I’m always running. It, as well as admiring farce, are my greatest qualities. I can disappear right in front of you and you wouldn’t know it. I could be telling you a story, looking you right in the eye and you’d never know that I was somewhere else, entirely. And I don’t mean mundane shit like wondering about what to eat or what my girl is doing. I’m talking hitherto all-the-way not there stuff like staring down at myself from locked inside a cold, black tower. Am I even the one doing the talking? It’s hard to say.
Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive is an album I described as generally fine with being mundane, but that it was also always present. There J. Cole is, right in front of you, losing his virginity, dissing his old-lady, coming back home, and you never doubt him, not even for a second. He’s not Kendrick, who switches back and forth between times and persons to weave a broken-mirror narrative of himself. The Kendrick you see is not who is really there, is what he’s telling you over and over again. It’s compelling stuff. Drake, on the other hand, began as the ex-Degrassi star who went from being good at rap to being the ubiquitous, pop genius of rap. But here’s the thing, this, the Drake we’re seeing now, was always Drake. We’ve had him wrong up until right now. This very second. He’s probably already gone from this spot, and we’ll have him wrong again until things catch up a few years from now. But not Cole. Cole is old-faithful. Cole is what you see is what you get. And his career mirrors all of our careers. His controlled ascension is like you, me, us going from High School to college (maybe, because student loans) and then into the job world trying to make a name for yourself. For us, worrying about our careers and apartments and picking up wine after work, every day is our Friday Night Lights. For this, Cole might be the most relatable artist working in Hip Hop right now. I mean, what do you want to be free from?
There was a shot of Cole, him driving in his SUV where he paraphrases what could only essentially be called a Buddhist philosophy. He says, “The reason why we dream is because you’re not content with reality. [When] you’re so attached with the idea of the dream, I think that’s when misery comes and suffering.” He goes on to ruminate, “My dream is to have this car, my dream is to have this girl, my dream is to have this success, and when you don’t have it that shit brings stress.” It does bring stress. Everybody knows that, but nobody says it, right? Wrong. Artists are saying it all the time. So they usually make an album or two about it. Kanye’s 808’s and Heartbreak; Drake’s Take Care; Nicki’s Pinkprint; Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly; Earl’s I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside, De La’s De La Soul Is Dead. They’re all ‘this is stressful albums.’ They all ask the question: Do I really want this? But Mr. Cole curved all that and made an album that described the journey as it was. This is the draw of J. Cole. He’ll simply state what’s happening and let your mind fill in the rest. His decision has already been made. He’s taking his ball, and he’s going home to that rickety old house in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
So many of us wish we could do the same. We are all disillusioned with something or the other. All of our lives are, seemingly, falling apart. And, he’s right. Hollywood is funny. Everyone is entirely too chill yet very few are really chill. Everyone is entirely too beautiful yet there’s no water in the whole damn town. You have to ask yourself then, is this even real? What’s real? For Cole, it’s the moments in life that are open to everyone. The one’s that don’t need access or need you to sit and think deeply about the human condition. The one’s that don’t even require a lot of money. Sitting with your friends and listening to an album is one. Protecting yourself against the onslaught of dealing with other humans is another. One dollar for a concert with a superstar who’d rather hang out with his friends than be caught at fashion week is yet another. J. Cole’s magic is that he’s completely and utterly obsessed with being himself. And, somehow, he makes it feel like it’s okay for you to be yourself, too. Not your best self. Not your fanciest self.
Maybe L.A. isn’t just a city of shadows, old-quiet houses, gangs and apartments that don’t come with a fridge, then. Maybe it’s not Hollywood, either. Maybe I can be myself in there, somewhere, too.
Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Cole does always deliver good ginuine music without lowering his self to industry norms, I was so impressed with that documentary/concert on HBO
If you don’t think Cole is Top 5 MC of this generation, you’re a DOUCHE. I don’t care you don’t like his music, The body of work, the accomplishments, the accolades they are hard to ignore. But this is the DX comment section where most people troll and spew negative bullshit comments.
The title and article do not feel connected. I know editors typically write the title.. Maybe the editor assigned a different article then the writer wrote, and did not read it before posting.
