J. Cole

Quick Background:

Jermaine Cole, known to the world as J. Cole is a rapper from Fayetteville, North Carolina. At the time of writing J. Cole has released six studio albums, with his debut album being released back in 2011. One of the biggest rappers to come out of the blog era, all six albums have topped the Billboard 200 at number one and have at least gone platinum; with his third studio album 2014 Forest Hill Drive being his most acclaimed album.

Penmanship — 7.5 :

J. Cole

Being one of the biggest rappers of the last decade, Cole has showcased his talents to produce big records with some substance. Tracks such as 2013’s “Power Trip” featuring Miguel and 2014’s “No Role Modelz” are great singles that went on to become some of his most beloved hit singles. From a lyrical perspective I don’t believe Cole is incredibly intricate or mind blowing, though he has shown some great moments, for example his verse on Benny the Butcher’s “Johnny P’s Caddy”. He has frequently been compared to Kendrick Lamar, however from a lyrical standpoint it’s never been a close competition between the two.

On the other hand, Cole has definitely shown his talents as a storyteller. Songs such as“Lost Ones” and “Wet Dreamz” are examples of Cole’s ability to craft engaging stories that keep the listener hooked. “Lost Ones” is a song centered around a girl’s pregnancy and each verse is dedicated to a different perspective in regards to the situation. Released on Cole’s debut album back in 2011, to this day it’s arguably Cole’s best crafted song.

Flow — 6 :

Cole’s flow is solid and he has flowed well on production that is calm and aggressive. However, Cole isn’t really known to experiment with his flow or take risks. He’s much more comfortable sticking to his laidback flow, not really pivoting from it. Because of this there isn’t much to else to say.

Delivery — 6 :

Delivery throughout the years has been similar to his flow, not really pivoting or changing too much. Though Cole’s delivery is clear, there have been many times where his delivery has come across quite boring or uninteresting. Album cuts such as “Photograph” off of KOD are examples of Cole’s delivery sounding tired and dull, this is a criticism that he has faced from others. However, this isn’t always the case, as in the early years of his career we received tracks such as “Villuminati” where he sounds energised and hungry. This is also shown recently with songs such as “95 South” off of his latest album, The Off Season.

Beat Selection — 7 :

For the most part Cole’s beat selection has been solid, with Born Sinner and 2014 Forest Hills Drive being his best produced albums. Known to create beats himself, there has however been some slippage with some of the beats he has rapped on and produced. Albums such as 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD contain production that might not be awful or unbearable, however they do contain production that can be forgettable. Similar to how I mentioned with his delivery, at times the production can be tired and dull, however this isn’t always the case.

Versatility — 8 :

Though Cole isn’t too versatile with his rapping style, he has shown versatility in terms of his production choices and who he has collaborated with. He’s rapped on various types of beats from boom bap inspired production to modern trap inspired production. When you look at the features throughout his albums you can see that he has worked with a range of artists, from the likes of Jay-Z, Drake to 21 Savage. Additionally, he has been featured on tracks from a range of artists also, for example BIA, Young Thug and Benny the Butcher.

Originality — 6 :

Cole is definitely authentic and hasn’t shown any signs of biting from other artists. His debut album does show attempts to make music for the radio, with the album’s lead single “Work Out”. However, over the years Cole has made music not caring for or trying to adhere to what’s popular. Unlike other rappers, I wouldn’t say that Cole has introduced anything new to Hip-Hop nor do I think he has ever done anything different or done something so far away from the norm. Additionally, looking at his career since his debut, which was over a decade ago, there hasn’t been any styles or trends that Cole has introduced or started.

StoryTelling — 8.5 :

Storytelling is arguably Cole’s greatest trait, as mentioned above he has written songs that consist of many engaging stories. Cole’s ability to write not just from his own perspective, but from the perspective of others is incredibly impressive. “Lost Ones” is an incredible record, but J. Cole has written other great records showcasing his storytelling abilities, for example “4 Your Eyez Only”, where for nine minutes Cole raps from the perspective of a father delivering an audio note to his daughter. Then there’s “03 Adolescence” where he details a conversation he had with a friend, who pushes him away from entering the world of drug dealing. It’s records like these that have become some of Cole’s greatest work.

Catalogue — 6.5 :

Though for the talent that Cole possesses his catalogue is unfortunately a mixed bag of both great work and average albums. Cole’s earliest mixtapes are still to some of his best work, specifically 2009’s The Come Up and 2010’s Friday Night Lights, the latter being a classic mixtape from the Blog era. His debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, is probably not the debut album that people expected after his mixtapes; however it’s still a good debut album. His follow up projects Born Sinner and 2014 Forest Hills Drive are his best albums.

Whilst Cole released back to back great albums, the albums that came after with 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD are his poorest efforts. Though there are highlights on those two albums, generally both albums weren’t consistent and had possessed some of Cole’s most uninspired work. Fortunately, Cole has been able to turn it around as his last album is his best album since 2014 Forest Hills Drive, that being 2021’s The Off Season.

Top 3 Projects

Friday Night Lights (2010), Born Sinner (2013) and 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)

Impact — 6 :

As being one of the biggest rappers of the last decade, and along with Drake and Kendrick Lamar, Cole carried the torch as one of the leaders of the blog era. Cole has been able to number one with all his albums, with some of them reaching that feat with no promotion or features. On the other hand, just because Cole is a commercially successful artist, doesn’t mean he has the biggest impact within Hip-Hop. As mentioned before, he hasn’t created a trend or a new style that has been mimicked, and I haven’t seen a major influence upon other rappers. When I look at the rappers that came out after him, there aren’t any that I would call “a J. Cole baby”.

Total — 61 :

In total I have given J. Cole 61 points and an average of 6.8, rounding that to a B-. Overall, I think J. Cole is a good rapper and has good qualities to back this. Cole has created a legacy for himself and will be remembered after he puts the mic down. However, I personally believe that something can be good, but at the same time overrated. Though Cole is a good rapper, I do believe he has been placed on a pedestal that is a bit too high. I don’t believe he is as good as many others claim him to be. I think being a commercially successful rapper has helped him to be placed on that pedestal. Many believe that he is on the same level and a direct competitor to Kendrick Lamar, as he too made a name for himself during the blog era. However, I don’t believe this comparison has ever truly been deserved and the level between two has never been the same to me. So though I believe he is a good rapper, I don’t believe Cole is one of the greats and should not be placed on the same level as other great MCs.