 'bout Malcolm And I'm sort of heartbroken 'cause the elders lost hope in our youth And here I sit dead in the middle, not a little boy no more But not quite old yet, wakin' up in cold sweats Scared that I'm too disconnected from the kids' perspective The world ain't got no patience for some shit that's introspective So where in the fuck that leave me? Irrelevant, I guess Went from Heaven-sent to hella bent, intelligent but stressed, damn
14. Anderson .Paak – “Trippy”
Album: Oxnard
Released: November 16, 2018
Producer: Chris Dave
Came down the block, somethin' sick, but it's rented I don't give a fuck, bitch, either way, I'm in it I ain't gotta prove to you that I got bread Niggas talkin' money but be broker than the bed That I slept on back in Mohammed crib 'Member fuckin' hoes leanin' all to the left? Don't know why they rock wit' a nigga, but they did Damn sure wasn't the money, maybe it's the kid? Used to have a honey that I loved when we was younger but somehow got disconnected before Facebook got so big I used to search her name hopin' we could reconnect But if I sent the message, would she still be on my dick? When I couldn't find her, had me feelin' mad lame Maybe she got married and she changed her last name Maybe she just ain't up on the latest of the internet and ain't got into that But give her time, that'll change Bingo, what do you know? Years later (Right), late night after a show we here laid up (Right) Brown skin, love how it glow, your hair tied up (Right) Ask, "Is it cool if I smoke?" Go 'head, light up (Right) High from your fragrance, I love, you smell purrty (Smells good) Know I got it straight from the mud, my nails dirty (Right) If somehow we both lose touch, I won't lie, ya got me open way too much, I'm gon' find ya
13. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – “Warm Enough”
Album: Surf
Released: May 28, 2015
Producer: The Social Experiment
You like the flower that I won’t let die Right before your petals start to wilt I choose to give you one last try Fill your vase up with water, refusin’ to neglect you Like your father, so I promise that it won’t run dry Good intentions 'cause I wanna see us both fly But I often put me first and I been wonderin’ why I know you probably think you’re blessed To have a wonderful guy And that’s the truth but at the same time a wonderful lie Cause to me you’re a dime and I’m still a nickel And you know niggas say that every coin got two sides Well if you knew both minds not sure you’d like what you find I made mistakes, I want to tell you but can’t make up my mind As I’m writing this I see a red balloon in the sky And to me that’s a sign tellin’ me that these lines Were meant to be written, repentin’ in the form of a rhyme I know the Lord’s a forgiver, hope he’ll forgive me in time
12. Royce da 5’9″ – “Boblo Boat”
Album: Book of Ryan
Released: March 23, 2018
Producer: 808-Ray, Cool N Dre
Yeah, look Twist the cap, lift the bottle back, swig it Dig it; ten-inch rims on my mama’s Civic Ten-inch woofers in the trunk to be specific They bump, rattle the license plate, plus the windows tinted Don’t even give a fuck that it’s dented, bitch, I’m the man now I’m rolling, driving it slow as if it’s stolen Piling up bros like we was clothing on a dresser Calling up hoes like we was Jodeci, let’s check her Double D’s like double-deckers, I wanna sex her But these keys don’t come with game on how to finesse her Five semesters left until college, I’m under pressure I’m not a real nigga ’til I undress her, I gotta ‘press her This was my main concern back when concerns were lesser Nowadays, I often yearn to press the Backspace button or hit return, but life is not no word processor Most folks would burn the sess to burn the stress of My real-life trauma Plus fickle niggas thinking they done heard the best of Jermaine Lamarr but that’s insane, it couldn’t be further left of The truth is that my new shit slap, you never heard it better Give me a sec, I murder sectors, prefer to let ya See it rather than say it, but it spill out, I gotta chill out Say “Fuck the world” and never pull out We had no Bob-Lo boat But I could note those times just like a Bible quote B.C., before cell phones, the first time I would smoke I was six years old, but that’s for another chapter That’s for another story, to God be the glory I made it out unscathed and now I sunbathe With my son in Tanzanian sunrays thinking ’bout dumb days Thinking ’bout dumb days
11. Jay-Z – “A Star Is Born”
Album: The Blueprint 3
Released: September 8, 2009
Producer: No I.D., Ke’noe, Kanye West
And could I be a star? Does fame in this game have to change who you are? Or could I be the same one who came from a far-away life Just to make it in these Broadway lights? Now I'm shining in the broad daylight—go figure A slow transition from a lil' broke nigga from the 'Ville Got a deal, a real lifesaver Dreams of being behind the wheel like Jada I chill now, cop a lil' ice later Cole, you got the glow like a lil' lightsaber So clap for him! Then applaud Hov, he gave him a platform Flow so sick, thought he wrote the rap for him—no, sir! The flow cold as the shoulders of gold-digging hoes when a broke nigga 'proaches Told you I’m focused, man I’ll let you motherfuckers soak it in, and clap for 'em!
