Return of Simba
J. Cole Lyrics

In my freshest Js, I ain't slept in days
Cole's fresh Jordan sneakers are on his feet, and he's been too busy to sleep.

Girl, you gon' make me late undressin' me
The girl is attractive and slowing him down because he's getting distracted.

Know you ain't seen me since yesterday
The girl is eager to hang out with him again.

But, see, I got a date with destiny
Cole has important plans that he won't let anything interfere with.

'Cause this the summer that our life change
Something big is going to happen this summer that will change his life.

Hov asked me, "Is you ready for it?"
JAY-Z (Hov) asks Cole if he's prepared for what's about to happen.

I looked around at all his nice things
Cole takes in JAY-Z's wealth and status.

Told him, "Nigga, you already know it"
Cole's confident and ready for whatever is about to happen.

Bitch, I'm the man of the year
Cole is on top of the world and at the peak of his career.

Straight through this bitch (Yeah)
Cole is relentlessly pushing through his obstacles.

What you 'sposed to do when the OG niggas don't get it?
Cole is frustrated when older, established people in the industry don't understand or appreciate his vision.

Lost what was once theirs but they won't quit it
These OGs may have lost some of their success and relevancy, but they still won't give up.

Homie, it's a new era, middle finger to the suit-wearers
Cole and his generation are taking over, and they don't care about traditional, corporate norms or authority figures.

Lemme show you how to move in a room
Cole knows how to navigate different situations and environments with ease.

For the dudes that don't got a fuckin' clue how to do this
Cole is offering his expertise to those who don't know how to operate in different settings.

Prolly worked with Cube, so to them, this a Rubik
Cole has worked with Ice Cube, and to those he's educating, it's a challenging puzzle they must figure out.

My President is black, but my jeweler's still Jewish
Barack Obama is President, but Cole's jeweler is still making money off him.

So you know it cost, he makin' a killin' off me
Cole acknowledges that his jeweler is making a lot of profit from him.

Red diamonds he designin' got me shinin'
This expensive jewelry is making Cole stand out and shine.

Spotlight cover my body, my chain blindin'
He has everyone's attention and his jewelry is so flashy that it's hard to look at.

A cop light runner, they wanna but can't find him
He's elusive like a police chase suspect, and they can't catch him.

Me and Hovi Hov, out on the same island
JAY-Z and Cole are isolating themselves from others on an island.

Took the whip to the other side of Jamaica
They drove a fancy car to the other side of Jamaica.

Seen how he was livin', said "I gotta get my weight up"
After seeing JAY-Z's luxurious lifestyle, Cole is inspired to raise his own status.

Formulated my plan, motivated by dreams
Cole developed a strategy and was driven by his aspirations.

Parlayed wit' my mans, motivated my team
He collaborated with his friends and used their support to motivate himself and others on his team.

Ced said, "Look, my niggas, we got a foot in"
His friend Cedric let him know that they've made some progress and have a chance.

Bein' good is good, that'll get you Drew Gooden
Being good is one thing, but it won't necessarily get you to an elite level like Drew Gooden.

But me, I want Jordan numbers, LeBron footin'
Cole wants the success and legacy of basketball stars Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Can't guard me, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden
He's unstoppable and compares himself to legendary coaches Vince Lombardi and John Wooden.

Garbage? Hardly, you niggas silly like Chris Farley
He's not trash, but his critics are foolish like the late comedian Chris Farley.

So like him, you'll be gone too early
Like Farley, they won't last long or make an impact.

Mama hands together like 6:30
His mother is praying and hoping for his success.

And Cole keep a thick bitch I like to call Big Shirley
Cole likes curvy women, and has a nickname for them (Big Shirley).

All my '90s niggas is gon' get it
Those who grew up in the '90s will understand his references and message.

18 and under, that's prolly gon' take a minute
Those who are younger may not immediately understand and get his music.

I'ma be here for a while, none of these clowns can hurt me
Cole is sticking around in the industry and won't be swayed by haters or critics.

At the time of this rhyme, five years 'til I know thirty
Cole is currently in his mid-twenties and understands there's more work to do before he's fully mature.

Cole World in the summer brings snow flurries
Even during the hot months of summer, Cole's music can trigger a cold, harsh response.

