Cole World: The Sideline Story is available for streaming once again. J. Cole’s debut LP is back on subscription streaming services after being removed from various platforms in early October.
J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad announced the album’s return to streaming on Saturday (October 13), but he didn’t elaborate on why it disappeared in the first place.
“Back by popular demand, it’s a long story why it got taken down but just know it’s back,” he wrote. “Enjoy.”
Cole World was released in 2011 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
[This post has been updated. The following was originally published on October 3, 2018.]
J. Cole‘s debut album Cole World: A Sideline Story appears to have disappeared from all streaming networks. The revelation was made via social media, causing confusion from fans accustomed to perusing his catalog freely.
Dreamville President Ibrahim Hamad responded to the many tweets floated his way noting, “I’m aware of what happened and we will get it back up soon … You can stop tweeting me now.”
It’s unclear exactly why the album was taken down and when it will return. Dreamville is obviously aware of the situation, but it’s also missing from the label’s official website. The bulk of his discography — including his highly acclaimed pre-Cole World mixtapes The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights — remain though.
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no big deal, this album was a bit of a letdown anyway. not that it was bad- it was decent, but not great either. had the label(s) OK’d Friday Night Lights to be his proper debut, THAT would be a problem.. but this one, ehhh, I can do without it!
I still go back to listen every now and then and it’s a great DEBUT album. I like music I can relate to and if you like lyrics the it’s good. I don’t give a fuck about multisyllabic shit when I can even understand it.
To each their own how you feel about his album. I thought it was decent. Apple is wack anyways. I switched back to Android and Spotify a long time ago!
It’s not on Spotify neither
“Rise and Shine” was an amazing track. Like, phenomenal.
You millennials ever heard of a CD?
You must mean Gen X, lol cause millennials were all born before the CD was a thing, most I not all Millennials were born while Cassettes where at its peak, so try again tard.
They’re all racist biased and dicrimanotoryv against minority music especially with such influence as him.. they dont want it on their apple tree/ or broken windows… I can still hear you…
That’s why I still own CDs… or Vinyl…. streaming just isn’t the same as holding a physical copy in your hand, and listening to it… and I’m looking forward to the grandpa comments.
Im the same way bro. As much as I love spotify, you will never get the same feeling you get from buying a cd, tearing the plastic off, taking it out all shiney then throwing it in your cd player. Even better with Vinyl cause you gotta ride the whole way home with it before you can even test it out. My vinyl and CD collection is something ive built since I was like 13. I take pride in that shit.
Shit is trash so who cares anyways
Got something to do with TIDAL / Jay-Z maybe?
That’s fine the album was mad overrated like the rest of his career. I’m not saying he’s trash but they talk about this dude like he’s top tier and he’s not. “I let you feel like the shit but you can’t outfart me”, really? Cole is average at best.
Must be anew to real hip hop! Smh
There are just too few rappers under 35 out right now making above average music that is actually about something and makes sense. It’s not that J Cole is incredible, he’s above average with very few people in his lane that aren’t older rappers. Kendrick makes absolutely no sense most of the time, and Chance isn’t as good as either Kendrick or Cole. Cole is a very relatable dude to both people from the inner city and the suburbs.
They wouldn’t talk about something/someone if it didnt warrant the attention
This is why streaming is bullshit. I download all my music and and keep it. I don’t worry about shit disappearing since everything is mine. Streaming wack and always will be. I also was stilling buying C.Ds up to 2015 so I bought this album then anyways.
Yeah. Because one album going unavailable for one morning makes access to an entire universe of music “bullshit.”
It should cause some concern. Just like that its gone. Makes you wonder what other online/app things could be snatched from you all of a sudden.
I buy physical copies of all the music I possibly can from artists I genuinely support. I just recently got a spotify account, and it’s nice to have access to such a wide range of music that I normally wouldn’t buy, but I still will buy cds of the rappers I really like. I had no interest in buying the trash heap that was Revival, but it’s nice that I can listen to the one track off it that I actually like. Also I’m not a Wayne fan but he has a few songs (out of thousands lol) that I actually like, now I can listen to those without having to pirate an entire discography like I would have in the past.
Slightly incoherent cuz I’m high af.
Lmao! They still laugh at me for buying cds this day. This was one of the qualms I argued about. Stuff like this happening. Oh well…
Thats why I illegally download my albums.
And that’s why your PC/Laptop is always fucking up and running slow it’s full of malware .
Why they gotta get rid of the classics like cole world? I swear, man im hurt from that crap
More bed time music for my sleep problem
this dude got some talent. but I still believe he’s one of the most overrated rappers of all time. On each of his albums only three maybe four tracks are listenable. the rest is just disappointment. good lyricism is just not enough. I don’t care how good your rhymes are. If the beats are trash, it ain’t listenable to me. At some point I’m also tryin to listen to some music (strictly speaking).
yes he is over rated, Cole found such a big success based on there not being many around like him at the time. he had the right marketing and now he is praised among others like kendrick as having substance and being intelligent. Im not saying he isn’t those or his music isn’t, but if its boring…then what? Idk I was raised off the 90’s where at least these types of rappers had interesting beats. Once again though its just my opinion.
When ever possible I buy CD’z