J. Cole has been a huge influence in my life for a while now. I first listened to him when I was a freshman in high school in the car with my older brother. As he explained why the rapper means so much to him and why he believes he’s the best artist out there, I was listening to the lyrics and was understanding right away. For my brother and me, J. Cole has been how we connect and bond for a few years now. We share a similar life to J. Cole, before he reached his fame and dreams. But I want to share with you why we don’t just love him for his music; we also love him for this messages and what he lives for. His messages are from his true self, Jermaine.
1) "Sparks Will Fly"
Appreciate the ones that believed in you till the end and had your back all the way through your struggle.
"You stuck around even when the world frowned on me"
"It may seem like our fire
Has been a little burnt out, we're tired
We only need to stay close
In time, sparks will fly"
2) "Sideline Story"
Be positive, continuously and forever. When people are trying to get you down on your dreams, don’t let them. Keep going. Always look at the bright side. J. Cole always puts an emphasis on not letting your situation or race hold you back and in this song you will hear that as well as many others.
“Cause ain't nobody tell me why there ain't gonna be no more
Thinking I'ma fall? Don't be so sure”
“When I was a**ed out with my funds low
It's nice to know I had the whole world at my front door”
3) "Crooked Smile"
Here J. Cole reaches into the topic of the ideal image of beauty. He doesn’t want you to fall into the trick of the media; just because you don’t look like someone “on the screen” doesn’t mean you aren’t beautiful.
“Love yourself, girl, or nobody will”
4) "Apparently"
In this one I personally found it an apology letter to his mom for a time period where he was absent. But in the beginning he says that this song is his own and he will “paint it” how he wants. He is an artist and he will do as he please to express himself.
“This is my canvas
I'm a paint it how I want it baby, oh I
This is my canvas
I'm a paint it, paint it, paint it, how I want it n----
F--- you cause there
There is no right or wrong”
This is one of my favorites as these lines are just what we all should be doing. Our life is our empty canvas that we will fill it with the colors and images we want.
5) Lastly and most importantly, "Love Yourz"
His biggest message at the end of his latest album is to forget all the materialistic things that you wish you had and be happy with what’s in your life. The things in life that are important are the ones that can love you back. And as he says "It's beauty in the struggle"
He starts out with the song...“No such thing as a life better than yours”
Later to say…
“But you ain't never gon' be happy till you love yours”
A mindset we should all be living with.