10. Moneybagg Yo – “Say Na”
Album: Reset
Released: November 2, 2018
Producer: Javar Rockamore, DrumGod
Memphis connect Temperature check, sick as a bitch If niggas want smoke Me and that nigga named Moneybagg Yo is a lit cigarette Pick up a check So many digits, this shit just be lookin' like cell phone numbers What the hell wrong with us? Well known hustlers Climbed up from the tailbone Where the world don't want us Plus your niggas be dumpin' They shootin' from close like some elbow jumpers Put myself on Niggas look real, but they silicone Tucked titty, got a redbone And the head strong Like Biggie said, boy, you're dead wrong Yeah
9. Bas – “My Nigga Just Made Bail”
Album: Last Winter
Released: April 29, 2014
Producer: Ron Gilmore, Hottrak, GP808
My nigga just made bail Tell the good Lord, we gon raise hell We gon' pop off, like a fake nail Take the top off and get ill, get ill, get— My nigga just made bail Tell the fuckin mayor, he got hate mail Less shakedowns and more Shakespeare Please—aww, these niggas don't care Prepare for the new shit, that Cole is the truth shit Nigga, this is Lute shit, nigga this is Bas shit Meaning, this some true shit, telling you shit Bout the crew, how we do shit, who sick? And, tell my niggas in the two-six in the coupe I'ma kick back, smoke a pool stick This for my new chick tryba get fit say she too thick Ain't no such thing as "too thick"—what you wan' be a toothpick? What, you wan' get your cooch' licked? Well I'm tryna get my flute played If we the new slaves I am Frederick Douglass of rhetoric ahead the the others You motherfuckas better get free This for that insecure girl, your name I won't mention On Instagram, straight flickin' Bitch, you a nipple slip away from strippin' Might as well, get your clientele up, you a pioneer Them girls fuck for free, I'm never buying there Save that shit for the D.R I rock crowns and these niggas rock tiaras or tiaras 'Cause I'm Pete Carroll, left college and I fucked the pros up Guess it ain't luck when the luck just shows up Like every verse on the spot, shit is never rehearsed You heard it first, Bas
8. Joey Bada$$ – “Legendary”
Album: All-Amerikkkan Bada$$
Released: April 7, 2017
Producer: Statik Selektah
Look, ready for whatever comes I hope for the best, I taste the peace and pray it never leave my tongue But yet, before long, the feelings done Perhaps I was foolish, just like the boy that prays to only see the sun Maybe, life happens like tides One minute you're low and feelin' shallow, then all of a sudden you rise Just, ride the wave, I say to myself Find a way, the weight of my wealth It's honestly a lot to bear I play the game of stackin' knowin' that I ought to share How much does a man need? How much can he hoard before his greed? How can a rich father teach humbleness to his seed? Just questions, the stubborn all get taught tough lessons I look at all I got like, "What's missin'?" God is my only guess, 'cause yes, faith relieve the stress I find peace again when I find Him and see I'm blessed Real blessed, life has always got me wonderin' (Wondering, wondering) Am I doin' it right? Am I hurtin' myself? Am I wrongin' the ones that love me the most? What a burden to have That ain't no way to live Or maybe it is Well, maybe it is
7. Wale – “Beautiful Bliss”
Album: Attention Deficit
Released: November 7, 2009
Producer: DJ Green Lantern, Mark Ronson
I phone home to the real they wanna know just how it feel Who woulda thought a lil nigga from the Ville could get a deal? Ay, tell them niggas at the top we want yo spot we are for real And yeah, we heard you got it locked but like them socks, we on your heels So you best be on your toes nigga, especially on your flows nigga Cause man they keep on checking for me, especially all your hoes nigga Catch me on your doorstep, you see me, let me in All I wanna do is eat, I'm like a freaky lesbian Now all I wanna do is ball on TV, need ESPN They heard I'm 'bout to blow so all my enemies say let's be friends And all these rappers know just where I'm 'bout to go so catch me then Where all the girls we knew that screamed fuck you going let me then I'm definitely in a class of my own, at dinner with Hov Hoping that he pass the baton, he just passed the Patron Ain't nothing given dawg, it's earned if you just living, dog, you learn I let you niggas see the light, I'm like the prison yard, I yearn For that living large, but mama I ain't done yet Sit back and watch your sunrise, kick back and know your son set Forever I ain't run yet, and I never will, Nas told me life's a bitch Pac said fuck the world and I ain't come yet, you up yet My punchlines like gut checks I'm raw-dog, I'm rough sex I'm on deck, I'm up next, I'm God blessed, I'm success So fuck stress, you can get the fuck from 'round me And if you listening, know you wondering where the fuck they found me I'm from the Ville, boy, ay Wale, good looking
6. Drake – “Jodeci Freestyle”
Album: N/A
Released: June 22, 2013
Producer: 40, Bink!
