In an era of Hip-hop dominated by “Club Bangers” and one hit wonders, J Cole Delivers an entire album of good music. His debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story not only showcases his witty and articulate wordplay and lyricism, but also shows off his production skills. Out of the 16 tracks that appear on the album, J Cole produced 13 of them himself. While you won’t find many commercial hits, you will find a solid album with great lyrical content, good production and a little bit of the stereotypical braggadocios rapper stuff, as well.
The albums intro starts off with Cole reminiscing with a group of friends on the day he got signed, that leads to “A Dollar and A Dream” which is typical J Cole, Soulful beats and heartfelt lyrics. He raps lines like:
“My goal this year is a real one, gonna stack a million
And as soon as I do, mama that 9 to 5 is through
And I know I ain’t been callin‘, but I’m thinkin‘ bout you.”
Another standout track is “Can’t Get Enough,” probably the closest thing to “mainstream” on the album. It’s a song for the ladies with some pretty witty lines like, “Gotta tell your old boyfriend skate girl, cause I don’t play them ex games,” a clever pun referring to the ESPN extreme sports competition.
What’s a debut album without the Standout Jay-Z feature? The futuristic sounding “Mr. Nice Watch” pops up at the perfect time. It gives the album some balance as Jay-Z and J Cole trade bars about Hublots, Range rovers and their baller lifestyle.
“So let’s ball while we here, let’s ball while we here
Like ain’t no tomorrow, like ain’t no next year
Drink away all our problems, make it rain with no care”
He also reminds us that he’s still a young guy with real problems. On songs like “Cole World” he says “Bet it on black and pray, I quadruple my salary. If I win, maybe then I could pay Sallie Mae.”
Some other standouts include “Nobody’s Perfect ft Missy Elliot,” “Sideline Story,” and “Lights Please.”
While he doesn‘t seem to have as much commercial appeal as some of his peers, he’ll always have a steady fan base. He touches on a number of topics that most people can relate to, from abortion to breakups to growing up in poverty. Cole World is a solid effort and definitely deserves a listen.