J. Cole uses Eminem’s ’99 flow in a new song from his new album

Today, on February 6, 2026, J. Cole has released his long-awaited seventh studio album, The Fall-Off, finally arriving after nearly a decade of buildup and fan anticipation. The project is a double album composed of 24 tracks divided into two narrative discs — Disc 29, reflecting on Cole’s return to his Fayetteville roots at age 29, and Disc 39, offering introspective, mature perspectives from his current life as a 39-year-old husband, father, and two-time Grammy winner. Critics and listeners alike have praised the album’s lyrical depth and structural ambition, noting how it encapsulates his career’s evolution while still pushing into new thematic territory.

Beyond its conceptual framing, The Fall-Off blends personal storytelling with broader cultural commentary, and features contributions from artists like Future, Tems, Erykah Badu, Westside Gunn, and Burna Boy that enrich its sonic palette. The project’s rollout — marked by a teaser trailer, limited pre-release mixtape, and unique fan-centric engagement strategies — underscores Cole’s desire to connect his growth as an artist directly with his core audience, resisting typical industry promotional tropes in favor of a more intentional artistic expression.

J. Cole has openly acknowledged that some of his earliest musical development was shaped by listening to and studying established hip-hop artists, including Eminem. According to interviews and discussions about his artistic inspirations, Cole listed Eminem among the influential figures he admired growing up and has said that his first attempts at rapping were heavily inspired by Eminem’s style, even describing his earliest songs as sounding like a mix of Eminem and Nas — a testament to how formative those early influences were in helping him find his voice as a lyricist.

Though Cole’s broader influences also include icons like Tupac, Jay-Z, Nas, and André 3000, Eminem’s impact was particularly noticeable in his willingness to experiment with complex flows, intricate storytelling, and emotional vulnerability — hallmarks of early Eminem records. Over time, Cole synthesized these inspirations into his own distinct style, but the foundational role of Eminem helped push him to refine his technique and lyrical ambition. In interviews and comments over the years, Cole has expressed respect for Eminem’s craft, noting that listening to his records as a young artist helped shape Cole’s understanding of rhythm, cadence, and the power of narrative in hip-hop.

In his song “WHO TF IZ U” from the new album, Cole absolutely murdered the beat with Eminem’s flow in the second verse. The flow is similar to most of the songs from Eminem’s Slim Shady era (1997-1999), specifically “I’m Shady” and “Murder, Murder.” You can bump the song below: