Cole dropped his first single of 2025 on February 20, titled “cLOUDs.” Premiering on his blog, The Algorithm, he told fans he “just wanted to share. 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…’”
Rapping about the effects of drugs and even referencing Trump’s assassination attempt, fans were feeling the new track, including NBA player Kevin Durant. However, when he went to show love online, his simple post turned into a heated debate with pestering fans.
Don’t play with KD
In a since-deleted post on X on February 22, Durant praised Cole World’s newest track, saying he doesn’t “care bout none of that fake tough guy shit. This is mastery.” Some people think “fake tough guy” was a reference and thinly veiled shot at Kendrick Lamar, but it was other fans who got Durant’s fingers typing.
Plenty of Drake fans hopped onto Durant’s page to call him out for showing love to the Dreamville rapper. The feisty fans perceived his support as a conflict of interest with his close relationship with Drake (Durant was executive producer for 2023’s Scary Hours 3).
Despite the trolls, the NBA player stood his ground. In response to one comment accusing him of getting permission from Drizzy to show support to J. Cole but only if he shades K. Dot, Durant stated that he is “throwing shade at fans like you, been hatin’ on Cole this whole time…Just listen to the music and stfu.”
Other fans said that “cLOUDs” was a solid track, but it has no playback value, and Cole’s boastful lyrics about taking out other rappers hold no weight because of his apology to Kendrick last year.
Nevertheless, Durant stayed on everyone’s head, stating that the song “gets playback in my AirPods, that’s all that matters to me.”
Wrapping up his X spree for the night, he returned to his regularly scheduled programming, calling Drake the GOAT in response to a hater. You can always count on the NBA player for two things—to clap back at trolls online (failed parlay comments really get him going) and to preach for the 6ix god. Some might say Durant’s more loyal to Drake than any NBA team he’s played for.
