Guest Blogger: Sadiya J2

This North Carolina native; J.Cole is a rising rap star. Cole is far more than an average rapper. Songs like “Trouble” and “Party” are light hearted pop songs. On his albums There are songs that make us take a second and think like: “Lost Ones”, ‘’Sideline Story”, “Lights Please” and “Daddy’s Little Girl”. And songs that evoke strong, tear-jerking emotions out of us such as: “Breakdown”, and “Never Told”. J.Cole does lack lyrical content in some of his songs, but he has some elements that cannot be overlooked. J. Cole can tell a story with a steady punch line, his raw ability to rhyme and delivery alone make his songs “head bobbing” material. Fans of hip hop commonly compare J.Cole to Drake. Unlike J.Cole, Drake lacks flow, he takes the same approach in nearly every song, his flow, or rhythm, rarely change but, he is very good at painting a picture in his R&B and raps and can make it seem as if he’s speaking directly to you. Out of all the tracks on J. Coles album, The Warm Up, “Grown Simba” embodies J. Cole the best. From beginning to end, it feels like an autobiography, written masterfully. The first lines uttered in ‘’Grown Simba’’ are particularly memorable to me, they’re presented as a monologue; “You ever prayed for something your whole life? I mean, all you dreamed about was this one thing? See, me, I came a long way. Way too far for me to stop now”. These lyrics set the tone for the rest of the album giving us a glimpse into his life and dreams. I love this line because he speaks in a tone so sincere and personal that fans can connect with. Many people criticize J.Cole for not being a “true Rapper’’ because he has some songs that lean more towards pop for example “Party” featuring Beyoncé. I think it’s a good idea that he is able to make such tracks because it broadens his fan base. Overall J.Cole is a remarkable rapper even though his albums have been underrated due to critics comparing him to such artist like Drake. While everyone else is doing the same thing (drake , big sean and, Wale ) Cole has made his own style which is refreshing and really makes you think about wordplay more than hooks. J. Cole's mixtapes are all great with consistent bangers worth spending your money on.