Albums J. Cole - The Off-Season (Discussion Thread)

[Apollo Creed]

Thing is, I like Cole's music. But after a few listens, I always notice that I stop fukking with his shyt. Dude could be going off on every beat and have the best production, and I'll think it's dope, but there's always this thing where it still comes off dry or kinda bland, to me. I think it's what someone else said, there's no "soul' in the music. It's good and he's talented, but I'm not feeling anything from it. It's not moving me.

cole lacks something. I cant put my finger on it. Like if you look at the stats dude is good but i never revisit his stuff

 

[No1]

I don’t only listen to old school.


I listen to Cole, Kendrick, Childish Gambino, Krit…Artists with something to SAY.


Savage never came across as an artist that had anything to SAY but with his current guest verses all being fire i’m inclined to give him a chance.

He’s been getting better but his old shyt is exactly what you stereotyped it to be. He’s just funny.

 

[TheLostOnes]

1. 95 SOUTH: meh so-so bars thats kinda hard to believe. The beat was better than he was
   
2. AMARI: better flow. Beat chill. More of a vibe song. This is good. Easy listening. Not taking himself seriously
   
3. My Life: spitting but I wish he was doing more rhyming this is kinda just poetry to a beat. He’s just talking. It’s weird. Not really a song IMO. the morray feature kinda seems not well integrated BUT…21 SAVAGE SLAUGHTERED THIS. DUDE NEEDS HIS FLOWERS.
   
4. APPLYING PRESSURE: actual rapping conventionally. This was cool. He’s kinda back to his original form. Just rapping with hot lines here and there. Nothing mind blowing. Another money ain’t everything verse. To this point the best rapping exercise.
   
5. Punching the clock: another bar exercise. Better than applying pressure. Seems like a concept song. Not bad. Seems like a project window type project.
   
6. 100 MIL: meh. I see what he’s trying to do but it’s kinda just not arriving. Another “I’m on top” song but it’s kinda sleepy. Needs a better beat. And the chorus is lazy.
   
7. PRIDE IS DEVIL: This is the single! LIL BABY IS THE BEST RAPPER ALIVE. Cole found a cool little pocket though. The beat is cool and the concept and vibe was right. This is one of the best on here. Not trying to hard but telling truths. I like this.
8. LET GO OF MY HAND: this is the right mix of introspection and growth. This is not project window or pretend tough guy shyt. This is actual life taking place. This is good. I can return to this. This is probably the best one of these he’s done.
   
9. INTERLUDE: mehhhhh. There’s no replay value here. Just bars going nowhere.
10. The climb back: again shows potential but he’s kinda just kinda barely meeting the standard here. He’s got bars but it’s not going anywhere.
    
11. Close: more rapping exercise that’s just kinda not reaching where he wants it to. I swear he needs better editing cause he wastes so many bars on trying to make a point when he could in fewer words and make it sound even doper. Just wasted potential on here on another concept song.
    
12. HUNGER ON HILLSIDE: this is just all over the place. its cool.

This is the best conclusion i have of him.

That's crazy......










Didn't read

Fred

 

[spliz]

Thing is, I like Cole's music. But after a few listens, I always notice that I stop fukking with his shyt. Dude could be going off on every beat and have the best production, and I'll think it's dope, but there's always this thing where it still comes off dry or kinda bland, to me. I think it's what someone else said, there's no "soul' in the music. It's good and he's talented, but I'm not feeling anything from it. It's not moving me.

I think Forest Hills Drive and Friday Night Lights are my most repeated projects from him. The Warm Up too. I believe those had legitimate soul in them.

 

[Awesome Wells]

cole lacks something. I cant put my finger on it. Like if you look at the stats dude is good but i never revisit his stuff

I've been trying to figure this shyt out since 2009, bro. LOL!!

I'll listen to his shyt a few times, think it's dope and pretty much never listen to it again.

 

[Jim Cornette]

shut da whole album off after that Luigi bar

 

[Awesome Wells]

I think Forest Hills Drive and Friday Night Lights are my most repeated projects from him. The Warm Up too. I believe those had legitimate soul in them.

Those are the ones that I played a lot back then. And every now and then, I'll throw those on way before his recent joints.

He seemed a little more authentic back then, for some reason. Which is weird, because he's actually better now.

 

[CrimsonTider]

The real is back, the ville is back

 

[DonRe]

Dope dope dope shyt. Its picks off the vibe that the last album left off of. That had more of a production quality. But this bangs.

man goes in and out flows effortlessly. And he saying shyt.

 

[CarltonJunior]

C4 was a wack album. C3 was an overhyped Album. C5 was an ok album. Too much fat tho. C1 and C2 were great albums. Ur right about that last part I bolded. Salute.

C5 was album of the year it dropped

 

[Jasonmask]

I think my problem with cole isn’t Really him, I just don’t like how he’s promoted as a lyrical genius. He’s a good rapper, but extraordinary no, more so like a United States version of drake. Almost finished it and close is the best song on here

 

[spliz]

Those are the ones that I played a lot back then. And every now and then, I'll throw those on way before his recent joints.

He seemed a little more authentic back then, for some reason. Which is weird, because he's actually better now.

Yup. Maybe cause he’s really successful and is doing it for fun at this point. But his pen is getting sharper in the process. Imma listen to this again cause off first listen it’s heat to me. But I gotta really digest it.

 

[Ziggiy]

I'd leave gambino out of that conversation because he doesn't have anything to say. I do think he's nice and I am a fan tho. Funny tho cuz the last major artist to get a gambino feature was 21 savage.

21 doesn't have anything to say but that doesn't mean the music isn't dope. A lot of our favorite artists from back in the day weren't saying anything. Just look at ghostface and busta. 2 of my favorite old school artists and yet relatively few songs that have legit subject matter and substance. Dope is dope.

Gambino 100% has something to say.

 

[spliz]

C5 was album of the year it dropped

No the blood clot it wasn’t. Lol.

 

[SnowflakesByTheOZ]

Did anyone notice that Micheal B Jordan line on 100 Mil was really close to that Drake bar on Lucky Lefty, that leak from a couple months ago. It’s almost the same bar

“Micheal B Jordan call you right now you answering” - Drake (Lucky Lefty)

“Don’t care if it’s Micheal B Jordan calling my woman she ain’t never picking up” - J. Cole (100 Mil)

Was that a shot ?