The writer summed up perfectly why this generation of hip hop is so mediocre. He’s calling Cole top 5 of this generation, but pretty much called Cole’s most recent album boring in the nicest way possible “generally fine with being mundane”……LMAOOO. That’s how you describe Cole’s supposed best effort? LOL.
The writer also points out that Cole is obsessed with being himself. And that’s one of the reasons why this dude’s music is so boring. He takes hip hop too seriously trying to keep up his hip hop’s saviour schtick. He needs to loosen up a little. Have some fun while still being creative. For instance look at B.I.G.–> Frank White, Nas–>Escobar, Redman–>Reggie Noble, Ghostface–> Tony Stark. And I could go on. These guys created dope alter egos while still keeping true to themselves. It doesn’t even have to be an alter ego, just step out the box and do something different.
It’s weird. Cole, personally to me is one of the most over hyped artists over the last few years, but at the same time he probably is top 5 of this generation.
This is so horrible, how did you call him top 5 without name any contributions he did for Hip Hop? Not once did they talk about the impacts his projects made, what artistically sets him apart or his lyrics. This whole article seems like a letter of recommendation. If you like him as a person then okay but what does this have to do with him being top 5? Atlease when Kendrick or Drake get articles like this written people have facts to back.
J. Cole is the most overrated this generation and damn near the most overrated rapper of all time at this rate. Eminem fans ain’t this bad good lord
GTFOH. Calling Cole the most overrated MC ever. Drake and Kendrick get articles written about them on the constant. Cole gets one and you throw a temper tantrum.
Most boring rapper/ producer ever. Although he a better mc then wack rappers like: Game, 50 Cent, 2Stainz, Lil wayne, Tyga, Drake, Big Sean, Young jeezy, Lil Thug, Young Turd etc.
Well I Admire Cole as a person . but I Don’t see J Cole really impacting the Game , perhaps in terms of reintroducting old forms of Fan-MC connections, but personally, his subject matter ain’t anything new . its all been done before, and in my opinion. He’s grown so much as producer and rapper but I don’t see it. Lol
But u forgot to mention that he is the first hip hop artist in 25 years to go platinum without a featured artist to me that is a huge impact to the rap game man i know it’s been done before but think it’s taken two and half decades for a rapper to do that let alone j.cole produces his own music this makes the achievement even more ever lasting in terms of impact to hip hop drake hasn’t done that, 50 cent hasnt, eminem hasn’t, jayz hasn’t u got to give him credit for it never expected j.cole to drop an album out of nowhere wit no big promotions, radio hits, or features and go platinum not since 1990 has this been accomplished not even some oof the biggest of names in hip hop today didn’t that and that’s why i think j.cole has made a big impact in hip hop since noone has been able to do it in so so long
no matter how you all Americans paint it.. storytelling blah blah blah. .
the fact still remains that Jcole = boring
there’s a lot of elements still missing in his flow..matter of fact, who bought those forest hill numbers. .shiiii
what the fuck is that second paragraph trying to say, none of it makes any sense…
I’m always running. It, as well as admiring farce, are my greatest qualities. I can disappear right in front of you and you wouldn’t know it. I could be telling you a story, looking you right in the eye and you’d never know that I was somewhere else, entirely. And I don’t mean mundane shit like wondering about what to eat or what my girl is doing. I’m talking hitherto all-the-way not there stuff like staring down at myself from locked inside a cold, black tower. Am I even the one doing the talking? It’s hard to say.
That’s basically what J Cole’s rhyming is like.
I liked the article and agreed with the writer’s points. However, and no offense, but this article lacked serious editing. SERIOUS. Contact me if you’re looking for an editor for your site or your writing. All writers need them.
Mr. Andre Grant, I agree with the top 5 viewpoint. Not only is J.Cole an emcee, he is a socially conscious activist who isn’t necessarily using the platform he’s earned for his own advancement, but for the advancement of the black man and humanity as a whole. As an artist myself, I don’t think “Forest Hills Drive” is boring. My own assumption is that J. Cole wanted to keep it simple yet insightful, like you said “what you see is what you get.” Well in this case “what you hear is what you get” no guessing involved.
Thanks for the post Mr. Grant!
Best Regards,
-Kanessa (@thatdamnkanessa)