Lion King on Ice

"Lion King on Ice"
Single by J. Cole
from the EP Lewis Street
ReleasedJuly 22, 2020
Genre
Length3:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
J. Cole singles chronology
"Snow on tha Bluff"
(2020) 		"Lion King on Ice" / "The Climb Back"
(2020) 		"Interlude"
(2021)

"Lion King on Ice" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on July 22, 2020, together with another song, "The Climb Back", under the title Lewis Street. Produced by J. Cole, T-Minus and JetsonMade, the song finds Cole rapping about himself growing up and difficulties he faced to achieve fame, as well as his position in the rap game.[1]

Background

J. Cole announced the release of the songs via social media on July 21, 2020, along with its cover art, stating that they are the first two songs from The Fall Off. He also revealed that he was still "finishing" the album. In November 2019, Cole hinted that the album would be released in 2020. He also previously teased a project called The Off-Season.[2]

Composition

The song is rapped from the perspective of a younger J. Cole, who uses his alter ego "Young Simba", over a stripped back trap beat with high pitched vocal sampling.[3] Cole discusses his come-up and the uncertainty he felt while trying to be successful, as well as the struggles and sacrifices he made along the way.[1] He also talks about his childhood.[4] In the first verse he raps about how hard-working and dedicated he needed to be to make it, and the obstacles he endured along the way.[3] Towards the end of the song, Cole continues to reflect how those struggles led him to where he is today, and how far he has come.[5]

In 2018, J. Cole settled his feud with Lil Pump through an interview, in which he warned Pump about what to do to keep up with his success as a rapper and not lose popularity.[6][7] Fans noticed that in the song, Cole addressed Pump in particular with the lyrics, "Nigga dissed me / It was nonsense / I sat 'em down like his father / My nigga asked, 'Why you bother?' / We should've caught him and mobbed him / I said, 'We gotta move smarter' / Don't wanna be the reason for one more sad song / I tried to warn niggas they wouldn't last long / I hope that you see how they came and they want / They shots never hit but they made their attempts / May have a good year like their name on a blimp / But you know what it takes to be poppin' this long".[6]

Charts

Chart performance for "Lion King on Ice"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 87
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 59
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 45
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[11] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 65
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 51
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 15
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[15] 26
US Rolling Stone Top 100[16] 31

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b Legaspi, Althea (2020-07-23). "J. Cole Previews Upcoming 'The Fall Off' LP With Singles 'The Climb Back,' 'Lion King on Ice'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  2. ^ "J. Cole Announces A Pair Of New Singles From 'The Fall Off' Dropping This Week". Genius. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  3. ^ a b "J. Cole Drops Two New Singles And Announces New Album - NYS Music". NYS Music. 25 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  4. ^ "J. Cole Returns with 'The Climb Back' and 'Lion King on Ice' | Rap-Up". www.rap-up.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  5. ^ Gibbs, Sam (2020-07-28). "J. Cole Teases New Album With "The Climb Back" and "Lion King on Ice"". Soundigest. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  6. ^ a b Price, Joe (July 23, 2020). "Why Fans Think J. Cole Is Rapping About Lil Pump on New Song "Lion King on Ice"". Complex.
  7. ^ Zidel, Alex (July 23, 2020). "J. Cole's "Lion King On Ice" May Have Been For Lil Pump". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  8. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 3 August 2020". No. 1587. Australian Recording Industry Association. August 3, 2020. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. ^ "J. Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  11. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  13. ^ "J. Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "J. Cole Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "J. Cole Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  16. ^ "Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 - July 30, 2020". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  17. ^ "American single certifications – J. Cole – Lion King on Ice". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 11, 2022.