J. Cole explains exit from Kendrick Lamar, Drake beef in 'Port Antonio'

Rapper J. Cole shocked fans when he graciously exited the escalating beef between rap stars Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which quickly turned gruesome. Now, he's finally addressing the move on a new track, "Port Antonio."

In April, at the height of the beef and in response to Lamar's "Like That" verse, Cole released the track 7 Minute Drill but quickly backtracked. Onstage at his Dreamville Festival in North Carolina days later, he apologized to Lamar and said his diss track was a "lame" and "goofy" decision. The move may have been for the best, as the vicious battle was just getting started.

Cole has been active on features in recent months, including with A$AP Rocky, but this may be the first new track since he dropped out of the bitter exchange.

The second half of the 5:16-long track addresses fan chatter that the decision took him out of the conversation as one of the best rappers of his generation. "I'm smirkin' at (people) tryna besmirch mine," he raps, later adding: "They strip me of my spot, and now I'm finally free."

His exit, he says, was to avoid the negativity being pushed by people wanting to see "blood" or those set to profit off of the beef. "I pulled the plug because I've seen where that was 'bout to go," he raps. "They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow."

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He raps that the choice to bow out was also about preserving relationships: "They see this fire in my pen and think I'm dodgin' smoke / I wouldn't have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro."

And for those speculating that he is on Lamar's side, or that there is now bad blood between him and Drake over Cole's handling of the beef (and his feature with Rocky), the "Might Delete Later" rapper clears the air.

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"They say I'm pickin' sides, ay, don't you lie on me ... / Then start another war, ay, Drake, you'll always be my (guy)," he raps. "I ain't ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my (guy) / (forget) all the narratives."

The rapper is otherwise busy preparing to drop his long-awaited album "The Fall Off," which has been pushed back with a release date yet to be announced.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J Cole's 'Port Antonio' addresses Drake, Kendrick Lamar beef