Joe Budden Says J.Cole Is Still in Hip-Hop’s Big Three After Scoring Another Number One Album

Videos by According2HipHop

It’s been a big year for rap star J. Cole. He has already dropped a mixtape and his much-anticipated studio album, The Fall Off. His seventhy studio album sold 280,000 equivalent album units, giving Cole his seventh entry into the Billboard Hot 200 and solidifying his position as one of the top artists in the game.

Joe Budden Salutes J. Cole After Another Number One Entry

But before this year, some fans became worried about Cole. Especially after he bowed out of the 2024 feud between himself, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar. But after scoring another number one entry, Joe Budden says that Cole has reaffirmed his position in hip-hop’s “Big Three.”

“Congratulations to J. Cole, really big number,” he said, as seen in a clip shared by @gothamhiphop. “I’m really not shocked by it. He’s still the big three. I know the narrative… but he is. He’s Him, he’s in the Civic, he’s driving around, he’s meeting with his fans. Big turnouts at a lot of colleges. I saw Ak say that it was performative. What’s wrong with performers being performers? […] There’s a billion ways to be performative, look at the way that he chose and what it represents.”

The Joe Budden Podcast reacts to J. Cole’s first week sales numbers and the Trunk Sale:

“That’s superstar numbers…He is still big 3…He’s Him. He’s in the Civic…I saw Ak say that it was performative…there’s a billion ways to be performative, look at the way that he chose and… pic.twitter.com/ts5EnIHONR

— Joey (@gothamhiphop) February 24, 2026

The release of Cole’s latest project also helped him reach a significant career milestone.

Per Billboard, after the release of The Fall Off, Cole has reached 100 career entries on The Billboard Hot 100.

Out of the 24 songs on J. Cole’s double-disc album, 21 have secured a spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

During the rollout of his latest album, Cole suggested several times that he could be done with making music for a while. Even hinting at possible retirement.

But seeing the responses to The Fall Off, it appears that the rap star is just now entering his prime.