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We determine when an element in a noncommutative ring is the sum of an idempotent and a radical element that commute. We prove that a $2\times 2$ matrix $A$ over a projective-free ring $R$ is strongly $J$-clean if and only if $A\in J\left(M_2\left(R\right)\right)$, or $I_2-A\in J\left(M_2\left(R\right)\right)$, or $A$ is similar to $\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& \lambda \\ 1& \mu \end{array}\right)$, where $\lambda \in J\left(R\right)$, $\mu \in 1+J\left(R\right)$, and the equation $x^2-x\mu -\lambda =0$ has a root in $J\left(R\right)$ and a root in $1+J\left(R\right)$. We further prove that $f\left(x\right)\in R\left[\right[x\left]\right]$ is strongly $J$-clean if $f\left(0\right)\in R$ be optimally $J$-clean.