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Lil Yachty, J. Cole Cook Up ‘The Secret Recipe’ on New Collab

By Charisma Madarang

Charisma Madarang

Lil Yachty , who dropped his psychedelic relaunch Let’s Start Here in January, rolled out his new single “The Secret Recipe” featuring J. Cole on Thursday.

The offering pairs a jazz-infused beat against hard-hitting bars that see Yachty deliver the verse: “I don’t smoke weed, already blunt, all of my cars, I had to hunt/My doggy young as hell but still will step, we call him runt/Like window shoppers, I see through every front.”

The rapper echoed a sentiment he shared during an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, when asked about the role psychedelics played in the recording process. “None. Zero. I can’t record music on drugs. I have to be fully sober,” he said at the time. “But I’ve done it enough times to know what I want. I don’t have to be high to make it sound high.”

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Last month, Yachty continued his hot streak with spacey new song “ Tesla ,” which led a four-song single pack/EP of the same name.

In January, J. Cole reunited with Cordae and Anderson .Paak for “T wo Tens ,” nearly four years after they formed their musical trifecta for the first time on “RNP.”

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Lil Yachty and J. Cole Share Video for New Song “The Secret Recipe”: Watch

J. Cole Lil Yachty in “The Secret Recipe”

Lil Yachty and J. Cole have come together for the new song and music video “ The Secret Recipe .” Check out the new video, directed by Lil Yachty and AMD Visuals , below.

While “The Secret Recipe” is J. Cole and Lil Yachty’s first collaborative song, the rappers share a bit of a history. In 2011 and 2012, when he was 14 years old, Lil Yachty tweeted a number of anti-Cole remarks , such as, “ i just dont like j.cole.... never said he wasnt good ,” and, “ FUCKJCOLE. ”

Years later, in 2016, Lil Yachty discussed the tweets in an interview , “I honestly can’t explain it. I don’t know why. Back in the day, I was heavy on saying, ‘Fuck J. Cole.’ I don’t know why. His music is so lyrical—let me clear this up.”

He continued, “I fuck with J. Cole as a person. I don’t listen to J. Cole. But I have nothing against J. Cole. I was young, and I was just talking shit, trolling. I never thought I was gonna be a rapper.”

Yachty concluded, “I have no issues with J. Cole or his music, and if we ever bump into each other, I don’t wanna any problems.”

Later, in December 2016, J. Cole released the song “ Everybody Dies ,” featuring the following lyrics:

Clap at the fake deep rappers The OG gatekeep rappers The would-you-take-a-break-please rappers Bunch of words and ain’t sayin’ shit, I hate these rappers ’Specially the amateur eight-week rappers Lil’ whatever, just another short-bus rapper Fake drug dealers turn tour bus trappers

The “Lil’ whatever” lyric, in particular, led many to believe that J. Cole was dissing Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert. After hearing the song, Lil Yachty said , “Honestly, I don’t give a fuck. I fuck with J. Cole, bro! I don’t listen to J. Cole, but I fuck with J. Cole.” He also brought up his teenage tweets and said, “I hope that he doesn’t feel any type of way.”

Lil Uzi Vert also responded to “Everybody Dies,” tweeting , “Heard some beautiful shit today @JColeNC 🔥💯. 😈®.” J. Cole, incidentally, recently collaborated with Lil Uzi Vert, co-producing the “ Blood Moon .”

“The Secret Recipe” follows Lil Yachty’s latest studio album, Let’s Start Here. , and J. Cole’s 2021 album, The Off-Season .

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Lil Yachty on His Rock Album ‘Let’s Start Here,’ Rapping With J. Cole, and What’s Next

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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Lil Yachty

Nowhere in the rap star manual does it say that a guaranteed formula for success is to “make psychedelic rock album with almost no rapping.” Yet that is exactly what Lil Yachty did with “Let’s Start Here,” his fifth full album but first rock project, after years as a top rapper with hits like “One Night,” “Minnesota,” “Oprah’s Bank Account” and guest spots on Kyle’s smash “iSpy,” Dram’s “Broccoli,” Calvin Harris’ “Faking It” and others.

