Cam’ron Sues J. Cole Over Unpaid ‘Ready ’24’ Contribution, Demands $500K Accounting

Rapper Cam'ron has initiated legal action against fellow artist J. Cole, alleging failure to honor commitments linked to their 2024 track Ready '24 and non-payment for Cam'ron's contribution. According to Complex, the lawsuit asserts Cam'ron provided lyrics and a verse for the song and agreed to participate contingent on J. Cole appearing on a future single or Cam'ron's podcast. Cam'ron claims neither occurred.

Among his demands: a full accounting of earnings tied to the track, which he estimates exceed $500,000. The complaint emphasizes broader issues regarding verbal agreements, songwriting credit, and industry norms in hip-hop. According to court filings, the track is credited to J. Cole as a writer, which Cam'ron says supports his claim. The paperwork also notes, “The collaboration never materialized despite due request by Plaintiff.”

J. Cole has not publicly addressed the lawsuit. The case is expected to hinge on evidence of verbal agreements and the timing of contributions. While the song appears on Cole's mixtape Might Delete Later and lists Cam'ron as a composer, Cam'ron contends his feature was never credited on the recording and that he was not compensated.

Commercially, Ready '24 made an impact: it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 38. The dispute highlights enduring tensions in hip-hop over credit, royalty flow, and the enforceability of handshake deals. It could prompt artists and labels to rely more heavily on written contracts to document collaborations.

Reported by TMZ, the lawsuit names both J. Cole and Universal Music Group as defendants. Cam'ron also references a prior collaboration with Cole — a spoken-word intro on the 2021 album The Off‑Season — which had raised expectations for future projects that ultimately never came to fruition.