Lil Yachty‘s 2023 just keeps getting better and better. Out of nowhere on Thursday night (September 28), the Atlanta-bred MC released a new song exclusively on YouTube titled “The Secret Recipe.” Including a feature from J. Cole, making for their first-ever collaboration, Yachty’s new offering consists of solely two verses, where both artists attack the beat with ferocity.
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Yachty opens the first half of the track with a glistening, massive chip on his shoulder, calling out unnamed skeptics for never giving him the credit he deserves.
The standards have collapsed, they wrote me in with lames
They treat me like I’m them, they hate I overcame
Refuse to pat my back, refuse to shake my hand
Refuse to give me props when I am not around
Refuse to act like I ain’t shift the sound, like I ain’t push the culture
Next, over the saxophone-infused production, Cole steps onto the recording with the justifiable confidence of a seasoned veteran, which he certainly is at this stage of the game. Including his patented basketball allusions and accusations of rappers that are “fake gangsters,” Cole meets his high standards with perceived ease.
These bitches out here lookin’ like Steph on the late contest
Wide open, shootin’ they shot, don’t even waste your breath
I been stop fuckin’ you thots, ain’t got no patience left
Save that shit for one of them niggas that rock the fake Pateks
My paper stretched just like a Laker before he break a sweat
Signed, the greatest yet
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But, while much of the hip-hop community was blissfully pleased with the arrival of “The Secret Recipe,” some fans felt that one of Cole’s lyrics was meant to be a diss towards fellow rapper NBA YoungBoy. Rapping Incomin’ call, press the button, the one that say accept / He FaceTime to ask for a feature and saw the face of death, J. Cole is thought to have been sending a shot at YoungBoy, responding to a diss YB aimed at him earlier this year.
On his song “Fuck The Industry Pt. 2,” released in April, YB appeared to be angry with J. Cole about the fact that he chose to do a song with Lil Durk instead of him. Considering Durk and YB have been in a years-long beef, YB likely took Cole’s decision as a firm stance on who he supports in the dispute.
J a ho, that n***a played it cold, like he was gon’ do a feature
So I texted his line a muscle sign, I swear it’s gon’ be nice to meet you
However, Cole’s manager and president of his Dreamville label Ib Hamad did not see it this way. Taking to Twitter on Friday (September 29), hours after the song was added to digital streaming platforms, Hamad called Fans’ theory far-fetched.
“I’m pretty sure this is [cap emoji],” he tweeted, as “cap” is a slang term for a “lie.” “Not sure how y’all heard that cole verse and put that together, impressive.”
Regardless of the mild drama, “The Secret Recipe” is the latest addition to a special run from Yachty so far this year. Including an experimental, psychedelic rock album and multiple fan-favorite songs like “Strike (Holster)” and “Half Doin Dope” with J.I.D., 2023 has seen Yachty elevate to new heights, thanks to a newfound multi-faceted sound and stellar collaborations.
Check out “The Secret Recipe” below.
Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