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Popular on variety.

Are these the first dates you’re playing behind this new album?

At the album listening session, people did not seem to know what to think.

No! I didn’t know what people would expect, but I knew they wouldn’t expect that. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never been more confident with a body of work, so my chest was out. I didn’t think anyone would be like, “Oh, this sucks.” I genuinely felt like even if you didn’t like it, if you’re a music head, you’d have some kind of respect for the body of work itself, and for an artist to pivot and make something in such a complete, utter, opposite direction from what came before.

You said the people you played the album for included Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator — all of whom have made moves something like that in the past.

I’ll tell you, Tyler was a big reason for this album. He’ll call me at like eight o’clock in the morning — for no reason — and we’ll talk for hours. I was such a fan of [Tyler’s Grammy-winning 2019 album] “Igor,” his character and his way of creating a world — the color palettes, the videos, the billboards, the fonts. It’s all together. And I was like “How do you do that?” Because I was trying to figure out how to make a pop-funk-psychedelic-rock album cohesive, without it sounding like someone’s playlist. Then I started working on the visuals, and what I wanted to do was extremely expensive. To be quite honest, I don’t think my label believed in it enough to give me the budget that I truly needed for the visuals to bring this album to life, so I just made two videos.

Tyler and Drake both called me before my first show — I didn’t even tell them the show was happening but they both called me. That means something to me, because those people are my idols. I remember the day Kanye tweeted [Tyler’s 2011 single] “Yonkers,” I was in eighth grade. So them checking on me means a lot.

Is it a lonely feeling, sticking your neck out creatively like that?

Yeah, at first it was, but another thing Tyler taught me was not to be afraid of that. I was so scared before those first shows, like, “What if they don’t wanna hear it?” Tyler would always say, “Fuck it, make them feel you.”

Like, on the first show of this tour, I told the [sound crew], “Play psychedelic music before I go on, don’t play hip-hop” — but right before I went on they played a Playboi Carti song and I heard the crowd turning up and I was like, “Oh no, they’re gonna hate me!” And when I came out, I have in-ears [onstage monitors] and I have them set so you can’t really hear the crowd, it’s like dead silence. But I just kept going, and then my rap set comes and they go fucking crazy and that gives me confidence, and when I did the big rock outro on “Black Seminole,” they all started clapping. And for me it was the biggest “Oh, thank God,” because I couldn’t tell if they were fucking with it.

Is it exciting being in such a risky place creatively?

You were a teenager.

Exactly, But I still wanted respect, you know? I cared! My career was never solidified, I felt like folks were writing me off, so when I was making “Let’s Start Here,” I was at a point in my career where I did not have a hit rap record — it was like, “Man, this could really go left!” But I didn’t start thinking about that till I got deep into it. When I started, I was just like, “Man, I really love this stuff. Why don’t I hear anything like this now? No one makes psychedelic songs anymore.” I do psychedelics and I knew I wanted to make a psychedelic album. I love long songs, I love to just get deep into them — that’s why I love [Pink Floyd’s 1973 classic] “Dark Side of the Moon.”

I was on psychedelics when I first heard it and I would listen and just be like maaan. Like, bro, how can music make me feel like this? How can music make my brain just go to a new dimension? And how did you do that in 1973? I was like, can I do this? And obviously my answer was no. I mean, no offense, but how many rappers successfully made a rock album?

Almost none.

That’s what I’m saying. I think one of them was Kid Cudi’s rock album — I love it but a lot of people hated it. It’s not a full rock album, but it has a strong rock element to it.

Where did the rock influences come from, your parents?

My dad played a lot of Coldplay, a lot of Radiohead, John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, a lot of John Coltrane, and I’m named after Miles Davis. My family loved James Brown, my dad loved Pharrell. He actually didn’t play Pink Floyd to me, but I’m glad I heard it as an adult.

