Songfacts®:

• Joey Bada$$ and J. Cole spit rhymes during this song about civil rights and the disenfranchising of black people. It is the first collaboration between the pair.
• Back in the summer of 2016, Cole visited Bada$$ and played him a demo of his song "False Prophets (Be Like This),"which sampled the Brooklyn rapper's 2012 tune "Waves." He then asked Joey for his blessing before releasing "False Prophets." In an interview with LA Leakers, Bada$$ explained he knew Cole would supply some rhymes for the song, despite him being tied up with the release of his 4 Your Eyez Only album:
  
  "I already knew off of the strength of that, he was going to come through with the verse," he said. "He was telling me for a minute like, 'Yo, you're the only person I got on my feature list. I got you, I'm gonna make it happen, just wait. I gotta finish my album and s--t.' He literally sent the s--t the day before his album came out."
• During the hook Bada$$ speaks about the idea that those African Americans who deserve respect will always be respected, and more greats will follow in their paths.
  
  Legends, they never die
  The niggas only multiply
  
  The lyric is a reference to MC Ren's verse on N.W.A.'s 1991 song "Real Niggaz Don't Die," where he rapped:
  "Real niggaz don't die 'cause they eventually multiply."
  
  The line has been interpolated or referenced on many occasions by rappers such as 2Pac ("Biggie/Tupac Live Freestyle"), Schoolboy Q ("Gangsta"), A$AP Rocky ("Multiply") and even J. Cole himself ("Immortal").