“Poor Thang” is a promotional single from American rapper and record producer (Born in a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina), J. Cole‘s seventh studio album, The Fall-Off. ^{[1] [2]}

The single premiered February 6th 2026^[1], via J. Cole’s official YouTube channel.^[3]

The track produced by: J. Cole, T-Minus, DZL, Omen, WU10, & Billa Joints.^[4]

The song written by: J. Cole, T-Minus, DZL, Omen, WU10, Billa Joints, Boosie Badazz, Mouse On Tha Track, Bunny Sigler, Phil Hurtt, & M. Roach.^[4]

Song: #PoorThang

Artist: #JCole

Album: #TheFallOff

 ^Explicit

^[1]

“Poor Thang” Lyrics ^[4]
Song by J. Cole:

Intro
So close
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom

Chorus
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain

Verse 1
Picture my soul climbin’ out an infinite hole
Where n***** die over pride and live for the dough
If I survive, then I strive to hit with the flow
Hopin’ these waves will pave, but the ripples is slow
And I’m conflicted with no digits to show
But fantasies of frivolous h*** grippin’ this pole
The temperature’s low
But you know that ain’t stoppin’ lil’ n**** from slidin’, like the tires on the whip in the snow
Vicious for sure, I’m tip-toein’ around the abyss with sticks blowin’
Piss poor with intentions to glimpse, the wrist glowin’
Face tense from rent owing
Fist clenched when n***** diss, but since knowin’
Lives expire when n***** pride gets higher
Than the vocal range inside Mariah’s vocal chain, uh
My road to fame is rife with spikes and broken lanes
And tolls I can’t afford, but I won’t complain
I know the more I gotta struggle is the more I gain
Post-traumatic stress on an immature brain
Leaves another corpse, young pup playin’ war games
Now he’s handcuffed, old lady sayin’, “Poor thing”

Chorus
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain

Bridge: Boosie Badazz
You wanna talk s***? You wanna run your mouth?
You want some gangsta’s front yo m***********’ house?
We’ll set this b**** off, yeah, set this b**** off
We’ll set this b**** off, set this b**** off (Set)
You wanna—

Verse 2
Here go a song that gets this s*** off of my sternum
This n**** back home been talkin’ slick, and I done heard him
You get your name goin’, n***** like that gon’ throw they dirt on
You make you some coins, n***** gon’ act like you ain’t earn ’em
He talk like he live, but I remember him from high school
Man, deep down inside, know he a b****, I wanna hurt him
I know that’s my pride, I carry it just like a burden
When egos is flarin’, beware that’s when they close the curtain (Put your hands up)
It’s when they close the curtain (Put your m*******—)
It’s when they close the curtain (You pullin’ out a g**, n****? Yo, chill, chill, chill-chill-chill-chill)
It’s when they close the curtain (You pullin’ out a g**, n****? Yo, chill, chill, chill, chill)
It’s when they close the curtain (You gon’ s**** me? No, no, no)

Refrain
Don’t pull out no pistol, run me my fade
Come get your issue, no one gets sprayed
Win or you lose, live to fight another day
And if I take an L, I won’t feel no way

Verse 3
Plenty nights a n**** didn’t eat, punk b****
Rent owed, damn near was on the street, punk b****
Weren’t no Western Unions, so you were not needed, punk b****
All of a sudden, I’m buzzin’, oh, now it’s beef, punk b****
Go ‘en and pop off, get f***** ’bout your mystique, punk b****
I knew you way before you was actin’ street, punk b****
Started rollin’ with n***** that’s packin’ heat, punk b****
You more like me than them n*****, you still a geek, punk b****
You can’t hide it with tattoos on your physique, punk b****
And that lingo you added, that how you speak, punk b****?
And you grew up with both your parents to teach, punk b****
So how the f*** all of a sudden you turnin’ G, punk b****?
You a slave to the peer pressure, you’re weak, punk b****
You ain’t claimin’ no real section, your street wasn’t lit
Man, your s*** look like mine, with hella tree trunks, b****
Moved to Forest Hill Drive, and it was peace for a bit
‘Til domestic turned violent, then a key just switched
In the back of my mind, I gotta be somethin’, b****
That’s when I started rhymin’ and makin’ beats, son o’ b****
Way before you was lyin’ ’bout touchin’ keys, son o’ b****
Heard you say I ain’t real, that’s your belief, huh, b****?
Well, look, I’m back in the ‘Ville, so we can see, punk b****
Gonna shoot me the fair one when we meet, punk b****
And don’t be bringin’ no hammers, nah, don’t cheat, punk b****
Nah, don’t cheat, punk b****
Tryna lean on that s***, n****, I want my f*****’ head up (‘Cause I’ve been through worser things)
Punk b**** (Real)
Punk b****, huh

Chorus
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain
Poor thing, young pup’s playin’ war games
He wanted love, but he only made more pain

Refrain
Don’t pull out no pistol, run me my fade
Come get your issue, no one gets sprayed
Win or you lose, live to fight another day
And if I take an L, I won’t feel no way
‘Cause I’ve been through worser things

Outro
Hey, what’s up? Hey what’s up
Hey, what’s up?
Yo, what’s good?
Hey
Hey, what’s up? What’s up, how you been?
Nah, f***
Your call has been forwarded to voicemail
The person you’re trying to reach—
f***

Writer(s):J. Cole, T-Minus, DZL, Omen, WU10, Billa Joints, Boosie Badazz, Mouse On Tha Track, Bunny Sigler, Phil Hurtt, & M. Roach

^[4]

Connect

J. Cole

Website: dreamville.com/
Website: thefalloff.com/

Follow J. Cole: