J. Cole Reportedly Declines To Submit 'The Fall-Off' For The Grammys

BY Erika Marie Published on October 12, 2026

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July 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Recording artist J. Cole (Jermaine Lamarr Cole) performs live during Lollapalooza Music Festival at Grant Park. Mandatory Credit: Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Wire via USA TODAY NETWORK USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Despite years of anticipation around The Fall-Off, J. Cole reportedly kept the album out of this year’s Grammy race.

One of Rap’s expected Grammy contenders may not be on the ballot at all. As first-round voting opens for the 2027 awards, reports say J. Cole didn't submit any eligible 2026 music for consideration, including The Fall-Off. The news was first circulated by Grammy-focused accounts including The Grammy Guru and NFR Podcast, then picked up by According2HipHop. Neither Cole nor his team has publicly explained the decision, so no one has confirmed whether the absence reflects a deliberate boycott or something more procedural.

What is clear is that The Fall-Off would have entered Grammy season with a strong résumé. Released in February and presented by Cole as an album made “with intentions to be my last,” the project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The release also followed years of anticipation, after Cole began teasing the project as far back as 2018.

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J. Cole Has Never Hidden His Complicated Feelings About The Grammys

Cole’s reported absence is notable because he has continued participating in the Grammy process despite criticizing the institution in his music. On 2024’s “7 Minute Drill,” he bluntly dismissed the awards with “F*ck the Grammys,” even as his own catalog continued receiving nominations.

However, his history with the Recording Academy is far from empty. Cole won Best Rap Song in 2020 as a featured artist on 21 Savage’s “A Lot,” and later won Best Melodic Rap Performance alongside Lil Durk for “All My Life.” The Off-Season earned multiple nominations in 2022, while Might Delete Later earned a Best Rap Album nomination at the 2025 ceremony.

There is also no workaround once Grammy voting begins. The Recording Academy requires eligible recordings to be formally entered during its Online Entry Process before they can appear on a voting ballot. Submissions for the 2027 ceremony closed Aug. 21, with first-round voting beginning Oct. 12. If the reports about Cole’s entries are accurate, The Fall-Off will not be snubbed when nominations arrive in November. It will never have been in the race.

Read More: The Grammys Allegedly Reached Out To Drake For "ICEMAN" Submissions

About The Author

Erika Marie

Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.