In a key development in the ongoing legal dispute between **Cam’ron** and **J. Cole**, the Harlem rapper has voluntarily dismissed claims against **Universal Music Group** (UMG) in his lawsuit over their 2024 collaboration “Ready ’24,” while continuing his action against Cole and his company, Cole World Inc. The partial dismissal, confirmed by court documents obtained by AllHipHop, was filed without prejudice, allowing Cam’ron to potentially refile against UMG later, with each party covering its own legal costs.[1][3]
Cam’ron originally filed the lawsuit in October 2025 in New York, alleging breach of an oral agreement stemming from a June 2022 recording session in New York City for “Ready ’24,” which appeared on J. Cole’s mixtape Might Delete Later in April 2024. According to the complaint, Cam’ron provided lyrics and vocals in exchange for Cole’s promise to collaborate on a future single or appear on his podcast It Is What It Is. Cam’ron claims Cole agreed but later backed out, citing unavailability from July 2023 through April 2024, before releasing the track without Cam’ron’s final approval or compensation.[1][2][3] He is seeking at least $500,000 in royalties, co-author credit on the sound recording (noting he is currently listed only as a co-composer), and an audit of the song’s earnings.[1][2]
Neither J. Cole nor his representatives have publicly responded to the suit since its filing. Cam’ron has remained largely silent on the matter publicly but affirmed Cole’s status as a future rap legend during a November 2025 episode of the Talk With Flee podcast, responding “100 percent, definite” when pressed, while avoiding details on the lawsuit and adding, “But he don’t get a pass.”[3][4] A January 2026 episode of the same podcast briefly revisited the issue, with Cam’ron keeping comments minimal.[5]
This partial dismissal streamlines the case, focusing it on Cole personally and highlighting tensions in hip-hop collaborations over verbal agreements and royalty credits. As the battle persists, it underscores broader industry issues around artist compensation and contract enforcement in an era of quick mixtape releases, potentially influencing how rappers negotiate features moving forward.[1][3]
