"Crocodile Tearz" is a song by American rapper

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born in a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his d ...

from his fourth mixtape ''

Might Delete Later ''Might Delete Later'' is the fourth mixtape by the American rapper J. Cole. It was released through Dreamville and Interscope Records on April 5, 2024. The mixtape features guest appearances from Young Dro, Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, Cam'ron, Centr ...

'' (2024).

Background

J. Cole previewed the song in a social media

vlog A vlog (), also known as a video blog or video log, is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one ta ...

titled "Might Delete Later, Vol. 1" on February 21, 2024.

Composition and lyrics

"Crocodile Tearz" utilizes an "eerie

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

-leaning beat" that has been described as reminiscent of the song "

Knife Talk "Knife Talk" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rappers 21 Savage and Project Pat. It was released on November 16, 2021, as the third single from Drake's sixth studio album ''Certified Lover Boy''. The song was produced by Met ...

" by

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

featuring

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...

, as well as "mournful sonics" while J. Cole uses a direct tone in his lyrics, in which he emphasizes his status as among the best rappers in the modern hip-hop world. In addition, he takes subliminal shots at

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

: "Yes, sir, it's me, not two, not three / The uno, G-O-A-T, I need my fee, fuck kudos / G4 at least, these flights ain't cheap as you know / They sound faded, they downgraded, they Pluto / I'm bigger than Mars, this nigga a star, I'm

Bruno Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters * Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologn ...

". Cole would nevertheless, go on to collaborate with Future and

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

's on their collaboration album, ''We Still Don't Trust You'', featuring on the eighteenth track " Red Leather".

Critical reception

Paul A. Thompson of ''

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'' praised J. Cole's performance, describing him as "rapping through his teeth in a way that makes him sound more composed and more menacing than nearly ever before". Aron A. of ''

HotNewHipHop ''HotNewHipHop'' (HNHH) is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and Sneaker collecting, sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video seri ...

'' stated that "''Might Delete Later'' isn't a body of work that aims to do much else besides wreak lyrical tyranny on the rest of hip-hop and make it clear where he stands among the crowd", before writing "It's best summarized on 'Crocodile Tearz,' a fiery banger that's filled a cut-throat performance from Cole".

Charts

References

{{J. Cole 2024 songs J. Cole songs Song recordings produced by T-Minus (record producer) Songs written by J. Cole Songs written by T-Minus (producer) Diss tracks Answer songs