Kenny Lofton
J. Cole Lyrics

[Verse 1: J. Cole]
Get paid a pretty penny for my thoughts
I'm Hardaway with grammar, I'm hot

[Bridge:]
I seen it all at this young age
The only thing left to do is die and hit front page
Should I knock on wood and pray like God forbid
These hoes be poppin' pills, these niggas be poppin' shit, bitch

[Hook:]
Pac on the mic in his prime
They only care 'bout a nigga when he writing a rhyme, boy
Kenny Lofton you feelin' my pace?
They only care 'bout a nigga when he stealin' the base
It's like I'm Wilt the Stilt, I'm fucking them all
They only care 'bout a nigga when he dunkin' the ball
And it breaks my heart
The world’s a stage and I'm just playing my part

[Verse 2: J. Cole]
Just caught fire like a young Richard Pryor with unforgettable quotes
They only care 'bout a nigga when tellin' a joke
Or when he's sellin' his dope
They tell the reverend "Man, I rather get to heaven with coke
Then live in hell and be broke"
Shout out to black man who beat the odds by yellin' for hope
Today he asked if I could Twitter y'all and tell you to vote
My nigga, how could I, knowing what I know
It's a game of charades, masquerade for the dough
Read the teleprompter these niggas is actors on the low
Yeah I voted for the nigga cause he got the best show
Like I got the best flow
On your mark, set, go
Mama got us out the hood but we still ghetto

[Bridge:]
[Hook:]

[Verse 3: Young Jeezy]
I said, you wouldn't know the truth if it was right there in your face
See I can't explain the feeling when feds surround your place
In that pj Rose, I drink that shit by the case
Like somebody pray for me, Reverend Run, Pastor Mase
See I do this for my homie he got caught with a soft eight
When I say a soft eight, yeah that's two less than ten
If they let him out today he gon' do it all again
Say he lost the first time it won't stop until he win
Street life will have you drunk, I'm talkin serious Gin
Screamin' Scarface, but we all know how that ends
Every word is like dope, you can snort it like lines
If I said it, then I meant it, they reciting' every line
If I had to write a book, it would be the Life & Times
Every verse is that work, you can weight it like a nine
You see I lost a lot of niggas and it broke my heart
Life is staged I just play my part

[Hook:]

The lyrics of J. Cole's “Kenny Lofton” describe the hard realities of life as an artist and the fickleness of fame. The song opens with a sense of betrayal and hurt, with J. Cole expressing his disappointment in someone who lied to him. The first verse establishes J. Cole's persona as a successful rapper who makes a lot of money by simply sharing his thoughts. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that he is only valued for his skills on the mic or his ability to sell drugs or play basketball. The second verse sees J. Cole reflecting on the corruption in the world of politics and the media's complicitness in covering it up. J. Cole also takes indirect jabs at other artists who appear to be more interested in fame and fortune than using their platforms for good.

Throughout the song, J. Cole references iconic figures that represent the trappings of fame, such as Tupac and Wilt Chamberlain, as well as his childhood experiences and the struggles of his community. The chorus of the song reminds listeners that the world is like a stage, and everyone is merely playing their part. Overall, “Kenny Lofton” is a poignant commentary on the illusions of fame and the importance of staying true to oneself.

Hurt, to think that you lied to me
The pain of being lied to is deep and upsetting

Hurt, way down deep inside of me
The hurt is profound and goes beyond just surface level

And it breaks my heart...
The emotional turmoil caused by the deception is overwhelming

Get paid a pretty penny for my thoughts
J. Cole values his intellectual capacity and is well compensated for it

I'm Hardaway with grammar, I'm hot
J. Cole sees himself as a skilled wordsmith like basketball player Penny Hardaway

They only care 'bout a nigga when he hand the rock
People only take notice of J. Cole when he's holding the ball (metaphor for attention)

Or when he dishing the pill, or when he grippin' the steel
People also pay attention to J. Cole when he's showing off his skills in the music industry or when he's asserting himself in a dangerous situation

Bailing out my brother, telling the lawyer "get the appeal"
J. Cole is dedicated to helping his loved ones, even if it means spending a lot of money

With the flick of the pen write the check and he out
J. Cole is financially secure enough to be able to help his brother without worrying about the cost

Two years later he be at my shows checking me out
J. Cole's brother is proud of him and enjoys seeing him perform

Know he proud of lil bro and how my records be out
J. Cole's brother is proud of his success in the music industry

Flashbacks to childhood when he was deckin' me out
J. Cole thinks back to a time when his brother used to beat him up

Now it's clear lil Maine is the best mc out
J. Cole feels that he is one of the best rappers in the industry

Hands down, flow water, can't drown
J. Cole is comfortable in his own abilities and knows he can't be beaten