I tried to make “Let’s Start Here” five years ago — “Lil Boat 2” was supposed to be “Let’s Start Here” with teenage emotions, but I was too young. I got too nervous to experiment on my rap record, and I didn’t have much experience or knowledge in alternative music. I met [“Let’s Start Again” collaborator] Jeremiah Raisan and tried again with the next album, but I chickened out and made another rap album. But when I had that conversation with Tyler, I was like “I’ve gotta do this, let me get that guy back.”

You had a hit with “Poland” — why isn’t it on the album?

That’s what I battled with, but at some point, you have to trust yourself. In the middle of making the album, “Poland” was a huge Internet hit and people were like, “You gotta put it on the album.” But I was like, it doesn’t fit! Just because it’s a hit record doesn’t mean it makes sense anywhere on this record. I was so focused on making my Black “Dark Side of the Moon.” And there is a small rap verse on the album, at the end of “Drive Me Crazy.”

You’ve said you recorded a hip-hop album after you finished “Let’s Start Here,” what’s it like?

What do you want to do next?

I get off tour around Christmas, and in January I’m starting a new album. I don’t know what it is yet, I don’t want to say “alternative.” I have rap album, but I just decided I’m gonna keep dropping songs [from it] until my next [non-rap] album is done.

Do you know who you want to work with on the next album?

So many people, obviously I want to do it on mostly with the band I made the record with, [writers/producers] Justin and Jeremiah Raisen, Jake Portrait and Patrick Wimberly. But I want to work with Donald Glover, I really want to work with Florence from Florence and the Machine. Sampha, Frank [Ocean], Buddy Ross, who worked with Frank. Chris Martin, Bon Iver, Solange, Mike Dean.

I’ve just been exploring, doing things that people wouldn’t expect. Even if I’m not the best at something, let’s just try, let’s explore, let’s create new things.

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Lil Yachty, J. Cole The Secret Recipe

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Lil Yachty and J. Cole Unite on New Single and Video "The Secret Recipe"

Hopping on Yachty's latest—which is more 'Let's Start Here' than "Poland"—Cole takes a moment to point out that once he’s “on your song, your streams going up,” even if it’s “not quite the Drake effect.”

Lil Yachty ’s looking to continue a damn near flawless run with an unexpected J. Cole collaboration filled with live instrumentation and introspective bars.

The new Yachty/AMD Visuals co-directed video for “The Secret Recipe” sees the Let’s Start Here creator lock in comfortably with the 16-time Grammy-nominated Cole, who we last heard in August alongside Gucci Mane on Mike Will Made-It’s “There I Go.” In addition to the exciting deviation that was Yachty’s latest album, the 26-year-old has powered through the year with singles like “Strike (Holster)” and, just a month ago, “Tesla.”

But circling back to that word for a second, "unexpected." Talking to Complex’s Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo this week , Lil Boat—who just embarked on his 39-date Field Trip Tour—reminded fans, “I’m just an artist, and you should never expect anything because I will always do something unexpected. Just don't expect it. … You know, I hate to disappoint, but I'm here to disappoint if you start expecting shit.”

lil yachty j cole

“I Just Care a Lot”: Lil Yachty Opens up About His Tour and Friendship With Drake

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On "The Secret Recipe," Cole, 38, takes a moment to flex about the attention he brings other artists when he turns in a guest verse, rapping, “I’m on your song, your streams going up/Not quite the Drake Effect , but don’t complain bitch, take what you get and cut the label check.”

A press release fittingly proclaims that the track "embodies hip-hop’s competitive essence as both Yachty and Cole unpack their frustrations with the rap game while addressing the undeniable influence they’ve had on the culture throughout their careers."

While Cole’s been quiet on the album front since May 2021, this year he helped propel Lil Durk’s Almost Healed single “All My Life” to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s been on the chart for 19 weeks and currently sits at a strong No. 16. Durk wasted no time admitting Cole "smoked my ass on that."

