NEW J Cole via his blog: Clouds

[Number21000]

Album-wise, Cole is still behind Kendrick. He has great projects (FHD, Off-Season), but he's just closing the gap now. The Fall Off will go a long way in closing that gap even more.

It's still weird to me that people genuinely think Kendrick has lost it, or he's not rapping at a high level anymore. The difference between him and Cole is raw talent. Kendrick had it from the beginning, it was innate. That's why his earlier albums had the wow factor. He never went through an awkward stage during his discography, trying to figure out where he should go musically. By the time Section 80 came out, he was already a demon and he just had to refine his skills.

Cole went through growing pains trying to get to the same level as Kendrick (skills) and Drake (popularity). Friday Night Lights (which, to me, is his best project overall) wasn't his debut like it should have been, and his actual debut didn't have the same quality as his mixtapes. He didn't become comfortable in his own skin until FHD, and then he had to work to get to where he is now. That's why he sounds so impressive in 2025, because he's finally reaching his peak as a lyricist and songwriter.

Kendrick already reached his peak years ago, so anything he puts out now, no matter how good it is, comes off like stuff we've all heard before. Someone who grew up with his music isn't going to feel "Man at the Garden" or "Reincarnated" like they felt "Sing About Me" or "The Blacker the Berry." Great songs, but the earlier work makes your toes curl.

Depends on who you ask, go check any "kendrick albums ranked from worst to best", you won't see a similar list, because he suffers from the same Kanye syndom, every album as an argument for #1 (although let's be honest, that title is forever gonna belong to To Pimp A Butterfly, mainly because of the flawless musical composition).
All his albums reached a very different fanbase. I'm now seeing plenty of people having Mr Morale at #1.

There's also a lot of discussions about gkmc being his worst, so no, he didn't peak years ago, he just started with a traditional rap album that resonated with you, but the music community is very much divided and each album gets as much love

 

[Izanami]

AI don’t get it either. Ain’t no way Kendrick is a better writer now than Sec 80/ GKMC/ era. It’s not even close. Mr Morale and GNX are significant steps down from where he

Kendricks prime was 2011-2016

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Exactly, he doesn't make music according to your own tastes, but he doesn't have to, and that doesn't mean he doesn't make the best music, because the quality of his music is superior

Complex does not mean superior. Being racially antagonistic doesn’t make it superior either.



If anything GNX proves that the worst thing to happen to Kendrick was the BLM era. He was even trying to shake that activist cloud on Mr Morale.

 

[Overpss]

Kendricks prime was 2011-2016

Kendrick prime is 2015-2024.

 

[maxamusa]

I said it a while ago. The people who were the most hurt by what Cole did were those who were tired of Kendrick and hated his success. They didn't like Mr. Morale, thought he was overrated, and wanted somebody to take him out. Cole was their champion. They believed all of his raps about being the best and when he bowed out, he embarrassed them. They were rooting for him, they were all rooting for him. They didn't like Drake that much and knew he couldn't do it. Cole was the only one with the status and skills to put up a challenge. Now, they're sick to their stomachs watching Kendrick become more famous than ever, having one of the greatest years in the history of hip hop.

Meanwhile, they feel like their champion bamboozled them, and they'll never get over it. Cole's not cool to them anymore and they need a new hero to look up to.

(Just for clarity, I haven't listened to the song yet and I love Kendrick and Cole. I'm just pointing out what I see from former Cole stans.)

This was me. I was championing might delete this later. I felt so fukking stoopid.







He needs to stick to rapping about folding clothes.




this shyt is insulting as a former fan.

 

[((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL]

Right. Kendrick is now in “I gotta make this money back” mode.

Nah Kendrick is in "I already gave y'all the jewels, now it's time to have some fun" mode. He already did everything Cole is trying to do and then some. And the accolades prove it.


Kendrick just bought a house for 40 mil. And he's worth 150. He don't gotta recoup shyt back retard

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Kendricks prime was 2011-2016

Artists are getting rap Grammys in their 40s. It’s a new world. Cole could yet surprise us.

 

[Overpss]

Complex does not mean superior. Being racially antagonistic doesn’t make it superior either.



If anything GNX proves that the worst thing to happen to Kendrick was the BLM era. He was even trying to shake that activist cloud on Mr Morale.

Oh, I agree, complex doesn't mean superior, but flawless does.

Flawless music is much better than music with shytload of flaws

 

[krulesweatshirt]

Kendricks prime was 2011-2016

If by prime we're talking about making the best music, his prime has been post 2016.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Nah Kendrick is in "I already gave y'all the jewels, now it's time to have some fun" mode. He already did everything Cole is trying to do and then some. And the accolades prove it.


Kendrick just bought a house for 40 mil. And he's worth 150. He don't gotta recoup shyt back retard

I’m not counting pockets but cmon now. Cole doesn’t have the burden of putting up stats Drake and Kendrick have and continue to do. This shyt is a business. What is Cole doing to feed people?

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Oh, I agree, complex doesn't mean superior, but flawless does.

Flawless music is much better than music with shytload of flaws

I like emotionally relatable music that I think drakes honesty gives him compared to a staid alt-religiously strict one does

 

[krulesweatshirt]

Depends on who you ask, go check any "kendrick albums ranked from worst to best", you won't see a similar list, because he suffers from the same Kanye syndom, every album as an argument for #1 (although let's be honest, that title is forever gonna belong to To Pimp A Butterfly, mainly because of the flawless musical composition).
All his albums reached a very different fanbase. I'm now seeing plenty of people having Mr Morale at #1.

There's also a lot of discussions about gkmc being his worst, so no, he didn't peak years ago, he just started with a traditional rap album that resonated with you, but the music community is very much divided and each album gets as much love

Nailed it. Kendrick right now is having a pre-TLOP Kanye type of run. Everybody has a different kendrick album, all of them are massively acclaimed, and it pretty much depends on what you personnally enjoy.

Like Cdagod said, you're now seeing more and more musicians saying Morale is kendrick's magnum opus...

 

[tysigna]

I don’t get it either. Ain’t no way Kendrick is a better writer now than Sec 80/ GKMC/ era. It’s not even close. Mr Morale and GNX are significant steps down from where he was.

Gkmc is kendrick's worst project. Great album, but still his worst effort. With that being said, it's better than anything cole and drake ever put out.

But as far as where it stands in kendrick's catalog, It's just a great rap album, classic rap album for casual rap fans. But his best music is on TPAB and DAMN, his most enjoyable music is on gnx, his best rapping is on s80. His deepest shyt is on Morale.

 

[verhonggen]

If you know your rap shyt, then you know, Kendrick last album is his best, and an all time classic west coast album

 

[tinnyskillz]

I love songs like this because on the surface (to some people). He’s just rhyming words really well. But the song actually has meaning. And that meaning could be interpreted in different ways from person to person. Cole is still for the people, and willing to distrupt the system. Rich or poor he’s still himself/a human being.