Roof top, hoes turnt up Lookin' for your bitch, bet she won't turn up Wonder where she is, fuck could she be? She's a ho, she's a slut, she's a freak Heard a couple niggas hatin' but them fuck niggas weak Count a hundred thousand dollars like it sucks to be me Ain't that what you wanted? Stuntin' on you niggas Came in this game never frontin' on you niggas Gave you heart and soul, stories of my pain Felt naked 'cause I laid out all my glory and my shame Caught fire just to have niggas ignore me and my flame 'Bout to burn down the house, they tryna put me in the rain, no Fuck your list you lame niggas and doubters I'm undoubtedly the hottest and that's just me bein' modest Go check the numbers dummy, that's just me gettin' started Hold your applause Who gives a poker face when you jokers showed me your cards? David and Goliath, takin' on the giants No need for pause when I tell you my balls bigger than yours, Cole No false gods, young Mike playin' against the Monstars Tappin' into '94 Nas Or that '96 Jay, or that Chronic shit, Dre Which is really just Slim Shady, I'm silly, my pen crazy Today I'm out in Philly, my fans waitin' for 12 hours Just to get their dollar signed Thoughts stream like I'm Spotifyin' Trenchcoat flow, bottom line To these too cool for school niggas I'm Columbine Flow dumber than your projections This makes twice now, I doubled what you expected, yet Your covers keep perplexin' me Maybe it's too complex for me But is this 'bout skills or is this 'bout sales? 'Cause either fuckin' way, man all them niggas is less than me You legends know that we rap Bitches screamin' like Jodeci's back
5. Gang Starr – “Family and Loyalty”
Album: One of the Best Yet
Released: November 1, 2019
Producer: DJ Premier
Diamonds (Diamonds), diamonds (Diamonds), yeah Pick up the pen, write down the sins, cleanse Lay that shit down, play it for friends Make a few M's, then do it again J. Cole, who'd have thought you woulda been rhymin' with ghosts Guru flows forever like a diamond The most could never afford the precious jewels That's precisely why I'm blessin' you with clear-cut messages I'm destined to invest in urban sections where depression rules I hope to heal the destitute before I leave this vestibule Between the heavens and the seven circles Where some dead homies maybe rest, I plan to resurrect a few I press the truth against the neck of devils Look at the youth just like a precious pebble Meant to be protected, mentally we let this Poison of Western philosophy make us sloppy We forgot we are the chosen From hip-hop to astronomy, they copy what we showed 'em Niggas be talkin' slick, but only try me over modems In person they starstruck, they hearts flutter I'm like the realest one you ever met If you don't feel this one, give it a sec Go live a little, let the years pass Experience pain, watch the tears crash on to the floor Hurt brings wisdom Wisdom brings a whole 'nother sort of understandin' Diamonds only worth what we demandin', uh, uh And niggas payin' top-dollar Once upon a time I paid a 100 for mine, now I'm a lot smarter
4. JID — “Off Deez”
Album: DiCaprio 2
Released: November 6, 2018
Producer: ChaseTheMoney, Dro Fe
Legend out the 2-6 (Whoa) Y'all know who the truth is (Whoa) Crazy like a movie by that nigga Stanley Kubrick (Whoa) Perfect time to pop up (Whoa) Wet you like the hot tub (Whoa) Clean up Aisle 7, damn somebody gettin' mopped up (Whoa) Pull up on the block, eeny, meeny, miny, moe You and every nigga that you know is getting popped Fuckin' with a nigga, ass sitting in the box Tryna sneak diss, then I'm pickin' up the Glock I squeeze this, they be pickin' up the top Styles, Sheek, Kiss, yeah, I'm pickin' all the locks Pickin' on a nigga way bigger, then I got Bigger than the nigga that was Kindergarten Cop Terminator shit, I'm a robot With the chrome .45 that most don't got One false move, get your moto shot Turn a nigga whip to a photo op Click, click, click, and the flows don't stop 'Til I got more cream than Cold Stone got Like a boatload, nigga I'ma float on top 'Til the grass don't grow and the wind don't blow And the po-po don't kill niggas no more I bought a thirty round extendo If a nigga wanna duck, then I'm playing Duck Hunt In real life, not on Nintendo Looking out the window like Malcolm X with the rifle Climb the steps up the Eiffel Barely broke a bead of sweat, whoa Many hope to be the best, oh Cannot fuck with me just yet, though JID the closest thing to me C'est la vie, my vocal range putting Blood stains on Notre Dame hoodies Hello fiends, I brought novocaine plus dopamine You can load your veins with the product I slang Niggas gon' honor my name, boy, I'm a god in this game Y'all niggas homonyms, sounding the same Not in my lane so I can't complain Me and Ben Frank got a damn good thing goin' on Way more than a random fling Cole and JID with a tandem, niggas can't stand 'em Got a new anthem, look at my whip Slit on my wrist, suicide, suicide doors on my Phantom
