So I'm going to start out by saying this album is gassed. He goes over the same topics he's gone over time and time again. Maybe this time it's just more aesthetically pleasing. But whatever.
J. Cole is a 28 year old dude from North Carolina and he moved to New York on a scholarship when he was 18 then got signed by Jay-Z. He released one of my favorite mixtapes of all time "The Warm Up" then had an awesome follow up when he released "Friday Night Lights" but then he put out an album that just sounded bad and forced, then made another album that sounded great but lowkey most of the song started talking about topics but would abandon the theme halfway through the song (much like he actually does in this album). Kanye west does that, but with Kanye it sounds so good that you don't care. It's evident that J. Cole gets writers block but like doesn't care and changes the topic.
On the song Apparently, he starts off with a strong beautiful, melodic hook, but the first couple lines were so rap cliche. "This is my canvas/ I'm a paint it how I want to baby" Like shut up J. cole.
Anyway the album starts off with J. cole's raspy singing on the song "Intro". I don't mind his singing but after a while on this album it gets boring.
The album continues on to January 28th which sounds soooooo good and it doesn't sound like he doesn't know what he wants to talk about, just that he's exploring different topics.
Everybody loves the song wet dreams but its just a basic song I forget about. Nothing stands out about it, because I know J. Cole's story telling abilities and this was whack. J. Cole just talks about a sweet encounter with a girl who asks to have sex with him, asking if he was a virgin. He lies then eventually finds out she was a virgin (WOOAHH PLOT TWIST RIGHT?(not really)).
03 adolescence was an interesting story but it sounds too much like other things we've heard. J. Cole talks about his father being absent, a girl who doesn't recognize him, and a friend he asks to start selling drugs with to become cool but quickly gets reprimanded by the friend because he believed cole had a future.
A tale of two citiez sees J. Cole with one of his disjointed stories, and him trying to be someone he knows he's not really. I hear a lot of him trying to follow what's been popping in rap, this track sounds similar to what drake does but just sounds like an imitation. Although it doesn't sound as bad.
I've fallen in love with the song firing squad even though I hate the bridge and the outro where he talks about being a king (once again a rap cliche) but the verses and the hook just go in with passion and a flurry of dope rhymes. The first two verses are talking about him being the best (and that's the most on topic I usually see J. Cole), then on the third verse he comes at white people who succeed after appropriating black culture because they're white, while black people don't get the recognition, but then he goes back to talking about why he's the best.
St. Tropes sounds really beautiful, and it's one of the few songs where he's clearly talking about one thing and it works. His singing on this backed up by the female vocals puts the icing on the cake. He talks about his fears of blowing up and the struggles he faces with the relationships that it affects.
GOMD goes in! Not because J. Cole but because this hook is crazy as hell. It's hype too, but like the actually lyrics are kind of boring but his flow and energy is great. I know that the song kind of goes over the fact that this will get played because of the hook only but it's because J. Cole kind of hasn't evolved like other rappers have. Kanye West has, Drake has, Jay-Z has nas hasn't really and that's why his albums haven't been the same since the nineties and I believe that will really restrict J. Cole. Think about it like pokemon. What if you played the whole game without evolving, it kind of gets boring, you feel me guys?
No role modelz is sexist as hell, I'm finna skip this song. But it's catchy lowkey.
Hello sounds like trash sorry guys. Maybe if he said something interesting.
The album ends of in a similar fashion as it started. With J. Cole singing with a piano. Then he starts shouting out for 12 minutes. Yeah....
Listening to this album I've found that a lot of J. Cole's choruses'/hooks have nothing to do with the song. If he wrote novels, he would probably be one of those authors who use a lot of deus ex machina.
If you want to listen to Conscious rappers who are better than J. Cole I can give y'all a list.
Kendrick Lamar (O.D./Section 80/Good Kid Maad City)
Isaiah Rashad (Cilvia Demo)
Outkast (Litterally anything they have ever made)
Ab Soul (These Days...)
Lupe Fiasco (Food & Liquor/The Cool)
Big Krit (Krit Wuz Here/Return of 4eva)
Joey Badass (1999) etc.
If you want a list of rappers who sound better than J. Cole the list is too long.
This is a 6/10. J. Cole is a charmander when he should be a charizard. I'm just really disappointed. What did you think of this though? What Should I review next?
Everybody loves the song wet dreams but its just a basic song I forget about. Nothing stands out about it, because I know J. Cole's story telling abilities and this was whack. J. Cole just talks about a sweet encounter with a girl who asks to have sex with him, asking if he was a virgin. He lies then eventually finds out she was a virgin (WOOAHH PLOT TWIST RIGHT?(not really)).
03 adolescence was an interesting story but it sounds too much like other things we've heard. J. Cole talks about his father being absent, a girl who doesn't recognize him, and a friend he asks to start selling drugs with to become cool but quickly gets reprimanded by the friend because he believed cole had a future.
