J cole immortal review how to#
J cole immortal review full#

It happened to Jay on The Blueprint 3, Nas back during his вЂњHip Hop is DeadвЂќ era, and Kanye sometime before or after The Life of Pablo.

Many hugely successful rappers have struggled through this phase, not because they became worse lyricists, but they were clinging to the old days instead of reflecting this change. But actually getting older in rap is difficult because life is not the same. In the build-up to this album, Cole put out a mini-documentary that asks the question: Why is it so hard to be great in rap as you get older? Cole, now 36, believes that heвЂ™s solved it, though his answer is actually meaningless motivational speak about hunger and putting in the work and other sayings that belong on a Nike T-shirt. None of this works, because no one cares about this beef, especially Diddy, who instead uses his studio time to promote his rebrand into Tony Robbins. In what is supposed to be a sincere moment, he reveals that he once got into a scuffle with Diddy and in the very same song, Diddy shows up to speak some sort of fake enlightened prayer. Likewise вЂњLet Go My HandвЂќ would probably fall similarly flat if it wasnвЂ™t so funny. Most notably the intro where he squeezes some clichГ© flexing in between a half-assed CamвЂ™ron monologue and the jarring tonal shift into Lil Jon chants. вЂњApplying PressureвЂќ feels tense, made worse by a lifeless self-produced boom-bap instrumental that sounds like the background music for a вЂ™90s UPN sitcom and some bars that have become expected of the out of touch rap elite: вЂњIf you broke and clowninвЂ™ a millionaire, the joke is on you.вЂќ (Nas, would approve of this one.) Some choices feel incredibly forced as well. The same could be said for вЂњPride Is the Devil,вЂќ where, annoying-Cole-singing aside, his thoughtfulness is complemented by Lil Baby being much less thoughtful: вЂњGot my feet up, I paid silly bands to have sex on the jet.вЂќД«ut you can still subtly feel that weight on ColeвЂ™s shoulders. This gives him the freedom to pour most of his energy into his verse, which catches a nice balance between the sort of shallow but earnest introspection heвЂ™s known for and more trivial things that just sound cool: вЂњWanna be in the spot like where every bitch want me like Rihanna droppinвЂ™ new Fenty,вЂќ he raps. On вЂњMy Life,вЂќ Fayetteville crooner MorrayвЂ™s hook repurposes Pharoahe Monch lyrics through vocals that sound like heвЂ™s leading a church choir, 21 SavageвЂ™s guest appearance is filled with the warmest death threats, and the smoky beat is done by Cole with help from Jake One and Wu10. That liveliness comes out on the albumвЂ™s collaborations. This switch doesnвЂ™t suddenly turn him into a Flint rapper, but it does sound like heвЂ™s having fun for once. He pulls back slightly from the narrative form of writing (sorry, to the вЂњ Wet DreamzвЂќ heads but no virginity tales on this one) in favor of more punchlines and wordplay. The Off-Season is a much-needed break from the heavy-handed preachiness that made KOD and 4 Your Eyez Only such slogs to get through. Refreshingly, his latest album The Off-Season isnвЂ™t so damn uptight.

Imagine not letting yourself binge-watch BobвЂ™s Burgers or whatever because youвЂ™re too busy trying to make the next The Blueprint! Sounds terrible! Well, finally heвЂ™s come to the realization he needs to chill out.

J cole immortal review full#

In a recent interview with Slam, he opened up about how he was once so tormented by aspirations to make long-lasting music that he wouldnвЂ™t even allow himself to complete watching a full season of television. ItвЂ™s just that heвЂ™s so deadly serious that he can make rap sound like studying for the SATs. HeвЂ™s a clever lyricist who can make lines stick for both good and bad reasons, the type of a storyteller who could get you to pull up a chair and listen, and his beats may sound familiar but they have this warmth to them that can produce the rare Billboard hit that feels intimate. It never quite happened, but it had nothing to do with his skill.

J cole immortal review how to#

It was like he read a copy of How to Make a Classic Rap Album for Dummies and has been trying to replicate it ever since. Cole album has been completely obsessed with being the one that earns him his place on the podium next to his idols Biggie, Jay, and Nas. Since 2011вЂ™s Cole World: The Sideline Story, every J.