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Nate Dogg is saying just because he’s “faded” or in a non sober state, that you shouldn’t try to take advantage of him because that would end badly for you. If you don’t think that he’s crazy enough to do something violent in retaliation then you are sadly mistaken.

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Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011, was a CEO of Apple who is credited with inventing things such as: the iPod, iPhone, and the first mouse for computers. Compared to mouses today, it was very simple and only had one button.

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J.Cole’s theme/slogan is ‘Cole World’ which is a play off ‘cold world’. In fact, Cole World was the name of his first album. Nas also complements Cole as being lyrically “cold”, which is slang for something awesome and because a lot of his songs where cold/sad/mellow.

Now, this whole thing started when Cole learnt that Nas was disappointed in “Work Out”, a major radio single.

Nas justifies his disappointment by warning that too many radio songs are the antithesis of the lyricism and the cole world movement, just as global warming is the literal and figurative opposite of a cold world. Note the word play: warming/warning.

This is certainly true, for too many radio songs creates a tainted reputation, and doesn’t create a very strong legacy.


Nas also wanted to remind Cole why he is making music in the first place. It is easy to get carried away with mainstream hits and Nas wanted Cole to stick to his lane and paint those stories that he is best known for. That is something Nas never received himself.

Nas has said in the past what he defines as greatness is when you can do “your own music” and bring them to you instead of making a hit and bring them to your music that way. He was disappointed since he thought J. Cole could do that (he was the one), instead of doing such an obvious radio record.

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It’s hard for someone to tell anybody exactly how to be great, even if that person is a legend like Nas.

Everyone follows their path to achieving greatness, so Nas can’t really tell Cole what he should or shouldn’t do. Follow your own heart Jermaine.

Jay-Z, another of Jermaine’s mentors and his label owner, helped guide J. Cole into eventually making “Work Out”, which is what inspired this song. Hov, a great in his own right, had difficulty in showing Cole how to take the proper steps to greatness.

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He isn’t mad at Cole for putting out what he considered a weak track in “Work Out,” but just wants to pass on advice.

J. Cole did an interview with Fuse about the story behind the original version:

It’s two years [later] (after being signed to a label) and I still don’t have an album release date. But I made this song … “Work Out.” I was excited that I had made something that I felt was a guaranteed smash. So I finally put out the single and [Nas’s and No ID’s responses gave me] the worst response I’ve ever gotten on any song I’ve put out.

By calling Cole “young king”, Nas is figuratively talking to someone who who is potentially an heir to his throne.

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