m y . l i f e
Song by J. Cole
Featured artists: 21 Savage & Morray
Produced by WU10, J. Cole & Jake One
Album: The Off-Season
Released: 14 May 2021
On “m y . l i f e,” Cole recruits 21 Savage and Morray for a track on which they discuss the struggles of their respective come-ups and the benefits of their perseverance. They also speak on what their lives could have been like if they didn’t fight to make it out.
The instrumental of this track was first teased in Applying Pressure, the documentary for the album. Also in the short film, Cole and 21 Savage are seen having a discussion about the album, which can be confirmed as foreshadowing his appearance on the record.
J. Cole has famously avoided features on his albums since 2014 Forest Hills Drive, turning it into a cultural phenomenon. This is notably the first of two tracks on The Off-Season that contain rapping from other artists, making them the first occurrences of a guest verse on a Cole solo album since 2013’s Born Sinner.
J. Cole ft. 21 Savage & Morray m y . l i f e Lyrics:
[Intro: J. Cole]
Oh, you came there, God
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, Lord
No matter how, no matter how long it take, yeah
No matter how long it take, n!gga
Oh, God, yeah
You better be
[Verse 1: J. Cole]
Spiralin’ up, just like a rich n!gga staircase (Spiral up)
No fly zone, please stay the fuvk out my airspace (Out my face)
Niggas say things behind backs that they wouldn’t dare say (Dare say)
Know it’s on sight when I see you, I’m workin’ at Squarespace
Yeah, top of the mornin’, I know that you thought I was dormant
Woke up early from shots that were swarmin’
A block full of opps, now the cops in an orbit
Guess somebody got popped, now thеy knockin’ on doors
Tryna find an informant but I ain’t see Nathan
I’m mindin’ my business as God is my witness
No weapon gon’ prospеr that’s formin’ against me
Nigga, I’m starvin’, immensely
Know when I’m done with these songs, you gon’ miss me
Ja Morant, I’m on my Grizzly
You n!ggas just cubs but no, not the ones in the big leagues
After The Fall Off, I promise I’m comin’ to sellin’ out Wrigley’s
Nigga, I’m just a product of poverty, full of narcotics to profit off quickly
My family tree got a history of users that struggle with demons
Not really the hustler instincts
Therefore, often, my pockets was empty
So while some of my partners was servin’ up rocks on the corners, the project assemblies
Me, I was startin’ to envy, wanna be on the top where it’s plenty
Wanna be in the spot like where every bitch want me like Rihanna droppin’ new Fenty
What I see in the sky, the ‘Ville is the ceilin’, can’t reach up too high, evidently
Nah, sh!t, I can’t reach up too high, evidently
Never seen no one drivin’ a Bentley
I can’t be out here moppin’ up Wendy’s
[Chorus: Morray, J. Cole, Morray & J. Cole]
My life is all I have
My rhymes, my pen, my pad
And I done made it out the struggle, don’t judge me
What you sayin’ now won’t budge me
‘Cause where I come from (Come from), so often (So often)
People you grow up with layin’ in a coffin
But I done made it through the pain and strife
It’s my time now, my world, my life, my life
[Verse 2: 21 Savage]
Say what? The stuff that I’ve seen got me traumatized
I let the K go when Johnny died
Swangin’ that muhfuvka’ side to side
We don’t participate, ain’t with that squashin’ sh!t, all we believe in is homicide
I got a good heart, so I send teddy bears every time we make they mommas cry
I pray that my past ain’t ahead of me (21)
When I’m in love, I love heavily (On God)
If you betray me, you dead to me (21)
I disrespect you respectfully (Straight up)
I got some partners who left this Earth
Maybe the pain made a better me (On God)
Just know that they secrets is kept with me (On God)
I feel like the streets is in debt with me (Straight up)
I gave my heart away to all the dawg hoes ’cause that’s who accepted me (21)
I blame my pops for that sh!t ’cause if he didn’t fail, he could’ve corrected me (21)
Give all the props to my momma ’cause no matter what, she always protected me (On God)
I promise you, it ain’t no checkin’ me (On God)
Jump in the water, get wet with me (Straight up, 21, 21)
You want my money or wanna have sex with me?
Can’t let the opps or the law get the best of me
I get to answerin’, you get to testin’ me
I see chicken, you n!ggas is brea$t to me
Planted a seed but it ain’t a sesame
Can’t let you n!ggas or bitches grow next to me
[Chorus: Morray, J. Cole, Morray & J. Cole]
My life is all I have
My rhymes, my pen, my pad
And I done made it out the struggle, don’t judge me
What you sayin’ now won’t budge me
‘Cause where I come from (Come from), so often (So often)
People you grow up with layin’ in a coffin
But I done made it through the pain and strife
It’s my time now, my world, my life, my life
