There are few musicians I would fly to another country to see perform. J. Cole is one of them. I was lucky enough to see him in his hometown of Frankfurt, Germany for the 2014 Forest Hills Drive – my first and, unfortunately, only J. Cole concert (to date). But I digress. This is not meant to be a personal anecdote, rather an homage to Cole’s musical talents and lyrical aptitude. His music sends listeners on a trip through love, success, self-doubt and everything in between. To watch his latest documentary, click here.
With the announcement of his fourth studio album, 4 Your Eyez Only (pre-order), dropping on December 9th (the 2-year anniversary of 2014FHD), it only seems right to pay tribute to J. Cole’s previous masterpieces. All the way from The Come Up to 2014 Forest Hills Drive, to the standalone tracks and guest verses, you see the evolution and progression of his talents. Each album different than the last, but with consistently cunning lyrics and new musical sounds, each a success. If you haven’t started re-listening to his entire discography since the announcement was made, here is a list (in no particular order) of some of Cole’s hardest verses to help you get started:
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1. Blow Up - 1st Verse
Album:Friday Night Lights
Sampling Hocus Pocus by Dutch rock band Focus, J. Cole gives this track a unique sound with… yodels? Nonetheless, he adds a heavy bass line that makes your head bob as he proclaims his imminent success.
Best Line: This for niggas who ain't satisfied with secondary/This for my sisters who ain't satisfied with secretary
2. Runaway - 3rd Verse
Album:Born Sinner
The music builds dramatically throughout the song, with Cole discussing his relationship struggles before delving into darker topics like rape during slavery. He doesn’t hold back, calling out a perverted high school coach, a racist manager and modern mental enslavement by the rich elite.
Best Line: Wise words from an indecent man/ Made me reflect on the times when we was three fifths of them/ enchained and powerless, brave souls reduced to cowardice
3. Lights Please - 2nd Verse
Album: The Warm-Up
Along with Playground, Lights Please has been my favorite J. Cole song since high school. He has dreams of saving the world, of changing it for the better – but not without the distractions of a beautiful girl.
Best Line: I told her all about how we been livin’ a lie/ And that they'd love to see us all go to prison or die/ Like baby look at how they show us on the TV screen/ but all she ever want me to do is unzip her jeans
4. Lost Ones - 2nd Verse
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
As he often does, J. Cole, gets real with this track, particularly in the second verse. Taking on the first-person of a young couple debating on whether to get an abortion. In the second verse, he comes back, rapping from her point of view, letting him know that she’s strong enough to “do this by my mothafucking self.”
Best Line: She said nigga you got the nerve/ To come up to me talkin’ bout abortion/ This my body nigga so don’t think you finna force shit
5. Simba Trilogy (Simba, Grown Simba, Return of Simba)
The Simba trilogy, spread across The Come Up, The Warm Up, and We Got A Buzz Now, creates continuity through his first several mixtapes. Since the beginning, a major theme of Cole’s work is a rise to the throne. From prince to king. The Simba trilogy gets better each time, with Return culminating in one of my favorite Cole lines of all time (see best line).
Best Line: ‘Cause I only made classics, now what that take? Timing/ Cole under pressure, what that make? Diamonds
6. The Cure - 1st Verse
Album: Standalone Track
Shouting out everyone from Abe Lincoln to Kenan and Kel, Cole goes in on The Cure. He raps candidly about his faults and his successes, with smooth lyrical flow over a sample of Lift Off by Jay-Z and Kanye.
Best Line: After a few drinks come our realest convos/ My handle on my thoughts used to be as ill as Rondo’s
7. Who Dat - 2nd Verse
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
This song reiterated Cole’s rising dominance when it came out. He lets everyone know that he’s always three steps ahead; his flow is fire, and his time is coming – a promise he made good on.
Best Line: When you thinkin bout summertime/ I'm thinkin bout the winter/ When you thinkin bout breakfast/ I'm heatin up my dinner.
8. Love Yourz - 2nd Verse
Album: 2014 Forest Hill Drives
Just in case you forgot, 2014FHD went double platinum with no features. Cool, now that we got that out of the way, lets appreciate “Love Yourz.” I think we can all support Cole’s message in this song – you’ve got to learn to love what you have rather than crave what you lack. A simple message, delivered elegantly as he reflects on the fact that his success did not equate to happiness.
Best Line: Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but nigga feel me/ Long as the people in that motherfucker love you dearly
9. No Role Modelz - 2nd Verse
Album: 2014 Forest Hills Drive
When J. Cole performed this song on tour in Frankfurt, he gave a little insight as to what inspired him to write these lyrics. The inspiration stemmed from seeing girls (LA hoes) on Instagram who used superficial methods to get famous. He calls them out along with reality TV stars, reminiscing on the examples of good role models set by “LA sistas” like Lisa Bonet and Nia Long.
Best Line: I came fast like 9-1-1 in white neighborhoods/ Ain't got no shame bout it
10. Sideline Story - 2nd Verse
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
Opening with a subtle piano progression, Sideline Story quickly picks up as he starts rhyming about pushing his own limits and own boundaries. The focus is on how staying true to his own style and flow is exactly the reason he’s making it.
Best Line: No pain, no gain, I blow brains, Cobain/ Throw flames, Liu Kang, the coach ain't help out, so I call my own shots/ I'm David Blaine, I'm breakin' out of my own box, you stay the same
11. Crooked Smile (Original) - 2nd Verse
Album: Revenge of the Dreamers
This is a version of Crooked Smile not many may have heard, with the Born Sinner version being more well-known. However, this version tells a story of a 17-year old Cole getting called out for his crooked teeth in a rap battle. Self-conscious about it at the time, he reflects on how moments like that have helped him stay true to himself.
Best Line: I keep my twisted grill, just to show the kids it's real/ We ain't picture perfect but we worth the picture still
12. Beautiful Bliss (Wale ft. Melanie Fiona & J. Cole)
Album: Attention Deficit
When you listen to “Beautiful Bliss” you feel the song immediately. Wale comes in with a smooth verse, but J. Cole drops the 2nd verse with his energy increasing line after line via some quick couplets that you can’t help but get hype!
Best Line: but mama I aint done yet/ Sit back and watch your son rise/ Kick back and know your son set
13. A Star is Born (Jay-Z ft. J. Cole)
Album: Blueprint III
“A Star is Born” was kind of the unveiling of J. Cole to the world at large. Featuring on Jay-Z’s Platinum Certified Blueprint III, the mainstream world heard Cole for the first time and he did not disappoint. He made his objectives clear – remain the same Jermaine from before, with new fame thanks to Hov.
Best Line: Flow so sick thought he wrote the rap for him - no sir/ The flow cold as a shoulder of a gold digga
#ColeWorld #Cole4eva
