| "Blow for Blow" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byTee Grizzley featuringJ. Cole | ||||
| from the albumPost Traumatic | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Pi'erre Bourne | |||
| Tee Grizzley singles chronology | ||||
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| J. Cole singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Blow for Blow" onYouTube | ||||
"Blow for Blow" is a song by American rapperTee Grizzley featuring fellow American rapperJ. Cole, released on September 27, 2024 as the fifth single from the former's fifth studio albumPost Traumatic (2024). It was produced byPi'erre Bourne.
With respect to connecting with J. Cole, Tee Grizzley toldComplex:
It's crazy. When you talk about somebody processing how they work, J. Cole is somebody who the process means everything [to him]. Process mean everything, the energy mean everything. The vibe, if it ain't right, it's like "We can't do it." So it kind of took us a while because we had to find the right thing that was perfect for us to do. And once we found it, bro, I just knew it was the one, and I know that Cole is super talented, so I couldn't half-step when it came to how I performed on the song. So I gave it my all.
Pi'erre Bourne produced the beat under Cole's choice. Cole recorded his verse on his own and sent it to Grizzley, who did not change his own verse after hearing it.[1]
Over production consisting of a synth loop and 808s,[2] the song begins with a verse from J. Cole, who first asserts that he is one of the best rappers of the generation and catches attention by his performances on features instead of ostentatious outfits ("Blow for blow, Cole flow just prestigious / Sweats and tees, no unnecessary accessories, the GOAT just from features / Proceed with throat-cut procedures").[3][4] Later on, he likens himself toK-pop groupBTS as regards his success, references media personality and former decathleteCaitlyn Jenner'sgender transition (deadnaming her as well)[4][5] and uses a pun referencing rapperLL Cool J.[4] In the chorus, Cole interpolatesMase's verse on the song "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" byThe Notorious B.I.G. ("Now, who hot? Who not? / Tell me, who flopped? Who sell out the tours?").[2][3][4][5] Tee Grizzley performs the second verse, in which he affirms superiority in the industry as well and asks his critics to consider his difficult life before judging him, narrating his background of growing up in an environment surrounded by drugs and violence, attending college, being incarcerated for armed robbery and subsequently releasing his hit song "First Day Out".[4]
Elias Andrews ofHotNewHipHop remarked that J. Cole's "wordplay is superb" and "He's got clever bars about LL Cool J", additionally writing "Tee Grizzley doesn't have the bars that Cole does, but he makes up for it with charisma. He sounds great over the chilled out beat. He also manages to drop some funny lines about the nastiness of his chain and his cars."[6] Shawn Grant ofThe Source described Cole as "bodying the beat with raz0r-sharp rhymes" and commented Grizzley "delivers a showstopping series of bars".[2]
The music video premiered alongside the single. Directed by Jerry Production,[3] it sees Tee Grizzley and J. Cole rapping on a rooftop against the skyline ofNew York City.[2][4][7] Grizzley also gives out hundred dollar bills to people in a neighborhood.[7]
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] | 3 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[9] | 88 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] | 23 |
