I was saying that I made The Fall-Off with intentions, like, yo, when I was making that album, I was making it like, damn, it's gonna be my last shit. Luckily, by the time I got to the last album, like, or to actually finishing the album, because of, you know, circumstances, it's like, oh, nah, like, nah, I never say I'm gonna retire. I don't know whenever the next thing is gonna happen, but it's like, I'm definitely not gonna say no. - J. Cole said in a recent interview

What is J. Cole talking about? He's not retiring now? Look, I'm not coming on here trying to rain on the parade of the J. Cole fans who are now excited at the prospect of new J. Cole music, more J. Cole music down the road at some point. But we can't sit here and act like it means absolutely nothing for J. Cole to have built up the narrative for years that The Fall-Off is my last album, after this I'm retiring, after this it's all done.

Now all of a sudden, he's just kind of like, yeah, not only am I not retiring, but I already kind of figured I wasn't going to retire by the time I actually finished the album. And then I toured with countless fans of mine buying tickets under the presumption that I was going to be retiring, so this might actually be their last chance to see me. Which, yeah, when people are operating under that assumption, they're going to give you a successful tour. If J. Cole wants to keep coming out with music, that's fine. Let them. Totally cool. But don't be surprised if now, as J. Cole continues to keep it pushing, people are a little less enthusiastic because you told them you were leaving.

You told them this was your last hoorah. And now all of a sudden, it's just not.