This next shit is in no way to boast
He's not trying to brag or show off with the next part of the song.

But my city love breakfast, 'cause niggas had toast early
Cole's city (Fayetteville, NC) loves breakfast food because many people had to eat basic toast as their only option.

Coach had us doin' jumpin' jacks
His coach had him and his team doing exercise drills.

Then sent us to the water fountain after runnin' laps
They were given a break to get a drink after doing a lot of running.

My nigga went and grabbed his bookbag, threw it on his back
One of his friends prepared themselves after seeing something ominous.

And brought it to me just to show me he was fuckin' strapped
He revealed a weapon he was carrying to let Cole know he was ready to defend himself.

We was twelve years old, how was we to know better?
He and his friend were young and didn't know any better when it came to safety and violence.

I analyzed his life and see that he was so set up
Looking back, Cole can see that his friend's life was set up for failure and danger.

Live by the trigger, 'cause no father figure
Without a strong male role model, his friend was forced to fend for himself and turn to violence.

Means you don't got a nigga comin' 'round to guide a nigga
Without a dad or father figure, there's no one to provide guidance or direction.

All you got is mama bringin' home these rotten niggas
His friend's mother wasn't making wise choices on who to bring home.

Blowin' reefers, all the teachers do is ride a nigga
His friend's teachers weren't making a positive impact in his life, and instead, they were being harsh and judgmental.

So this is who I speak fo'
Cole speaks for those who come from similar backgrounds and experiences as him and his friend.

To give the young niggas somethin' they could reach fo'
Cole wants to provide inspiration and hope for young black men to strive for something better.

You better dream, boy
He encourages them to dream big and aim high.

Yeah, I stunt, but I'm a li'l more realer
Cole may show off his wealth and success, but he's still genuine and authentic.

When it come from the heart, don't it feel mo' iller?
Authenticity and passion make experiences and messages more impactful and meaningful.

Watch my flow go bananas, I'm a li'l gorilla
Cole's flow and style are wild and untamed, like a gorilla.

So pardon me, man, y'all gon' have to pardon me
He apologizes in advance if he comes off too strong or is too confident.

They say I rep that 'Ville too much, but that shit just a part of me
Some may think Cole talks about Fayetteville too much, but it's just part of his identity.

It's flowin' out through my arteries, who hard as me? You JV, I'm varsity
His love for his city and background is in his blood and DNA. He's on a higher level than those who don't understand or respect his perspective.

No field trip, ain't hard to see, this real shit, you R&B
He's not playing around or pretending like some others in the industry; he's genuine and authentic. Other artists, on the other hand, are 'R&B,' or basically playing make-believe.

Seen a movie wit' yo' bitch in it, and listen it, was starrin' me
He's so popular and ubiquitous that he was even in the movie his listener (and their girlfriend) watched.

(Woo!) That boy Simba crazy
He's like a crazy lion, fearless and dominant.

Hotter that Ike Turner temper, you December, maybe
His anger is more intense than Ike Turner's, and he's so hot that he can even warm up the cold winter (December).

And though you wish me well, I know deep down you wish I'd fail
Even though people give him supportive messages, he knows some secretly hope he'll fail.

It's Judgment Day, I'm here to give you pussy niggas hell
He's not playing around anymore and ready to punish his haters.

And some food for thought, I can serve a plate
He's serving up some deep, insightful content for his listeners to ponder.

Wit' dessert to take, wit' dessert to take
He's going to give his listeners a satisfying conclusion and resolution to his message.

Yeah, I heard the hate, but the wait is fuckin' over
He's heard all the negative feedback, but it's finally time for him to prove everyone wrong.

It's like I'm fuckin' Oprah, well worth the wait
He's delivering on what people have been waiting for, and it's as if he's a wildly successful and beloved figure like Oprah.

Maybe over your head, I'm ahead of my time
His message may be too complex and advanced for some to understand; he's ahead of the times.

Niggas scared of my future, I know they dreadin' my prime
His enemies and critics are scared of how successful and prominent he'll become in the future when he's in his prime.

'Cause I only made classics, now what that take? Timing
He's only made hits and classics because he knew when to release them and how to craft them.

Cole under pressure, what that make? Diamonds
Under stress and pressure, Cole produces impressive and valuable work, like diamonds.