Cole sets his place as the woke rapper with his 2018 release “KOD.” Here, J. While Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only” was only a tenuous beginning to the woke lyricism that he is known for today, J. This was a new place for Cole, but a place that he would find solitude in. Tracks like “Change” and “Neighbors” touch on the racial inequity in our country. Cole change into his current progressive self. His hit “No Role Modelz” is a subtle nod to the style of his older work.īut his 2016 release “4 Your Eyez Only” is a personal journey for J. Cole has officially secured a spot in rap history at this point. This record was met with instant commercial success. Cole brings a more low-key, slowed down, and lyrical approach to his music on the album. “2014 Forest Hills Drive” is an aesthetic shift for him. Upon release of Cole’s “2014 Forest Hills Drive” we see a brand new Cole. Cole beginning to shift into his current self. If he were so focused on having tough conversations about supporting gay marriage, then why wouldn’t he use his platform to do so in a non-destructive way?īut let’s go back to where we see J. If this were true, how much good does using the f-slur in a song do for “tough conversations?” In my opinion, this does more harm than good.

Cole defending the use of the f-slur by saying that it is meant to make people uncomfortable for the sake of tough conversations is absurd.

Those lyrics are meant to make everyone uncomfortable for the sake of this very conversation.” Rather than run from it I chose to attack it playfully. At a time when public acceptance of gay rights is soaring (rightfully), hip-hop culture and general are still battling with homophobia (not excluding myself). Cole defended the use of the f-slur in a response to a Huffington Post article saying, “There will soon come a day when people in general, and rap artists specifically, are going to have to answer for their past usage of the word, much like the grandfathers who are ashamed that they used as kids. Cole at the time even used the f-slur and r-slur on a few tracks. Cole, as he delves deep into his relationship with his faith.

This release was much more intimate for J. Cole expanded his lyrical abilities when he released “Born Sinner,” the religion and Gospel inspired album. After his successful release of “Cole World: The Sideline Story”, J. There was also an obvious influence of 90s rap along with the “bling era” of rap from the early 2000s. Cole started his rap career, he wrote his music about the hardships of making it in the rap game. Cole is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers in the game right now, and arguably one of the best of all time, but he isn’t the same as he once was.

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