J. Cole's The Fall-Off: the samples and interpolations explained

The credited samples and interpolations on J. Cole's The Fall-Off, and the clearance and writer splits sitting behind each borrowed hook.

J. Cole released "The Fall-Off" on February 6, 2026 through Cole World, Dreamville and Interscope, billed as his seventh and, arguably, final album. It runs 24 tracks across two discs, titled "Disc 29" and "Disc 39", with 11 tracks plus a bonus track on each side.

@don_chenz points out that every song on "Disc 39" pays homage to one of Cole's musical influences, through sampling, interpolation, or reaching for a similar song concept. That is a useful way to hear a record. It is also only half of what a borrowed hook is. Before a sample reaches a listener as a tribute, it has to clear as a transaction, and you can see the shape of that transaction in the credits: writers of the older song turn up as writers of the new one, while the owner of the older recording is a separate conversation entirely.

Two copyrights sit inside one song

When a song is recorded, two copyrighted works can come into existence: the musical work, meaning the composition and the lyrics, and the sound recording. Those two are subject to different rules, and they are commonly owned and licensed separately. That is the structural reason a credits page has more than one set of payees behind it.

The line between a sample and an interpolation runs along the same seam. A sample reuses the original sound recording. An interpolation recreates a musical element, a melody or a lyric, in a new recording, which means somebody plays or sings the part again instead of lifting the tape.

The obligations differ as a result. An interpolation needs new permission from the copyright owner of the song's composition, but not from the owner of another recording of that composition, unless that recording is also sampled. A sample needs clearance from both the songwriters and the owner of the master recording, and that clearance can be complex and costly.

The same two-document structure shows up away from records. Putting a pre-recorded recording in a film takes two different licenses: a synchronization license from the music's copyright owner, usually the publisher, and a master use license cleared with the record label that owns the specific recording you want. Two copyrights, two conversations, two checks.

What the credits show

Here is what the credits list on the tracks that carry a borrowing, and which side of the line each one falls on.

Track	Source song	Sample or interpolation
"The Villest"	Outkast, "Elevators (Me & You)"	Interpolation
"Old Dog"	Petey Pablo, "Raise Up"	Interpolation
"Old Dog"	T.I., "24's"	Interpolation
"Life Sentence"	DMX, "How's It Goin' Down"	Interpolation
"Only You"	Jah Cure, "Longing For"	Sample
"I Love Her Again"	Common, "The Light"	Sample
"Quik Stop"	Devin the Dude, "Just Tryin ta Live"	Interpolation

On "The Villest", Cole and Erykah Badu interpolate Outkast's "Elevators (Me & You)" on the chorus, and André Benjamin and Antwan Patton are listed among the new song's songwriters. That writer credit is the tell. The hook was re-sung, so the composition's side had to be brought in, and it arrives in the form of names on the splits.

"Old Dog" does it twice. The track features Petey Pablo, described as the first North Carolina rapper to land a national hit, and it interpolates his hit "Raise Up", written by Moses Barrett III and Timothy Mosley. It also interpolates T.I.'s "24's", written by Clifford Harris and Aldrin Davis, and both Harris and Davis are credited as writers on the track.

"Life Sentence" interpolates the hook of DMX's 1998 classic "How's It Goin' Down" for a reflective ode to Cole's longtime love. DMX (Earl Simmons) is among the credited writers of the new song.

Two of these go the other route and use the record itself. "Only You", featuring Burna Boy, samples Jah Cure's "Longing For", with Siccature "Jah Cure" Alcock among the credited writers. "I Love Her Again" samples Common's "The Light", written by Lonnie Lynn, James Yancey and others and performed by Common. Because the original recordings are reused rather than replayed, those two sit in the heavier category, the one where the songwriters and the master owner both have to sign off.

"Quik Stop" reenacts a fan encounter at a local gas station over a Cole-sung sample of Devin the Dude's "Just Tryin ta Live", credited as an interpolation of the Devin the Dude song, written by Devin Copeland, Robert McQueen and Dexter Johnson.

When the homage is a concept and not a credit

Not every influence surfaces as a line in the credits. On "What If", Cole writes from the vantage points of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, imagining them squashing the beef before it turns deadly. @don_chenz calls that dual-perspective writing masterful, and his reading leaves room for it: he counts a similar song concept as homage, right alongside sampling and interpolation.

The distinction matters past the listening. An interpolation puts the composition's owner in the clearance path. A sample puts both the songwriters and the master owner there. How a tribute is built decides who has to be asked.

Why a breakdown doubles as a payout list

Co-writers should agree on splits, ideally in writing, that add up to exactly 100%. That ceiling is why a credits page reads like an accounting document. When André Benjamin and Antwan Patton land on "The Villest", or Clifford Harris and Aldrin Davis land on "Old Dog", they sit inside the same 100% as everyone else in the room, so the share held by the people who wrote the new song is smaller than it would otherwise have been. There is no separate pot for the catalog.

The recording side is its own negotiation with its own owner, because the musical work and the sound recording are commonly owned and licensed separately. On an interpolation, the composition's owner has to agree, and the owner of some other recording of that composition does not, unless that recording gets sampled too. On a sample, both doors have to open, and getting them open can be complex and costly.

So a list of the credited samples and interpolations here is really two lists at once: the music Cole wanted in the room, and the parties who had to be cleared before the record could ship. @don_chenz, a few listens in, says he has been loving the album and still has plenty left to digest.

FAQ

When was J. Cole's The Fall-Off released?

It came out on February 6, 2026 through Cole World, Dreamville and Interscope, and was billed as his seventh and arguably final album. It is a 24-track double album split into "Disc 29" and "Disc 39", with 11 tracks plus a bonus track on each disc.

What samples and interpolations are credited on these tracks?

"The Villest" interpolates Outkast's "Elevators (Me & You)", "Old Dog" interpolates Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" and T.I.'s "24's", "Life Sentence" interpolates DMX's "How's It Goin' Down", and "Quik Stop" interpolates Devin the Dude's "Just Tryin ta Live". On the sample side, "Only You" samples Jah Cure's "Longing For" and "I Love Her Again" samples Common's "The Light".

What is the difference between a sample and an interpolation?

A sample reuses the original sound recording. An interpolation recreates a musical element, such as a melody or a lyric, in a new recording.

Does an interpolation need the same clearance as a sample?

No. An interpolation needs permission from the owner of the song's composition, and not from the owner of another recording of that song unless that recording is also sampled. A sample needs clearance from both the songwriters and the owner of the master recording, and clearance can be complex and costly.

Who is credited as a writer on "Old Dog"?

The track features Petey Pablo and interpolates his hit "Raise Up" as well as T.I.'s "24's". Clifford Harris and Aldrin Davis, the writers of "24's", are both credited as writers on the track.