On J. Cole’s “2014 Forrest Hills Drive” we see the evolution from a kid with a dream to a man with the plan.
isn’t holding anything back on “2014 Forrest Hills Drive.” Thematically we’re taken on a journey that explains where Cole is from, how he got to be where is he and the facets of his life and rhymes he’s unwilling to compromise. He takes shots at Eminem, Iggy Azelea and others, a move that seems a bit out of the pages of Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse book. He makes a tongue in cheek statement about Iggy winning the Grammy (something thatap actually likely to happen) while lamenting the ills of the music industry. There’s plenty of incredible production handled by the likes of Cardiak, Vinylz, Phonix Beats, Willie B and Cole himself.
Remember when Kanye collaborated with Jon Brion on “Late Registration”? Kanye wanted a more orchestral sound with strings, big displays of piano instrumentals and a more melodic flow. J. Cole not only tackles this same concept but he nails it. We get a good bit of singing out of the Fayetteville, North Carolina native, especially because there are no guest appearances on the album. “Note to Self” finds J. Cole singing with a soprano choir behind him and stalking piano keys.
Itap a reflective track that sounds like itap straight out of a diary entry, and thatap the point. To make another comparison to Kanye West, Cole uses his formula from “Toast” from “College Dropout” with “Note to Self,” where he shouts out everyone involved with the album. Itap endearing and makes you want to applaud his hard efforts. We see a little Chaka Khan Interpolation on “St. Tropez,” as he uses her melody for “Hollywood,” proving his soul is as old as we imagined.
Cole is a dreamer and a storyteller and he seems to set himself above the rest by going out on a limb with “2014 Forrest Hills Drive.” There are moments of operatic tones unheard of in any of the albums released this year and the result is innovative and progressive. Pretty girls from LA get the anthem “No Role Modelz,” while Cole speaks on loyalty, love and longing with “Fire Squad” (also where he takes aim at Iggy and company).
One thing about J. Cole is we know he can rap. His lyrics, though, tend to be a little long in the tooth giving monotony to his verses on previous releases. With “2014 Forrest Hills Drive,” he’s found his moment in the rap pocket and has developed into a king of one’s own. From Little Jermaine to J. Cole, we see the evolution from a kid with a dream to a man with the plan.
Follow our news and updates on Twitter, our relationship status on Facebook and our search history on Google +. Or send us a telegram.
Ru Johnson is an arts and culture music writer living in Denver. You can follow her on Twitter here.
