Passion Blog #1 – J Cole

We only have 7 passion blogs this semester, according to the course website.  That means I have 7 opportunities to talk about music artists or bands that I believe are worth a 500 word blog post.  I understand that whoever is assigned to read these blogs may only like a certain type of music or may not know anything about my chosen artist on certain occasions, and for that reason I will try to vary my genres rather than making 7 blog posts about my favorite rappers or my favorite rock and roll groups.  With that being said, I will not touch country music or anything related to it.  I apologize if that offends you, but I simply cannot write 500 words about that type of music.

For the first post regarding music, I figured that I should start with my favorite artist of all-time – J Cole.  Jermaine Cole was born in Germany but claims home to Fayetteville, North Carolina.  He graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA and received a scholarship to Saint John’s University in New York.  From there, he graduated magna cum laude with a 3.8 GPA and a degree in business and communication.  Compared to most modern day big-name rappers, J Cole is among the most highly educated in terms of schooling – and it’s evident in his lyrics.  While many rappers consistently rhyme about the same stereotypical cliches, J Cole’s varied tones and lyrical storytelling has led many to call him one of if not the best lyricist of the time.

After graduating from Saint John’s, Cole released 3 mixtapes, with each mixtape growing in fame and popularity.  The third, Friday Night Lights, has several of my favorite songs of Cole’s that he’s ever made, including Before I’m Gone and Blow Up.  After some initial success with these 3 mixtapes, J Cole released his first and in my opinion, his best album, in 2011.  The Sideline Story includes songs featuring notables such as Jay Z and Missy Elliot.  However, the next few years following 2011 included J Cole’s 3 most famous albums, Born Sinner, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, and 4 Your Eyez Only.

J Cole’s magnum opus, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, had little to no marketing and was only announced 3 weeks before its release.  Despite this, the album appeared at #1 on the Billboard top 200 and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.  The album, entirely produced and written by Cole himself, received nominations for best rap album, best performance, and several other awards, including a win at the BET awards for album of the year.  The album title, based off of Cole’s childhood address in Fayetteville, makes a direct transition into his songs and his description of the poverty he experienced as a child and his transition to living in New York for college, and then his adjustment to riches and fame.

After Forest Hills Drive, Cole has released 2 other albums in 2016 and 2018, with both being well-received among critics.  And despite murmurs of a new album coming in 2021 titled The Fall Off, much of J Cole’s time in the present day has been dedicated to the recording company that he founded himself, Dreamville.  His record label is dedicated to giving young rappers a chance to make a name for themselves, much like he was awarded the opportunity to do as a youth.  Despite being a relatively uncontroversial and media-silent figure throughout his career, Cole has taken a stand against racial injustices in recent times, releasing songs and participating/organizing protests in regards to the recent killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Overall, J Cole stands out to me as the best rapper that I listen to, combining lyrical genius with great storytelling and catchy music.  His activism and humility make him stand out from the pack and I look forward to any of his future work.