See Lil Yachty and J. Cole connect on “The Secret Recipe”—which is definitely more Let's Start Here than "Poland"—above via YouTube, and catch the song on Spotify and Apple Music soon.

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J. cole continues impressive feature run in lil yachty’s “the secret recipe.”.

"My greatest flex is that I made a milli', feel like I'm Bangladesh."

By Regina Cho

Associate News Editor

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Lil Yachty has recruited one of Hip-Hop’s most sought after emcees to assist him in his latest music video. On his newly released “THE SECRET RECIPE.” track, J. Cole swoops in with another expertly executed guest verse, continuing his ongoing infamous run of impressive features.

Diddy Allegedly Threatened To Cut J. Cole's Throat Years Ago Over Kendrick Lamar

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CONCRETE BOY BOAT^ (@lilyachty)

Other records the “No Role Modelz” rapper has lended bars to this year alone are “All My Life” with Lil Durk, “on the street” with j-hope, “Passport Bros” with labelmate Bas, “There I Go” with Gucci Mane, and “To Summer, From Cole – Audio Hug” with Summer Walker.

Fans hoping to catch a live show from the “Poland” artist are in luck, as he is currently out on his headlining tour. The Field Trip Tour kicked off on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C., and will hit major cities like Montreal, Boston, Toronto, Las Vegas, and more. The trek will come to a close with a finale show in Atlanta on Nov. 8.

Outside of his own releases, the Georgia-raised spitter can be heard dropping guest verses on recent tracks like “Taylor Port Junkie” by Rylo Rodriguez and “Boat Interlude” by Veeze. He’s also been having fun making surprise appearances on Drake’s current  It’s All A Blur Tour.

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Lil Yachty and J. Cole Link for "THE SECRET RECIPE."

Arriving with an accompanying music video directed by amd visuals..

Lil Yachty and J. Cole surprised fans with the release of their collaborative track “THE SECRET RECIPE.”

The joint hears Yachty and Cole open up about their frustrations with the rap game and the influence they’ve had on the culture, while a psychedelic-jazz sonic background supports the honest, hard-hitting bars the pair deliver. Its accompanying music video, helmed by AMD Visuals, is a simple one that sees the two performing the track in what looks like an intimate venue — really encouraging audiences to listen to the music and pay more attention to what Cole and Yachty are saying.

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lil yachty j cole

Lil Yachty Taps J. Cole For Surprise New Track "The Secret Recipe."

lil-yachty-the-secret-recipe

Lil Yachty has been on a roll this year. From his album Let's Start Here to his wide array of singles, 2023 has been the year of Lil Yachty. Moreover, he is currently besties with Drake. He has the inside track on For All The Dogs , and fans are curious what the artist's next direction will be. Overall, Yachty's growth since 2016 has been very fun to watch. It feels like he is dropping new tracks almost every week, and fans are definitely grateful . On Friday, he came through again, this time with a single featuring J. Cole .

Below, you can find the lowkey music video to a track called "The Secret Recipe." On this song, we get a psychedelic jazz instrumental that will make people think of Yachty's album from earlier in the year. That said, the vibe of this track is much different. It contains Yachty starting off the track with a plethora of off-kilter bars. Halfway through the song, J. Cole comes in the mix where he pretty much puts the entire industry on notice.

Read More: Lil Yachty On Hiring All Women For His Band: “I Feel Like They Rule The World”

Lil Yachty & J. Cole Link Up

It feels like Cole is going after everyone with this verse, and fans are definitely going to appreciate that. This is one of those instances where you can't help but be mesmerized by Cole and his ability to captivate you with each line. While Cole and Yachty might be an unlikely duo, it ends up working out.

Let us know what you think of this new collaboration between Lil Yachty and J. Cole, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to bring you the biggest releases from the biggest artists in the world. There are still some great projects to be released throughout 2023.

