Not even one week after its release, J. Cole’s KOD album has broken Spotify and Apple Music streaming records, and is predicted to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 next week, while it continues stirring the pot with its controversial content about not only addiction but also the new generation of rappers.
Throughout the 12-track project, Cole dissects nearly every type of addiction possible, including success on “Motiv8,” money on “ATM,” sex on “Kevin’s Heart” and his own mother’s alcoholism on “Once An Addict.” In a recent (and rare) interview with Paul Cantor for Vulture, the Dreamville Records boss opened up about the meaning of KOD, his views on substance abuse, struggling with depression and his former addiction to public approval.
Check out the most revealing points from the conversation below.
The Concept For KOD Was Birthed During Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. Tour
“Kendrick’s show gave me chills because I got to see what it was like to have a hit album performed, and it set off a desire,” he said. “It was a recognition — like Oh, I’ll take that again. Like looking at a menu, I’ll have that again.”
Cole Made KOD While On Family Vacation
While on a trip to Rome, Italy, Cole’s hotel suite had a spare room, so he made a beat on his laptop, plugged in a mic, pressed record and whispered so he wouldn’t disturb his wife and kid.
Alter-Ego Kill Edward Was Inspired By His Stepfather
Cole’s stepfather, Edward, left his mother Kay in 2003 and Cole believes she spiraled into drug and alcohol use following the split. His alter-ego, Kill Edward, appears on “The Cut Off” and “FRIENDS.”
Cole Thinks TV Normalizes Drug Use
“We live in a society where all this drug use is normalized, it’s the norm, it’s okay, it’s fucking encouraged, it’s fucking promoted,” he says. “You turn on the TV — you feeling down? Of course I’m feeling down, I’m a fucking human being. Try this. Whatever this thing is. Like, nah, how about you actually feel sad and figure out what the fuck it is that got you feeling sad, so you can work on that?”
Manager Ibrahim Hamad Says He Never Wanted To Be Famous
Hamad, who runs Dreamville, told Vulture, “He always wanted to be respected as an artist and looked at a high level. In beginning, the fame part and the art part almost had to go hand in hand because nobody knew — you have to do these things for visibility and be as big as you can so your music can be as big as it can. He doesn’t have to do these things anymore. He can just be who he wants.”
There’s A Reason Lils Are Getting Offended By “1985 (Intro To ‘The Fall Off’)”
As HipHopDX pointed out in the KOD review, “1985” is “a one-size-fits-all forewarning.” Those responding to the closing track, “1985 (Intro To ‘The Fall Out’),” are likely defensive because deep down, Cole’s words resonated with them.
“It’s really a ‘shoe fits’ situation — several people can wear that shoe. Why you yelling at your show? You must feel attacked in some kind of way, must feel offended, and if you feel offended, then that means something rings true, something struck a chord. That’s cool with me. That’s all I ever want to do.”
His Latest Music Videos Are Breaking The Bank
KOD’s “A.T.M.” and “Kevin’s Heart” videos cost him more than $500,000 dollars to make. They are two of his most costly productions. For “Kevin’s Heart,” Cole recruited longtime friend/comedian Kevin Hart to essentially relive his cheating scandal from last year.
The Concept For “Kevin’s Heart” Came Unexpectedly
While he was lying in bed with his wife, she started scrolling on her phone and saying, “Oh no, Kevin, oh my god, Kevin.” Kevin Hart had cheated on his pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish, and was apologizing on Instagram. The news led to an intense conversation about infidelity and subsequently inspired the song.[apple_news_ad type=”any”]
“I thought it was dope,” Hart told Vulture. “It wasn’t done from a hateful or spiteful place. It was done with a smart intent behind it, which I think a lot of Cole’s stuff is done.”
He Wasn’t In The Right Mode To Properly Promote 4 Your Eyez Only
“I wasn’t in the life space to promote that album,” he says. When the album was released in December 2016, he’d just gotten married, his baby boy was coming and he was laying low. Producer No I.D. reportedly called him the week the project dropped and asked how felt about it but its like it’d slipped his mind he even dropped a project. “Oh, yeah.” Cole said. “I did put out an album.” He laughs it off with, “The fucking audacity, bro. What the fuck was I doing?”
Physical Copies Of KOD Were Hard To Come By For Him
After heading to his local Target in Raleigh, North Carolina, he realized, “They sold out. This is the first time I couldn’t cop like 40 physical copies of my own shit.”
Cole Just Downloaded Instagram Last Week …
… and his DMs were immediately flooded and he relished in the personal stories about addiction his fans told him.
Lil Peep Actually Died During KOD‘s Mixing
While making KOD, 21-year-old emo rapper Lil Peep overdosed and died. “The album is already a warning and this kid dies while I’m sitting in the studio mixing the shit — do you know how creepy that was? That shit was heavy.”
He Was Addicted To Public Approval
After signing to Roc Nation in 2009, Cole felt like the work he was producing wasn’t the real him. When Nas told No I.D. he was disappointed that Cole turned to radio hits for success, Cole wrote the song “Let Nas Down.”
