Despite its lewd title, J. Cole's new single High for Hours carries a profound, deeply honest message. Released, not so coincidentally, on January 16th (MLK Day), High for Hours discusses a wide range of political topics ranging from ISIS and Bin Laden's assassination to racism. While the track is masked by the rapper's smooth, R&B vocals and soft, hypnotic chorus, each verse outright questions American fundamentals, presidential actions, and our population's values. Cole dishes out food for thought without once inputting any opinion on this year's Election. By the end of the song, Cole forces his audience to look beyond party beliefs and judge ourselves as a collective body: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice... for all (?)
This is called being high as shit, for hours
That's the name of this song, nigga
"High as Shit for Hours"
Here we go, yeah
The rapper begins the song in a conversational tone, stating that he's high on some sort of drug. The misleading intro suggests that J.Cole is presenting his audience with another cliché rap song riddled with explicit innuendos and party behavior, yet the next line provokes his listeners.
American hypocrisy, oh, let me count the ways
They came here seekin' freedom
Then they end up ownin' slaves
Justified it usin' Christianity which saves
Religion don't mean shit, there's too much ego in the way
That's why ISIS is a crisis
But in reality this country do the same shit
The questionably offensive parallel to ISIS is a blatant attack on Americans. Why would Cole publish such an anti-patriotic belief? It turns heads. It forces you to listen. Cole's manipulation of pressing topics draws his audience in, encouraging debate, questions, and maybe even controversy. He strikes at America's core: freedom. Alluding to the colonists fleeing from Great Britain in search of a safe haven, Cole bitterly details the hypocritical past of America. While we use religion as our mask to cover the ugly truths of racism, sexism, and xenophobia in our society, J.Cole justifies his fluid stream of consciousness by claiming he's been high for hours.
Use of drugs like marijuana encourages the brain to magnify thoughts originating in the subconscious, often preventing people from filtering what is going through their mind. J.Cole's obviously troubled by the political climate and he passionately writes about these stresses, giving us a peak into the artist's subconscious.
He bridges each verse together with a breathy, faded line: "the type of shit that make you wanna let go"
Each hit draws him farther and farther away from reality, allowing him to fade into his idealistic high and avoid the realistic brutality. However the release of the track carries more questions than answers. When was High for Hours recorded? Why wasn't it added to J.Cole's recent album, 4 Your Eyez Only?
J. Cole places national controversies at the heart of his song and gives room for open-ended answers. By releasing High for Hours as a stand-alone track, J.Cole is distinguishing the song as a separate entity from 4 Your Eyez Only. Audiences do not hear it amidst the shuffle mode on an album. The rapper is hoping his listeners will take the time necessary to analyze the song beyond face value. He wants it to make a statement.
It's time to have a conversation. Let's start now.
