J. Cole is considered to be one of the leaders of the new generation of rappers. His talents remind one of Kanye West, with his ability to write his own rhymes and produce on them too. Just like last weeks Kanye article, this will be J. Cole's top 10 songs. I will only be taking songs from his official albums; this excludes mixtapes and features. Much like Kanye, it is very difficult to pick just 10 and many songs I enjoy I had to leave out.

Honorable Mentions

"Trouble"

"Forbidden Fruit"

"Work Out"

" Fire Squad"

"G.O.M.D."

"A Tale of Two Citiez"

10. "Let Nas Down"

The first entry on my list is from Cole's second album, "Born Sinner." J. Cole was a huge Nas fan growing up and credits him as one of his biggest influences. Over the course of the song Cole tells the story of meeting his idol but inevitably letting him down with his song "Work Out." Cole gets very intimate with the listener and reminds the world that no matter how big you are you still need to look up to the ones who came before you. The story has a happy ending as Nas ended up releasing a remix titled "Made Nas Proud" where he tells the story from his side and praises Cole's lyricism and understands that you have to make commercial songs as well as poetic ones.

9. "Apparently"

This song was the lead single from Cole's third album, "2014 Forrest Hills Drive," and rightfully so. The song is a perfect showcase for Cole's clever lyricism mixed with deep messages, a common occurrence on this list. He reflects on his life as a youth, regretting his treatment of important women in his life. The song features one of Cole's best hooks to date. Cole spends the second verse flowing ferociously through clever bars reminding the listener that he still has some growing up to do. "Apparently" is an excellent track and a highlight of an amazing album.

8. "Rich N****z"

I really wish Cole would've paired this song with his interlude "Mo Money" which was also on "Born Sinner." On this track, Cole wonders how some have so much money. Once again, he uses his wordplay to explore the economics of the world, mainly how hard his life was financially growing up in a single-parent household. The song is touching on many levels as Cole looks back to the start of his career when it wasn't about money. Very rarely do rap songs give a touching perspective to money but Cole does it with ease.

7. "No Role Modelz"

"First thing first rest in peace uncle Phil. for real."

Cole's "No Role Modelz" kicks off with a tribute to James Avery, the actor who played Uncle Phil on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Much like Smith's character (and Smith), Cole didn't have a father growing up as a child and often looked to the fictional character as a father figure. Cole gets a little less deep as the song progresses but the message becomes more clear. Cole laments that he had no role models but he believes that the materialistic Los Angeles lifestyle is drawn from modern role models like reality TV stars.The song features a catchy hook and a presidential sample that adds some humor to the track. Very well written and produced song by Cole.

6. "Crooked Smile"

This track was the second single for "Born Sinner." Cole spends the track discussing his beliefs that no one is perfect, because everyone has their own "crooked smile." Cole seems to find a way to put important and uplifting messages into his songs. The song also features impressive harmonies from TLC. On a later mixtape Cole released an earlier version of the track that focuses on Cole's insecurities and has a different beat, but still good. Either version of the song is a classic Cole song.

5. "03' Adolescence"

This song is a little bit of a deep cut, mostly because it is hidden on an album full of gems, but it is incredibly touching. 2003 is the year of Cole's high school graduation and when he headed to New York for college. The song details his deep thoughts as an aspiring rapper. He hits on very real topics like low self-esteem, trouble with girls and embracing the life you live. In my opinion, the most touching lyric in Cole's entire career is delivered in the second verse with "I felt ashamed to have ever complained about my lack of gear, and thought about how far we done came, from trailer park to a front yard with trees in the sky, thank you mama, dry your eyes, there ain't no reason to cry." She may not have a reason, but I do.

4. "Power Trip"

"Power Trip" was the lead single to "Born Sinner" and was an instant hit. The song was released on Valentine's Day 2013 and rightly so, as the song chronicles his devoted love for a girl. It's also easy to see that rap could also be the girl and he stays up all night trying to create hits. A power trip is generally when someone continually tries to increase their power over others, which is clearly applicable to Cole as he is always trying to get bigger and better in his rapping and producing. A classic hit that hits on multiple levels while still being a good listen.

3. "Wet Dreamz"

J. Cole is never reluctant to remind his listeners he used to be a regular guy. "Wet Dreamz" is quite possibly Cole's best display of rhyming. On this track, he tells the story of his first sexual encounter with a girl from his math class. Unlike typical rap songs about sex, Cole doesn't boast about his skill, it's actually quite the opposite. The story progresses over three long verses, starting with flirtation to lying about his virginity to discovering she too was a virgin. It is incredibly refreshing to hear a rap song about sex that is actually very easy to relate to.

2. "Love Yourz"

This song is absolutely incredible. Since its release a little over a year ago, many fans have claimed that the song helped them get through incredibly dark times in their life. Not many artists can claim that they may have prevented multiple suicides or other forms of self-harm with their music but at this point Cole is definitely one of them. The songs strums every heart string from beginning to end with a message of simply loving yourself and whatever you have. "Love Yourz" further cements "2014 Forest Hills Drive" as one of the best rap albums of the 2010's and potentially all time.

1. "Lost Ones"

J. Cole's masterpiece is surprisingly from early in his career. This track was released on his debut album "Cole World: The Sideline Story." Cole has an incredible ability to work with words and "Lost Ones" is no exception. He tells a very real story about an unmarried couple who find out they are going to have a child. During the first verse, Cole raps from the perspective of a boyfriend who isn't ready for a child. In the next verse, Cole takes on the female perspective, a woman who feels betrayed by the mere thought of abortion. The final verse takes a more neutral stance and just raises different parts of arguments about it. It is so rare to find a rapper with the intelligence and skill to tackle a monumental issue like abortion and to have that rapper deliver a perfect song that tackles both sides of the issue is just incredible. I know he released four mixtapes before his first album, but it's pretty remarkable he was able to put it together so early in his career.