Jermaine “ J. Cole” Cole, a young influential rapper from Fayetteville, North Carolina, is more than what today’s millennial rapper offers in his music. J. Cole, since his career debut in 2011, has been a breath of fresh air in rap culture. He is not the stereotypical image of gold teeth, a flashy lifestyle, and nonsense rap that is often depicted upon hearing the title, “rapper.” The late Tupac Shakur once said, “Every time I speak, I want the truth to come out. Every time I speak, I want a shiver. I don’t want them to be, like, they know what I’m gonna say because it’s polite. I’m not saying I’m gonna rule the world or I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee you that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” This quote is similar to what J. Cole wants to offer the world through his music, and in doing that he only speaks his truth of what he sees in the world.Therefore, earning what his fans call him the “realest rapper out”. In most of Cole’s songs and albums, he is either telling a story about himself or people he has met, telling his truth about his opinions on society, or being black in America.
Cole’s most recent album, KOD (which dropped on the infamous 4/20), was the most talked about on social media because everyone was curious as to why Cole decided to drop an album on one of the millennial most cherished holiday. KOD, in particular, is a versatile album with a well-rounded meaning. Cole considers KOD with three meanings, kids on drugs, kill our demons, or king overdosed. Throughout the album he refers to drugs, social media, cheating, and money as demons that people either overdose on or indulge in. Songs like Kevin’s Heart touch on the vice of knowingly cheating on the one you love. Photograph focuses on falling in love through social media, and ATM on money being the source of people’s happiness. For so many, this album is literally a vibe for a session or some therapeutic self-reflection time.
Photo by Dreamville Records
Throughout KOD, the phrases “choose wisely” and “meditate, don’t medicate” can be heard repeatedly in each song. In recent news, young rapper Mac Miller passed away due to a drug overdose, and this tragedy was representation of the message Cole was trying to get across with those phrases. Choose your choices in life wisely, and do not turn to controlled substances to medicate the pain. Reach out and talk to someone. At one of Cole’s concerts on the KOD Tour, he dedicates his song Love Yourz, from his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, in remembrance of the late Mac Miller. Cole is what his fans call underrated, perhaps because he is too real for people to understand. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with our generation. When did being real become looked down upon?