3. Benny the Butcher – “Johnny P’s Caddy”
Album: Tana Talk 4
Released: January 28, 2022
Producer: The Alchemist
On the night I was born, the rain was pourin', God was cryin' Lightnin' struck, power outage, sparks was flyin' The real one's here, the young boy that walk with lions Around the outlines of chalk where the corpses lyin' Of course I'm tryin' to revive a sport that's dyin' But the guns and the drug bars that y'all rely on Got these nerds thinkin' that you niggas hard as I am But that just mean I ain't as comfortable as y'all with lyin' Stretchin' the truth, know I never stress in the booth They feel the pressure, me I feel like I just left the masseuse Effortless, how I'm skatin' on these records is proof I put your favorite rapper neck in a noose, never lettin' them loose Cole World, the heat'll blast through your speaker He the last of Mohicans, no weaklings last in my sneakers Nigga want me on a song, he gon' see the wrath of the reaper I'm prolly gon' go to Hell and Jesus ask for a feature I'm higher than niggas and don't need a bag full of reefer Some see the glass as empty, I see a glass full of ether Collectin' his bread en masse like he a Catholic preacher Just to count a nigga cash, you might need a calculus teacher Eureka, Einstein on the brink of the theory of relativity Really, no MC equal, feel me? Cole pen be lethal, crib like an old MTV show, uh On God, the best rapper alive Headshot, now go and ask the best rappers that died They'll tell you he never lied, nigga
2. 21 Savage – “a lot”
Album: I Am > I Was
Released: December 21, 2018
Producer: J. White Did It, DJ Dahi
Question How many faking they streams? (A lot) Getting they plays from machines? (A lot) I can see behind the smoke and mirrors Niggas ain't really big as they seem (Hmm) I never say anything (Nah), everybody got they thing (True) Some niggas make millions, other niggas make memes (Hmm) I'm on a money routine I don't want smoke, I want cream I don't want no more comparisons This is a marathon and I’m aware I been playing it back from a lack of promotions I never was one for the bragging and boasting I guess I was hoping the music would speak for itself, but the people want everything else Okay, no problem, I’ll show up on everyone album You know what the outcome will be I'm batting a thousand It’s got to the point that these rappers don't even like rappin' with me Fuck it 'cause my nigga 21 Savage just hit me And told me he saved me a spot on a new record he got He call it "a lot," I open my book and I jot Pray for Tekashi, they want him to rot I picture him inside a cell on a cot ’Flectin' on how he made it to the top Wondering if it was worth it or not I pray for Markelle 'cause they fucked up his shot Just want you to know that you got it, my nigga Though I never met you, I know that you special And that the Lord blessed you, don't doubt it, my nigga Dennis Smith, Jr., stay solid, my nigga I'm on a tangent, not how I planned it I had some fans that hopped and abandoned ship When they thought that I wasn't gone pan out, I got a plan They say that success is the greatest revenge, tell all your friends Cole on a mission, cementin' the spot as the greatest that did it Before it all ends, nigga
1. Kanye West – “Looking For Trouble”
Album: G.O.O.D. Fridays
Released: November 5, 2010
Producer: Kanye West
Hey, Cole World, make way for the chosen one What you now hear is puttin’ fear in all the older ones Downplayed me to downgrade me like they don’t notice him Your shoes too big to fill? I can barely squeeze my toes in ‘em Fucking hoes while teachin' niggas to hold your sons This the rap Moses—scratch that, Mary and Joseph’s son High as fuck with a cold flow and a loaded gun Never say I’m better than Hov, but I’m the closest one Heard you lookin’ for trouble, what, I’m 'sposed to run? Your bitch invited me inside her, ain’t I 'sposed to come? Got niggas that’ll blow your tee off, put a hole in one Now you outside of Heaven’s gate, frontin’ like you know someone Talking hard, but y’all still ain’t push me They say you are what you eat, and I still ain’t pussy Hmm, fuck it, everybody can get it When you’re this hot, everybody’s a critic But when you’re this high, everybody’s a midget All this mean-mugging from niggas that mean nothing Could it be my position is one that you dreamed of? Went from quarter to broke to half-past-rich With my badass bitch And you don’t want no problems, on some math class shit So check the young genius out Fuck the world, bust a nut, and let my semen sprout I thought that real shit is what you been fiending ’bout What you been praying for? What you been screaming ’bout? Ironic, you been sleeping on the one that you been dreaming 'bout
