AUDIO: p u n c h i n ’ . t h e . c l o c k by J. Cole

On the album’s briefest track, J. Cole raps about the hours he’s spent working—or “punching the clock.”

The intro samples NBA star Damian Lillard’s August 11, 2020, post-game interview after a 61-point game. Dame is known by the moniker “Dame Time,” a name he earned from hitting game-winners. The song title may be a nod to Lillard’s nickname and “point to the clock” celebration.

The bookend of the song samples Lillard’s response to the media after hitting the walk-off three against Oklahoma in 2019’s playoffs. The excerpt highlights the theme of the album, which Cole explained in his 2021 interview with SLAM Magazine:

The Off-Season symbolizes the work that it takes to get to the highest height. The Off-Season represents the many hours and months and years it took to get to top form… the offseason is where the magic really happens.