The songs about women come from a different kind of awe and admiration now. Cole a more sentimental songwriter so much as iron out the ideological kinks of his art. Fatherhood is historically the jelly filling for even the toughest of rappers nothing warmed Eminem’s frosty facade on record like his daughter Hailie. Cole got married and had a daughter, the latter completely in secret, and the ten songs on his new album present a change in his artistry to match the changes in his story. They’re proof he buys into the defender of the faith business as much as his listeners do, but neither party seems to understand that rap flourishes better without strict rules and boundaries.Īll of this makes the ease and maturity of the new 4 Your Eyez Only a shock. Cole came back this month with “Everybody Dies” and “False Prophets,” two surprise tracks that rattled sabers at trap teens and called out unnamed colleagues he believes have lost their way. He preaches acceptance (“Love Yourz”) but is reticent to acknowledge the hurtful power of slurs (“Villuminati”). He respects women (“Crooked Smile”) unless he’s chastising them for not respecting themselves (“No Role Modelz”). He is a capable rapper and a good producer who, in arranging his discography as a monument to classic conscious rap through referential sample choices and stylistic cues, has entombed himself in the pitfalls of the stuff. The truth is Cole deserves the accolades and a fair amount of the ridicule. signing to his record label, and sells a line like “She shallow but the pussy deep” as biting social commentary. The barb suggests Cole is corny, and his fans cornier still for idolizing a guy who dreams about Martin Luther King Jr.

But the saying is also a dig at the artist’s fan base, which is home to a certain cloying brand of rap crusader that sees him as a light in trying times for smart introspection in the art form. On one hand, it is a statement of chart fact: The North Carolina rapper-producer’s last album 2014 Forest Hills Drive ducked standard operating procedure with its lack of famous guest performers and cruised to a formidable 2 million equivalent units sold earlier this year. Cole went double platinum with no features” is the rare internet rap-nerd aphorism that works perfectly on both literal and satirical levels.

Listen to 4 your eyes only j cole