J. Cole Channels Biggie and Tupac on The Fall-Off Track “What If”

J. Cole has officially released his long-awaited album The Fall-Off, delivering exactly what fans expected: dense lyricism, layered concepts, and extended verses that demand close listening. One of the standout moments on the project’s second disc is “What If,” a track that imagines an alternate timeline where the legendary feud between The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur never spiraled into tragedy.

On the song, Cole raps from Biggie’s perspective in the first verse and Tupac’s in the second, crafting a hypothetical exchange that reconsiders the East Coast–West Coast rivalry before it reached a breaking point beyond “Hit ’Em Up.” Biggie’s verse unfolds as a reflective letter to Pac, expressing lingering love despite the public fallout, recalling visits after Pac was shot, questioning the reasons behind the diss records, and criticizing the media’s role in fueling a coast-versus-coast narrative.

That letter becomes the foundation for the second verse, where Cole steps into Tupac’s mindset. In this reimagined reality, Pac never travels to Las Vegas, and instead opens up about his emotional vulnerability, his sense of betrayal, and the personal reasons that pushed him toward conflict. Both verses ultimately end with apologies, a striking parallel to Cole’s own recurring themes of accountability, growth, and reconciliation.

“What If” stands out as one of The Fall-Off’s most ambitious and thought-provoking tracks—and also one of its most polarizing. Its conceptual depth ensures it will continue to spark conversation as listeners unpack the album.

Notably, Biggie and Tupac do not appear on the song through samples or vocal clips. Instead, Cole relies purely on storytelling. Still, his reverence for the Bad Boy era surfaced elsewhere recently, as he rapped over classic-inspired production—including nods to “Who Shot Ya?”—on his Birthday Blizzard ’26 freestyles hosted by DJ Clue.

Beyond “What If,” The Fall-Off features a diverse lineup of collaborators. Future appears on “Run A Train,” Tems joins Cole on “Bunce Road Blues,” North Carolina staple Petey Pablo features on “Old Dog,” and Burna Boy lends his voice to “Only You.”

As fans continue to analyze the album track by track, “What If” has already cemented itself as a bold creative exercise. For hip-hop historians and longtime fans alike, it represents a compelling reexamination of one of rap’s most consequential rivalries—reimagined through the pen of one of its most introspective modern voices.