J. Cole begins The Off-Season with “9 5 . s o u t h,” a commanding track that finds him expressing his opinions on the rap game and boasting about his life, experiences, and career. The title alludes to traveling south on Interstate 95, which extends from New York, Cole’s second home, to his home state of North Carolina.

For this song, Cole recruits Cam'ron, who provides narration at numerous points throughout the song.