My flow father, go harder, Cole smarter
J. Cole is proud of his own progression over time

Shout out to fiends in Queens, I'm team no daughters
J. Cole is supportive of the people in Queens, but prefers not to have children

I seen it all at this young age
J. Cole has experienced a lot in his life despite his young age

The only thing left to do is die and hit front page
J. Cole feels like he's already accomplished so much that the only thing left for him is to die and be remembered

Should I knock on wood and pray like God forbid
J. Cole is aware of his own mortality and is somewhat superstitious

These hoes be poppin' pills, these niggas be poppin' shit, bitch
J. Cole believes that people are often more concerned with their own pleasure than they are with their own wellbeing

Pac on the mic in his prime
J. Cole is reminiscing about the greatness of Tupac Shakur

They only care 'bout a nigga when he writing a rhyme, boy
People are only interested in J. Cole when he's producing new music

Kenny Lofton you feelin' my pace?
J. Cole compares himself to baseball player Kenny Lofton, asking if people appreciate his speed

They only care 'bout a nigga when he stealin' the base
People only take notice of J. Cole when he's doing something impressive or unexpected

It's like I'm Wilt the Stilt, I'm fucking them all
J. Cole feels like a dominant force in the industry

They only care 'bout a nigga when he dunkin' the ball
People only care about J. Cole when he's doing something impressive and flashy

The world’s a stage and I'm just playing my part
J. Cole is aware that he's just one small part of a larger story

Just caught fire like a young Richard Pryor with unforgettable quotes
J. Cole feels like he's making a big impact with his music, much like comedian Richard Pryor did with his jokes

They only care 'bout a nigga when tellin' a joke
J. Cole believes people are only interested in him when he's being entertaining

Or when he's sellin' his dope
People are also interested in J. Cole when he's making money

They tell the reverend "Man, I rather get to heaven with coke
J. Cole is critical of people who prioritize short-term pleasure over their own wellbeing

Then live in hell and be broke"
J. Cole believes it's better to have less materially but be emotionally stable

Shout out to black man who beat the odds by yellin' for hope
J. Cole is supportive of people who overcome obstacles to achieve their goals

Today he asked if I could Twitter y'all and tell you to vote
J. Cole's friend is politically active and wants J. Cole to help him spread awareness

My nigga, how could I, knowing what I know
J. Cole is reluctant to take a stand on a political issue

It's a game of charades, masquerade for the dough
J. Cole doesn't have faith in the political system

Read the teleprompter these niggas is actors on the low
J. Cole sees politicians as performative and insincere

Yeah I voted for the nigga cause he got the best show
J. Cole admits to blindly supporting a candidate without fully believing in their policies

Like I got the best flow
J. Cole believes his own abilities are on par with the candidate's entertainment value

On your mark, set, go
J. Cole is ready to take on the competition

Mama got us out the hood but we still ghetto
J. Cole came from a poor background but still identifies with his roots

I said, you wouldn't know the truth if it was right there in your face
Young Jeezy believes that people are often blinded by their own biases and can't see the truth

See I can't explain the feeling when feds surround your place
Young Jeezy has experienced being targeted by law enforcement

In that pj Rose, I drink that shit by the case
Young Jeezy drinks his champagne (PJ Rose) in large quantities

Like somebody pray for me, Reverend Run, Pastor Mase
Young Jeezy is seeking spiritual guidance

See I do this for my homie he got caught with a soft eight
Young Jeezy is inspired by a friend who was caught with drugs

When I say a soft eight, yeah that's two less than ten
Young Jeezy is using drug slang to describe the amount of drugs his friend had

If they let him out today he gon' do it all again
Young Jeezy believes his friend is likely to continue engaging in illegal activity

Say he lost the first time it won't stop until he win
Young Jeezy believes his friend is willing to keep trying until he successfully achieves his goals

Street life will have you drunk, I'm talkin serious Gin
Young Jeezy believes that living in dangerous environments can lead to substance abuse

Screamin' Scarface, but we all know how that ends
Young Jeezy is referencing the movie Scarface, which ends in the main character's death

Every word is like dope, you can snort it like lines
Young Jeezy is proud of the quality of his music

If I said it, then I meant it, they reciting' every line
Young Jeezy's fans take his lyrics seriously and memorize them

If I had to write a book, it would be the Life & Times
Young Jeezy feels like his life is interesting enough to be turned into a book

Every verse is that work, you can weight it like a nine
Young Jeezy takes pride in the quality and craftsmanship of his music

You see I lost a lot of niggas and it broke my heart
Young Jeezy is mourning the loss of close friends

Life is staged I just play my part
Young Jeezy believes that people are all actors in the larger story of life

Contributed by Colin J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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