J. Cole is once again addressing the Grammy Awards—this time through his music. On “OFG!,” a track from Mike WiLL Made-It’s new album R3SET, the rapper delivers one of his most direct critiques yet of the institution.
Cole’s verse leaves little room for ambiguity. “F**ck them lil sympathy GRAMMYs you n****s try hand me, don’t even want them no more. Put me right back on that list that had Pac, Biggie, Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg & The LOX, n****s like that who ain’t never get props,” he raps, rejecting what he frames as hollow recognition in favor of cultural legacy.
The line taps into a longstanding debate around the Grammys’ relationship with hip-hop. By referencing figures like Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg, and The LOX, Cole aligns himself with artists whose influence shaped the genre despite limited or nonexistent recognition from the Recording Academy.
His own history with the awards underscores that tension. Across his career, Cole has earned 18 nominations but only two wins—both as a featured artist. He took home Best Rap Song for “A Lot” with 21 Savage in 2020 and Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life” with Lil Durk in 2024. Solo projects such as 2014 Forest Hills Drive and The Off-Season were nominated but never secured a victory in major categories like Best Rap Album.
Notably, “OFG!” arrives just weeks after the release of The Fall-Off, Cole’s seventh studio album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with 280,000 equivalent album units.
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