Symba thinks a recent freestyle from J. Cole included a shot in his direction, and he's already gearing up to respond.
The moment came after Cole released a batch of surprise freestyles earlier this week in the form of Birthday Blizzard '26, one of which featured lyrics that quickly set social media buzzing. On the track, Cole referenced "Young Simba" while speaking on artists throwing negativity his way, adding that the only thing they should be saying is that he's like a father figure.
"Y'all toddlers to me, stop botherin' me/Young Simba, some n****s threw some hate my way/But only thing they should say is, 'Cole, you like a father to me'," rapped Cole.
While some listeners brushed it off as classic wordplay and noted Cole’s career-long propensity for Lion King references, Symba felt a shot was thrown his way, especially given the history between the two. The California rapper had previously criticized Cole after the Dreamville founder stepped away from the high-profile rap battle involving Kendrick Lamar in 2024.
Symba addressed the situation during a call-in appearance on the Rory and Mal Podcast, making it clear he saw Cole’s lyric as intentional.
"I'm pulling up to the studio, and I think you know what I'm gon' do," Symba said. "I took that [diss] as a sign of respect for him to mention me. For him to take the time to address that, it's all we ask for in hip-hop."
But Symba wasn't feeling the father-figure comparison.
"But you're not my father," he added. "My father shot at police. He don't duck smoke."
Despite the competitive energy, Symba still expressed respect for Cole and said he's looking forward to hearing his upcoming project The Fall-Off. At the same time, he made it clear he's not letting the perceived jab slide without a response.
Whether intentional or not, the lyric has already sparked plenty of debate, and if Symba follows through on his studio plans, hip-hop fans could soon hear a response track that clears up exactly how he feels about Cole's words.