Quotable Lyrics:

Allegedly, they figured out that I'm the secret recipe The baddest hoes gon' test the E, then blame the high for wantin' sex I never wanted peace, fuck all the opps, I support Malcolm X The stack of chains is just a front Overtaxed and underwhelming, your jeweler pulled a major stunt I don't smoke weed, already blunt, all of my cars, I had to hunt

Read More: Lil Yachty Ding-Dong Ditches Random House

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J. Cole Delivers Verse Of The Year Contender On ‘Secret Recipe’ Collab With Lil Yachty

J. Cole has extended his hot streak of show-stealing verses on a surprise new collaboration with Lil Yachty , delivering what some fans are already calling the verse of the year.

“The Secret Recipe” arrived without warning on Friday (September 29), and hears the Atlanta and North Carolina rap stars trading verses over an ethereal beat that evokes Harry Fraud ‘s “Bird on a Wire” (but was actually produced by Rawbone and Yachty himself).

Lil Boat kicks things off with one of his most focused lyrical displays thus far, declaring himself “the secret recipe” behind some of your favorite rappers’ sound and style while also addressing the critics who “refuse to act like I ain’t shift the sound, like I ain’t push the culture.”

Cole World then picks up the baton and spits a clever yet cutting verse that takes aim at everything from the media and fake woke activists who “profit off of racial stress” to studio gangstas.

“Studio steppers moving extra on songs, fakin’ rep/ Only breaking bad in the lab, thought y’all was making meth/ N-ggas making threats and I laugh, that’s ’cause you ain’t a threat/ Don’t ask how I feel about no rappers, shit, they okay, I guess,” he raps.

Injecting some humor into the bars-fest, the Dreamville leader jokingly admits that his popularity isn’t quite on par with that of his close friend and competition, Drake , before referencing Cam’ron and Ma$e ‘s dedication to the “pause” game.

“Incoming call, press the button, the one that say accept/ He FaceTimed to ask for a feature and saw the face of death/ I’m on your song, your streams going up, not quite the Drake effect/ But don’t complain, bitch, take what you get and cut the label check,” he spits.

“My table set, I dine on your favorite, one verse will take his breath/ I probably put more n-ggas on pause than Cam and Mason Beth.”

Cole signs off his standout verse by declaring himself “the greatest yet.”

lil yachty j cole

While that lofty claim is up for debate, plenty of fans — including prominent Hip Hop figures and journalists — are already making the case for J. Cole’s “The Secret Recipe” verse being the best lyrical performance of 2023.

“J COLE WENT CRAZYYYYYYYYY on this Secret Recipe Track. That n-gga need to DROP MORE OFTEN,” Akademiks wrote on X shortly after the song’s midnight release.

“J. Cole is on a what… 4 or 5 year streak now of just absolutely disgusting verses, especially features,” GQ ‘s Frazier Tharpe noted.

Billboard ‘s Carl Lamarre added: “This is the same man that’s considered third place behind Drake and Kendrick. Shit crazy. It’s unfortunate because any other class, he would be the top n-gga and deservingly so. Regardless, Cole a first ballot hall of famer and top 10-15 ever to do it.”

“No exaggeration this could be one of Cole’s best verses ever,” another listener claimed.

While J. Cole has yet to put out any solo music this year outside of his contributions to the Dreamville-curated Creed III soundtrack , “The Secret Recipe” is just his latest cameo in ’23 following Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” Gucci Mane’s “There I Go,” Bas’ “Passport Bros,” Burna Boy’s “Thanks” and J-Hope’s “On the Street.”

He also gave Summer Walker a sweet “audio hug” on the intro to her Clear 2: Soft Life project, which dropped in May.

related news

May 12, 2023

Cole’s collaborative streak dates back to 2019, when he shunned the “no features” approach he had taken on albums like 2014 Forest Hills Drive , 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD . Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III compilation, released that summer, featured everyone from T.I. and DaBaby to Vince Staples and Smino.

