Opinion alert! NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has declared J. Cole one of the top 10 rappers in hip-hop history. During a recent appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn, the retired basketball star praised Cole’s intentional approach to his career and lyrical prowess.
“We never seen anybody bookend their career and be very serious and intentional about it,” Anthony stated. “So to that point, where we’re bookending careers, then yeah, J. Cole is definitely a top 10 rapper.” He added, “Also, he’s smart. He realized that we’ve never seen the bookends of somebody’s career.”
Get this, Anthony also commended Cole for stepping away from a potential rap feud with Kendrick Lamar last year, choosing peace over conflict. With Cole suggesting his upcoming album The Fall Off might conclude his musical journey, Anthony speculated about the rapper’s future: “I think we’ll see him back in sports, documenting sports, content wise, telling stories through his eyes. I think we’re gonna see a lot of that.”
Cole’s lyrical prowess has certainly earned recognition from other rap icons as well. Hip-hop pioneer Big Daddy Kane previously expressed his admiration, telling The Art of Dialogue: “I’m actually more of a J. Cole fan, honestly. I think he is probably, you know, the greatest lyricist of this era. He’s my personal favorite, you know, of all them cats.”
