Might Delete Later

Might Delete Later is the fourth mixtape by American rapper J. Cole. It was surprise released through Dreamville (under the business name Cole World, Inc.) and Interscope Records on April 5, 2024. The mixtape features guest appearances from Young Dro, Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, Cam'ron, Central Cee, Bas, Daylyt, and Ab-Soul. Production was handled by Cole himself, T-Minus, Charlie Heat, FnZ, ATL Jacob, the Alchemist, Mike Will Made It, and Pluss, among others. The mixtape was supported by one single, "H.Y.B.", a collaboration with both Bas and Central Cee, which was sent to US rhythmic radio on April 30, 2024. Serving as Cole's first project not to be released under the Roc Nation imprint, its release had been hinted at in the weeks leading up to it through vlogs published by Cole.

Background
While promoting his upcoming studio album, The Fall Off, on February 21, 2024, J. Cole took to social media to share a vlog titled, "Might Delete Later, Vol. 1", previewing "Crocodile Tearz" in the process. Just under a month later, on March 18, J. Cole shared volume 2 of the vlog in which he previewed "3001".

On March 22, 2024, Future and Metro Boomin released their collaborative studio album, We Don't Trust You. The album's sixth track, "Like That" featured a guest appearance from Kendrick Lamar with whom J. Cole has been in a rivalry for years, and whose verse has been perceived as a diss track towards Cole and Drake.

Controversy
Following the release of the mixtape, Cole faced backlash from fans and reporters after allegedly making what are perceived to be transphobic comments on the project's eighth track, "Pi"; some fans perceived the comments as a diss towards Kendrick Lamar's "Auntie Diaries", where Lamar addressed transphobia and his relationship with his transgender relatives.

Critical reception
Writing for Clash in a positive review, Robin Murray described how the album excluding the final track "are an exhilarating dip into some of J. Cole’s core tropes". He wrote that the production on the mixtape is "slightly out-of-step with the tape as a whole", however, he notes that the production feels more "ingrained" in comparison to Future and Metro Boomin's We Don't Trust You. Writing for Sputnikmusic in a negative review, Dakota West Foss wrote that Cole's "bars and punchlines" are those "that scan like [a] parody". He wrote that the mixtape "is a miscalculation at every level" and compared the project to Chance the Rapper's underwhelming The Big Day. Foss' final consensus of the mixtape was that Cole "should delete [it] now."

Commercial performance
In the United States, Might Delete Later debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 115,000 album-equivalent units, which included 137.95 million on-demand streams and 9,000 pure album sales. This earned J. Cole his eighth top ten on the chart, and his first to not debut at number one since Born Sinner in 2013, which would later end up reaching the top of the chart.

Track listing
Notes
 * "Huntin' Wabbitz" contains samples from "Wabbit Season" by YouTube animator MeatCanyon
 * "Trae the Truth in Ibiza" features vocals by Trae tha Truth
 * "7 Minute Drill" was retired from streaming services on April 12, 2024; technically, it is disabled from playing (e.g. on Deezer) or hidden.

Personnel

 * J. Cole – vocals
 * Joe LaPorta – mastering
 * Mez – mixing
 * Kuldeep – engineering