In an editorial he wrote for The Players’ Tribune the following year, the Grammy-winner explained what inspired his change of heart when it comes to working with his peers.

“A combination of a competitive ego mixed with a deep fear of rejection had kept me from collaborating with peers that I respected all of these years and prevented me from building real friendships with them,” he admitted. “I had spent my career closed off. I didn’t want that to be the case forever.”

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You are currently viewing Lil Yachty & J. Cole, The Secret Recipe: The Lyrics & Their Meaning

Lil Yachty & J. Cole, The Secret Recipe: The Lyrics & Their Meaning

  • Post author: Laviasco
  • Post published: September 29, 2023
  • Post category: J. Cole / Lil Yachty
  • Post comments: 2 Comments
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“The Secret Recipe,” written by Lil Yachty & J. Cole, is a song released on the 28th of September, 2023. It is the first collaboration between these rappers and this song is from Lil Yachty’s 2024 album. The meaning of “The Secret Recipe” lyrics by Lil Yachty & J. Cole is to explore authenticity, identity, and hip-hop’s diverse narratives. Lil Yachty in his verse talks about his identity and self-discovery while J. Cole in his verse talks about the current state of hip-hop. The music video for “The Secret Recipe” is shot in a single take between two separate scenes and it flawlessly transitions during J. Cole’s verse.

You can listen to Lil Yachty & J. Cole’s “The Secret Recipe” below.

The first verse of “The Secret Recipe” lyrics by Lil Yachty begins with him saying people have figured out that he is the secret recipe. Here, he expresses his thoughts in an unapologetic tone. The lines like “Allegedly, they figured out that I’m the secret recipe” and “I never wanted peace, f… all the opps, I support Malcolm X” show Yachty’s unique identity and his strong political stance. He talks about his materialistic success and says it is very common in the music industry.

Lil Yachty uses the lines such as “The stack of chains is just a front” and “My doggy young as hell but still’ll step, we call him baby runt” to share the reality of the music world. He is never shy to share his perspective and his thoughts for the future. He confirms this with the line “I speak on what I need, I foresee everything I want.” Lil Yachty in his first verse reminds us that beneath the materialistic rapper identity, there is a rapper who is self-aware and who is unapologetic for his personal opinions.

The second verse “The Secret Recipe” by J. Cole exposes the fraud in the music industry. He comments on cultural appropriation and commodification of hip-hop. The rapper says many people in the industry make hip-hop music because they see hip-hop as their way out of poverty. But these rappers don’t quite understand the roots of hip-hop. He critiques them with lines such as “This nuance but I see hella influence in the way you dress” and “Y’all chasing relevance, it’s evidenced by the way you step.” Then, J. Cole talks about his personal growth and his personal journey to success in the music industry. He gives his ‘staying true to oneself’ nature credit for his success. The line “As for me, I cook so masterfully, ain’t gotta pay a chef,” means he has honed his craft and he remains genuine about it.

What Are the Lyrics of “The Secret Recipe” by Lil Yachty & J. Cole?

These are the lyrics of Lil Yachty & J. Cole’s “The Secret Recipe”  via Genius :