“In 2012, it was infuriating, it was mad hurtful, it felt more like I was a victim,” he said. “Once I took control of my own shit, stopped giving power to other people for my happiness and success, it became like, Oh word, I’ll show you how boring I am. And it became another person to prove wrong.”
Depression Haunted Him For Years
“I didn’t like how I felt about my life,” he said. “I’d been depressed for like three years. And I realized I was putting too much importance on what other people thought about me. Also, my mom going through her shit had a traumatic impact on me, and I never had a chance to process that shit. I just put my head down. I wasn’t having an honest conversation with myself.”
And Finally, He Doesn’t Care If You Think He’s Boring
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KOD is expected to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 but it’s also projected to be the best-selling album of 2018. So, simply put, he’s not concerned with his detractors. “Now it’s even clearer,” he says of his critics. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
#MAGA
eat a dick maga bitch
WEll that explains why it sounds like a cheap version of DAMN. He bites tech then he bites Kendrick’s deep voices and arrangements. Smh
I feel ya
Shhh, the stans might hear you
Great article. But KOD is still boring. Lyrically, he’s good… but that production is half-ass. Kendrick and KRIT put out much better albums.
I’m slapping whoever comment and say Cole didn’t feed us- ?? Please give me reason
just like past j cole albums always excited and have high hopes and has a couple really good songs but Feel let down afterwards
So he knows he’s boring and is just too sturbon to change! Learn from Kendrick how to be humble and stop making albums in a bubble Jermaine!
You don’t think Kendrick also makes the albums that HE wants to make? Why does Cole need to change what he’s doing to appease you or anyone else? Seems like he’s doing ok for himself making music HE wants to make.
Comments are proof that these young ass kids only want radio hits. What a fucking shame…
Do your homework…Kast, ATCQ, Nas, Redman, Wu Tang, Pac, BIG….
Just because the “kids” in the comment section don’t like your beloved Cole doesn’t mean they only care about hits. That kind of dualistic thinking is why society in general has been getting more and more fucked and you had Hillary vs Trump as the leading candidates to run the country. The album was good, not amazing. And he should probably get a feature or two because the songs all start to sound too similar when it’s just him
KOD is Tech n9ne only. What a biter. Fuck J Cole
I don’t think anyone who made a comment here really read the article here he basically tells you he don’t give a fuck what you think of him or his album it’s not that he is to stubborn to change he just rather be himself and make music that he is proud of point blank period he rather stay true to himself rather then pretend to be like some of these fake ass rappers who really ain’t he enjoys his music he has fans that enjoy his music people who actually understand the message he put into his songs just Kendrick Lamar actual good artist do
Let’s keep this shit 100% and pull from both sides of what people are thinking about this. As unbiased as I can be, being a huge J.Cole fan. 1st I want you all to see where I’m coming from. I feel that Born Sinner was Coles best album overall as an artist. I think it’s great when you can make music that you want to make, it let’s you be real and for most rappers it’s that outlet they use and probably really needed at a point in their lives because of things going on in their lives and not knowing how to cope. It’s like a diary and a therapist at the same damn time. The rapper writes it, gets it off their chest and the people just listen… Born Sinner was a good album because he rapped about what he wanted to rap about but also, he entertained his fans. The many different fans that is because not ALL fans want to hear the same thing from Cole. A lot of people want to hear genuine J.Cole but others want to hear bangers that J.Cole can also produce.
SO, Born Sinner was an awesome mash up. Forest Hills Drive was great too. Best selling album for him because Born Sinner put him on that mainstream map and even though forest hills got deeper into Cole’s world it still had some mainstream bangers.
With that being said, Cole’s album last year was half assed to me and pretty disappointing. Sure it was a personal album and whatever, whatever but in reality it was not that great of an album for his fans and for him personally. I felt from what I know about the man that it wasn’t given his full attention and time, he had a lot going on as well so I can understand. He put out a few great tracks on that album still.
KOD is better, had a lot more time out into it and really addresses issues everyone is going through as well as rap right now and he’s making HIS music. Bangers, there a re few and that’s why some don’t like this album much either, because some people don’t want to listen to J.Cole and understand on that deep of a level. They dont want to vibe that hard and that’s ok.
Lastly, what it all comes down to is this…
As a rapper in my opinion, your fans make you, based off your hard work and creativity they start to feel you and show up to your shows and listen to your songs and get you the streaming views, give their money to make your money. So, with that known knowledge, you as a rapper have an obligation to people as well as yourself. Be true to yourself always but, you need to appeal to your fans as well. It doesn’t have to appeal through trends but, fans need you to be multi-faceted. As an artist you have to stay creative and stay true.
So KOD was great and way better than 4 Your Eyez Only but, I feel that it misses a few marks at the same time. I’m a thankful that he put out something with deep learning and something everyone can reflect on and really look at what’s going on and gives some attention to.
If this was too long, I dont care lol, um just being real.