CASE STUDY/ WHAT HAPPENED TO J.COLE

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CASE STUDY/ WHAT HAPPENED J.COLE

I like J. Cole before the dreads. There I said it. There are certain artists where it seems you can’t even speak about them and criticize them at all. I feel like that’s why we started writing these Case Study articles. They always seem to stir something up that’s for sure. Right now in 2022 J.Cole’s legacy is solidified as one of the greatest rappers to ever step into a booth. He has sales, accolades, respect from peers, and legends. I just feel like he hasn’t been the same artist since Born Sinner.

Now don’t get me wrong 2014 Forrest Hills Drive is an amazing album. But I could sense something had changed with J.Cole. At that point, this is his most melodic project. In 2022 there’s nothing wrong with that. But in 2014 it was interesting to see an artist like J. Cole crossover in my opinion.

When J.Cole came into the game with the Warm Up it, his hunger was undeniable. You could tell he wanted to be known as one of the best rappers of all time. He had songs like Grown Simba and Lights Please. He was also freestyling over Kanye West beats. This is pre-Kendrick Lamar hype. This is a time when Drake and Kid Cudi were the artists that were “next up”. J. Cole entered the Hiphop industry as a student of the culture a very good one at that.

He followed things up with his project Friday Night Lights which was supposed to be his debut album. In hindsight, it probably should have been his first album. It’s a great display of storytelling from J. Cole at a time when he had pressure to make a great album his first time out. Although it wasn’t released as his debut project it was released as a mixtape and well received as by the fans.

In 2011, J. Cole releases The Sideline Story his Debut album which wasn’t his best effort and not my favorite project. He follows up with Born Sinner. Born Sinner is the classic before the classic to me. A lot of people love to bring up 2014 as J. Cole’s best effort. I can’t say it is I think Born Sinner is amazing all the way through and is the first time Cole put all the pieces together. He follows that project up with 2014 and things get a little weird.

J. Cole as far as his Solo albums go is one out of his last three projects. 4 Your Eyes Only isn't the worst project to hear from any artist but I expected more from J. Cole. I didn’t want to hear about him folding clothes. KOD seemed to be a project for a much younger demographic than he’s ever reached out to before. Again not a bad project but I did expect more from him. His latest project The Off-Season is more similar to the music he used to make and more of what I expect from him.

J. Cole is one of the greatest artists ever. I think most of my critique comes from the love that I have for him as an artist. It’s hard to compare him to anyone else. He’s in his own lane and will continue to be.