The Secret Recipe Lyrics [Intro: Lil Yachty] Yeah [Verse 1: Lil Yachty] Allegedly, they figured out that I’m the secret recipe The baddest h…s gon’ test the E, then blame the high for wantin’ s… I never wanted peace, f… all the opps, I support Malcolm X The stack of chains is just a front Overtaxed and underwhelming, your jeweler pulled a major stunt I don’t smoke weed, already blunt, all of my cars, I had to hunt My doggy young as hell but still’ll step, we call him baby runt Like window shoppers, I see through every front I speak on what I need, I foresee everything I want I block out anything I hate, and still the [?] too unpaid The notice went unseen, the tenants too relaxed The standards have collapsed, they wrote me in with lames They treat me like I’m them, they hate, I overcome 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 Like several vultures, they come after me Like several vultures, they come after me, still, I keep it P Yeah, we still digress, and I’m playin’ checkers, I ain’t playin’ chess ‘Cause I don’t go ’round on n…s, we go over n…s I’ll show you n…s, I’m personally nothin’ like ya and I ain’t never liked ya I’m rich as hell, I’d never fight you, I’ll have somebody snipe you My doggy lucky on the edge, holdin’ on by a thread Just like a kite, it wouldn’t cost a price And even if it did it always be right, just like I’m Bob Barker When I speak, pay attention, go over my words like highlight markers The only celebrity crush is Nikki Parker They said I got a type, said all my h…s, they look the same, they said they look too light Peep my cup, betcha couldn’t tell that it was Sprite I give a f… about her face, she walkin’ with a back-ski, I’ma strike [Break: Lil Yachty & J. Cole] For real (Yeah) I’ma strike (It’s us) I’ma strike, uh [Verse 2: J. Cole] Cole and Yachty, comin’ for they respect, come and pay your debt Just like a travel pillow, we at your neck for the way you slept This nuance but I see hella influence in the way you dress The way you sound, the way you try to move You try to stay abreast on all the latest flows and the latest tones from Generation X Y’all chasing relevance, it’s evidenced by the way you step As for me, I cook so masterfully, ain’t gotta pay a chef I’m older now, but still, I’m cuttin’ edge, I’m like a bayonet From out the ‘Ville, we ocean certified You gotta wear your vest, too many homicides A lotta slidin’, they good at makin’ decks Thanks to God, I made it out the city, most would say I’m blessed My greatest flex is that I made a milli’, feel like I’m Bangladesh I hate the press, refusin’ interviews whenever they request N…s fake-progressive and woke, I started sayin’ less I had to stop it, peeped how they profit off of racial stress Some activists got so rich, they prolly wish we stay oppressed Studio steppers movin’ extra on songs, fakin’ rep Only breakin’ bad in the lab, thought y’all was makin’ m… N…s makin’ threats and I laugh, that’s ’cause you ain’t a threat Don’t ask how I feel ’bout no rappers, s…, they okay, I guess Incomin’ call, press the button, the one that say accept He FaceTime to ask for a feature and saw the face of death I’m on your song, your streams goin’ up, not quite the Drake effect But don’t complain, b…, take what you get and cut the label check My table set, I dine on your favorite, one verse’ll take his breath I prolly put more n…s on pause than Cam and Mason Beth My agent get a whole lotta calls, it’s like he paid the ref These b…es out here lookin’ like Steph on the late contest Wide open, shootin’ they shot, don’t even waste your breath I been stop f…in’ you t…s, ain’t got no patience left Save that s… for one of them n…s that rock the fake Pateks My paper stretched just like a Laker before he break a sweat Signed, the greatest yet Lil Yachty & J. Cole’s “The Secret Recipe” Lyrics

Comment on the meaning behind the song “The Secret Recipe” lyrics by  Lil Yachty & J. Cole  below or on the Twitter handle “@laviasco”. We have also analyzed “ POLAND ” by Lil Yachty and “ Snow On Tha Bluff ” by J. Cole.

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This post has 2 comments.

lil yachty j cole

Is he also referring to method man and his albums “the m… lab” ???

lil yachty j cole

yes but i will have to censor the word cause google does not like it lol

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IMAGES

  1. Lil Yachty and J. Cole Collaborate On New Single and Visual "The Secret

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  2. Watch: Lil Yachty Drops ‘The Secret Recipe Featuring J. Cole

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  3. Lil Yachty Drops New Song 'The Secret Recipe' With J. Cole

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  5. Lil Yachty Recruits J. Cole For ‘The Secret Recipe’

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COMMENTS

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  21. Lil Yachty & J. Cole, The Secret Recipe: The Lyrics & Their Meaning

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