J. Cole’s Controversial Lyric Removed From Drake's 'Care Package'

Drake's new Care Package compilation, released on Friday (Aug. 2), features some oldies but goodies including the 2013 collab with J. Cole, "Jodeci Freestyle." However, the song has undergone a slight alteration, with a controversial lyric from Cole's verse being removed.

Cole's verse on the track is considered some of his best feature work, but the highlight was tainted by a line the North Carolina rapper spit that had people up in arms.

"Go check the numbers dummy, that’s just me gettin' started/I’m artistic, you niggas is autistic, retarded," he raps during his lengthy verse.

The latest version removes latter part of the line and leaves a blank spot after the word "you" until the next bar picks up. It is also 20 seconds shorter than the OG version.

When the song came out six years ago, Cole, who has been touring and prepping his next solo project, made the decision to apologize because of the lyric he spit on the song, which drew criticism from the Anti-Bullying Alliance. A petition of the track was even started that gained 4,500 signatures.

"In a recent verse on the song 'Jodeci Freestyle,' I said something highly offensive to people with autism," Cole said in a released statement. "Last week, when I first saw a comment from someone outraged about the lyric, I realized right away that what I said was wrong. I was instantly embarrassed that I would be ignorant enough say something so hurtful. What makes the crime worse is that I should have known better."

Drake, who toured earlier this year and is currently working on a new album, also issued a statement on the situation. “I share responsibility and offer my sincerest apologies for the pain this has caused," he wrote on his OVO blog. "Individuals with autism have brilliant and creative minds, and their gifts should not be disparaged or discounted. This was a learning lesson for both of us, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to try to right this wrong."

Now, all has been righted. Check out both versions of the track below.

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