J. Cole hasn’t delivered an album since 2018’s KOD and anticipation for a follow-up is palpable on social media. On Tuesday (May 4), the Dreamville Records boss ramped it up when he randomly tweeted, “Is this thing on?” But the elusive Cole quickly returned with the announcement fans have been waiting for — a release date for The Off-Season.
According to the man himself, J. Cole’s sixth studio album is expected to arrive Friday (May 14), bringing the long, laborious wait to an end.
“Just know this was years in the making,” he wrote alongside the album’s dramatic cover art. “My new album The Off-Season available everywhere 5/14.”
J. Cole has already given the highly anticipated album a test drive. On Friday (April 30), Cole took to his Instagram Stories for a rare social media update and let the world know his latest project had officially passed his personal driving test.
“Just rode through the city to The Off-Season,” he wrote. “Dawg… Too excited.”
If the success of KOD is any indication, The Off-Season will surely appease Cole fans. KOD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its release, selling over 397,000 total album-equivalent units in its first week, earning Cole his fifth consecutive No. 1 album in the United States. HipHopDX Editor-in-Chief Trent Clark called the project “one of the most important rap albums ever” due to its themes.
J. Cole Lays Out His Release Schedule & There Will Be Plenty Of Music Before 'The Fall Off'
The 12-track project boldy tackled addiction to not just drugs but money, sex, power and relationships. The closing song, “1985 (Intro To The Fall Off),” also sparked controversy as a “backhanded well-wish to a particular young gunner [Lil Pump] whose slander breached Dreamville County” and “a one-size-fits-all forewarning that riding Hip Hop trends will eventually take artists down a dead-end street.”
With all eyes set on J. Cole, fans now have something to anticipate in the coming week.
Cole is one of the best lyricists in the rap game. Cant wait.
Ehhhh he’s solid, but one of the best? Idk about all that
J Cole is a good song writer, but his delivery is always so flat. Not to mention the singing thing everybody in hip-hop does these days.
Man if we can get Kendrick to drop in the next few weeks as well, Cole and Kendrick will hold down the summer playlist.
Cole, Kendrick and eminem must collab.
put jay and 3000 on it too
Cole is old and washed up now, this will probably be hot garbage. I want to see if he keeping it hot and got some HoneyKomb Brazy or NBA YoungBoy on this joint. He need some hot young features to keep shit relevant and give it that hood element, otherwise this album will be trash.
You sound hella dumb! Washed up? Five consecutive number 1’s is washed up?! Cole easily top 3 in the game right now.
Top 5 No Particular Order
Hov
Kendrick
Cole
Drake
Nipsey (RIP)
Move around troll ?
yeah. And no crew is touching Dreamville in the last couple years. I expect TDE to come back this summer as well, but Dreamville has the crown right now.
Bruh, that nikka forgot to take his meds this morning ??? Cole, washed up?! Thats a sad ass, old ass nikka that never followed his dreams to Dreamville ???? Boy stuck in Haterville ??
drake looool naw bruh
Yeah right no chance he has those dudes on his album……he don’t want to get flamed on his own shit.
I bet you kids also think Migos is good lol
Migos more lyrical than J Cole that’z facts it’s just the delivery that’s better with Cole
i hope he gets some nba on that album. musics is not music without that herpes genies…. so many kids would still be so stupid if they didn’t here some nba joints… wise shit. and he looks so smart…. smartest look on a face i’ve ever seen
You must be a special ed student if you look to NBA Young Boy to make an album better lmao
The cat with the hat ate a snack in the cadillac. I like being black. Doing drugs is wack.
ohhh there musst be smbdy sad because he wont here the same word like 50 times in a row. or smbdy wont tell on the 4th year in a row that his block is full of murderers and bang bang and shoot shoot.
He got to get features From Eminem, Lil Wayne, Young thug, And YB.
Feature for what only 2 people on same level
J.Cole got bodied by a female rappers.
J Cole is coming for the throne too!
It’ll be trash, guaranteed.
No wonder you’re “Bob”
Funny how losers call an artist’s work trash or garbage. What are contributing to this world in a positive manner? This hood mentality was given to you by the white man…which means you are a slave without even knowing it. If you do not understand that…that is my point. Educated yourself from this mentality. Education does not mean organize education that is another form of creating slaves.
“organize education is another form of creating slaves.”
yeah, learning mathematics and literature really keeps people in chains…..
on god cole better come with some heat and not no political bullshit or black power shit. if so im done with this fool
Cole ain’t had a good album since 2014 wtf?! He probably got young thug and 21 savage on his feature
With a comment like that, it’s obvious your music taste is “Big trash”.