Welcome To 2014 Forest Hills Drive

This is way more than an album review....

It's been a while since a Hip Hop album was released, and so unanimously swept the game. 2014 Forest Hills Drive has done that. Tweets, and Instagram post by the thousands fill up timelines around the world, declaring that J Cole has indeed gotten busy on his new album. What went right this go around for Cole? How did he transition from trying to make Hip Hop on Born Sinner, and having it sound as such, to just telling his story, and authentically creating Hip Hop on 2014 Forest Hills Drive? Don't trip, I have you guys covered on the breakdown.

Intro

"Do you wanna, do you wanna, be...happy?", Cole asks on his intro. I think making amazing music makes J Cole happy, then in terms he makes bomb records, then with his acquired happiness, and acquired freedom, which he also mentions on the intro, he's able to just be his most creative self. His most creative self included creative forms of promo which may have assisted him in pushing over 300,000 records sold in the first week. We'll talk more about that later though. This Intro was simple, yet powerful, like all great classic hip hop albums, Cole alley oop'd the rest of his album perfectly. 

January 28th

As a young writer, who's a Christian, and a black man, I really get lost in January 28th. I'm aware of the culture genres that i've transcended. Young nigga from the Eastside, that went off to college, and started getting noticed for his talents. On a much smaller scale than J Cole though, he went from 2014 Forest Hills Drive, to sharing D'usse with it's owner, Jay Z. But on the record Cole is saying, "don't let em taint your soul" he's rapping about staying real, staying who you are, and Hip Hop needs records like this. This should be one of the biggest songs in the Country, will it be? I'm not sure, but I would love to hear it played all around the world. It's one of those monumental joints. And of course there's the Drake, and Kendrick Lamar name drop! 

Wet Dreamz 

Classic....Wish I was in High School when this dropped. Damn, what a record, probably my favorite song off the album, and probably my favorite J Cole song of all time, and probably one of my favorite hooks on a Hip Hop song. "and I ain't never did this before, no." See a little more background info on me is that I was the homie in the click back in high school, that held onto his virginity a lil too long. So of course the jokes began to surface, so i'm thinking that I have to shake this ASAP, stunting to shawties like I knew what I was doing. Ha! The story switch up at the end of this joint was crazy though! Cole is definitely the top ranked story teller in the game after this album, if nothing else. Saying that even as a major Kendrick fan. 

Fire Squad 

Yo! Really Cole? This joint is problematic! "aint no way around it no more, I am the greatest" Got Damn! Slick talking in its highest form on Fire Squad. "so ahead of my time, even when I rhyme about the future, I be reminiscing". So many bars in this record. The Wayne name flips, with the KD, "cant nobody shoot like me" scheme, WOW! J Cole must watch battle rap, because you only get quality name flip, punchline transitions like that on SMACK. 

No Role Modelz

"First things first, RIP Uncle Phil, forreal, you the only father that I ever knew, if I get my bitch pregnant, ima be a better you." Enough Said. Classic Hip Hop Song, find somewhere to rank it all time. 

Love Yourz

Maybe the most important record on the album, this is one of those life savers. Someone with low self esteem will hear this song, and their life will be changed. It's mad honest,  and Cole uses his vulnerability to attach with his audience, rare skill. I know I said that "Wet Dreamz" was my favorite joint off this album, but every time I listen to "Love Yourz" it becomes better, and better. I think while you're out finding a spot for "No Role Modelz", look for a spot for "Love Yourz" as well. 

Okay that was my Top 5 songs off the Album + The Intro!

Last night J Cole was a guest on David Letterman to promote 2014 Forest Hills. Normal right? Promo tour, perform one of the bangers that I mentioned off the album, wrong, very very wrong. Cole isn't doing anything normal these days. The boy was on his Ball Is Life kick the day his album released, not a bottle, or an exotic dancer in sight. But anyway, he performed "Be Free" the recorded he recorded as a tribute to Mike Brown. As J Cole completed the revamped version of the already powerful record, David Letterman walked up, visibly moved, and congratulated him on a beautiful performance. Even though "Be Free" isn't on the album, it still served as an example for the mental space J Cole is in.


This album is amazing. Our generation doesn't get too many of these to lean on, so when we get one, we have to cherish it, and make sure it isn't corrupted by the malicious trolls out there. 2014 Forest Hills Drive must remain timeless. If Cole pushes over 300,000 units then he goes Platinum in the new kids standards. With his lack of promo, and the way he went about letting his fans hear the album early, plus a leak, Cole would be the MVP with those numbers.