J. Cole’s ‘Clouds’ Explores Worries on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Technology

J. Cole took the stage at the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival held at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 7, 2024, as captured by Prince Williams/FilmMagic.

The acclaimed rapper has returned with his first new song of 2025 and used this opportunity to express some concerns about artificial intelligence. Relatedly, J. Cole recently clarified any misconceptions regarding “The Fall-Off” in a new blog post on January 29, 2025.

On Thursday (February 20), Cole released Clouds through his Inevitable blog. The song delves into various themes, with DZL and Omens atmospheric beat serving as the backdrop for J. Cole to explore the implications of AI on artistry.

“Dont buy, subscribe so you can just stream your content/ Like rent, you wont own a thing/ Before long, all the songs the whole world singsll be generated by latest of AI regimes/ As all of our favorite artists erased by it scream/ From the wayside, Aye, whatever happened to human beings?”

Although Cole did not elaborate much in his blog post about Clouds, he shared some insights into his motivation for releasing new music. He wrote, “Just wanted to share… I made this a few days ago, then I added a second verse and was like, ‘Man I got a blog now, I can put whatever I want up there.'”

In another part of the song, Cole alludes to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Philadelphia rally in June. He raps:

“Im that bass in your trunk, the bullet that missed Trump/ The gun that jammed cause it seemed God had other plans,”

Clouds marks Coles first new song since he uploaded the YouTube original Port Antonio last October. That track saw him address his controversial decision to apologize for criticizing Kendrick Lamar and stepping away from a potential rap rivalry with the latter.

To listen to “Clouds,” follow this link.