kiLL edward, the only feature on J. Cole’s 2018 studio album KOD, is actually an alter ego. He is a personification of Cole’s inner turmoil.

kiLL edward released a song on SoundCloud a few days before the album was released, with a distorted, pitched down voice that sounds very much like J. Cole.

Cole’s brother Zach confirmed that Edward is, in fact, the name of their ex-stepfather, in a video posted to YouTube. J. Cole would later go on to confirm this as well in an interview with Vulture.

Their ex-stepfather was abusive towards their mother, and was responsible for them losing the home in which Cole grew up. Edward was an addict himself, and Cole’s main inspiration for his strong stance against substance abuse.

In “Window Pain (Outro),” Cole raps:

All I wanna do is kill the man that made my momma cry

Thus, “kiLL edward” could be interpreted as a reference to the hatred that Cole harbors for the man who hurt his mother. The persona represents Cole’s raw animosity towards Edward, and his difficulty in dealing with pain that arose during his upbringing.

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