A tale of two citiez sees J. Cole with one of his disjointed stories, and him trying to be someone he knows he's not really. I hear a lot of him trying to follow what's been popping in rap, this track sounds similar to what drake does but just sounds like an imitation. Although it doesn't sound as bad.
I've fallen in love with the song firing squad even though I hate the bridge and the outro where he talks about being a king (once again a rap cliche) but the verses and the hook just go in with passion and a flurry of dope rhymes. The first two verses are talking about him being the best (and that's the most on topic I usually see J. Cole), then on the third verse he comes at white people who succeed after appropriating black culture because they're white, while black people don't get the recognition, but then he goes back to talking about why he's the best.
St. Tropes sounds really beautiful, and it's one of the few songs where he's clearly talking about one thing and it works. His singing on this backed up by the female vocals puts the icing on the cake. He talks about his fears of blowing up and the struggles he faces with the relationships that it affects.
GOMD goes in! Not because J. Cole but because this hook is crazy as hell. It's hype too, but like the actually lyrics are kind of boring but his flow and energy is great. I know that the song kind of goes over the fact that this will get played because of the hook only but it's because J. Cole kind of hasn't evolved like other rappers have. Kanye West has, Drake has, Jay-Z has nas hasn't really and that's why his albums haven't been the same since the nineties and I believe that will really restrict J. Cole. Think about it like pokemon. What if you played the whole game without evolving, it kind of gets boring, you feel me guys?
No role modelz is sexist as hell, I'm finna skip this song. But it's catchy lowkey.
Hello sounds like trash sorry guys. Maybe if he said something interesting.
The album ends of in a similar fashion as it started. With J. Cole singing with a piano. Then he starts shouting out for 12 minutes. Yeah....
Listening to this album I've found that a lot of J. Cole's choruses'/hooks have nothing to do with the song. If he wrote novels, he would probably be one of those authors who use a lot of deus ex machina.
If you want to listen to Conscious rappers who are better than J. Cole I can give y'all a list.
Kendrick Lamar (O.D./Section 80/Good Kid Maad City)
Isaiah Rashad (Cilvia Demo)
Outkast (Litterally anything they have ever made)
Ab Soul (These Days...)
Lupe Fiasco (Food & Liquor/The Cool)
Big Krit (Krit Wuz Here/Return of 4eva)
Joey Badass (1999) etc.
If you want a list of rappers who sound better than J. Cole the list is too long.
This is a 6/10. J. Cole is a charmander when he should be a charizard. I'm just really disappointed. What did you think of this though? What Should I review next?
I am a huge fan of J.Cole and I agree with your review somewhat. Whenever I tell other Cole fans that, they're shocked. I saw all the hype about it on social media and I checked it out and it wasn't all they said it was. I think Fire Squad is overrated. I don't think the beats are catchy and the lyrics aren't his best. I like apparently and I freaking love wet dreams. Wet dreams reminds me why I fell in love with his music in the first place. I disagree with you and I think he truly uses his story-telling skills. There's another song that I don't like where he says some shit like "Cole is god" and I hated that. And I think his previous albums were much much better and I wish there were more features on this one. But I'm willing to give him another chance. He announced last week that him and Kendrick would be working on a collab album. And I don't think Lupe Fiasco is better than J.Cole. Just saying. But I'll make sure to check out the other rappers you posted. And Lil Wayne released an album around the same time as J.Cole and I think he sucks ass but .. yeah. And are you just reviewing albums that come out recently or do you do any albums? And I love your blog and can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteI don't think firing squad is the best song in the world, but I'm a fan of grimey in your face rap, and he brings that to the table on this track.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he's a good story teller, but his stories are all the same & I think wet dreams isn't that ground breaking of a track.
I feel like if he had more features they would out do him and it would make the album sound even more disjointed.
Kendrick and him have been saying they were going to collab since 8th grade.
Lupe fiasco is really lyrical and his first two albums were masterpieces. His story telling abilities are unparalleled. His record label just tried to make him a pop star instead and forces his radio songs onto him. I would strongly recommend you to listen to those albums.
Lil Wayne isn't somebody I particularly like but I'd be glad to review anything that is recommended. I like to review recent things, but I'm open to any recommendations.
no. but I'm pretty sure they're serious about the collab this time and the only Lupe Fiasco songs I've heard are the radio ones so I'll be sure to check it out.
DeleteCan you do a review on "Computer Era" by Astro?
ReplyDeleteMost certainly
Deleteits Kelly's "Roast Beef", not Kelly's "don't get our signature roast beef get our seafood"
ReplyDeletemy cousin kept bumping this in the car when he took me to go take the ACT's it's not bad
ReplyDeleteDude gives my cousin a shout out on the album
ReplyDelete