J.Cole, my favorite artist

A favorite artist can tell a lot about a person sometimes. The artist can hold so much meaning and value to a person that their songs will be on repeat for who knows how long, at least that is how it is for me. My favorite artist is one who writes lyrics like poetry and melodies like hymns. His name you may ask. Jermaine Lamarr Cole but you probably know him as J. Cole.

As I am writing this right now I am listening to my favorite album of his, 2014 Forest Hills Drive (if you haven’t listened to it go do it right now). J. Cole is one of the biggest rappers of our generation with songs like “No Role Modelz” “a lot”, which won a Grammy, and “Work Out”, but how did he get there? Cole was born in Germany on a military base and then was eventually moved to North Carolina after his father’s deployment. His address in North Carolina is one that I have already mentioned, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which was, of course, released in 2014 for its golden year. A few of his early inspirations for the rap game were the legendary Eminem and Nas. You can hear the influence that these rappers had on his music in the beginning, but as time went on he started to develop his own sound.

Photo: Dreamville Records via The Stanford Daily

In the early days of his music, he was turned down by Jay-Z after waiting 3 hours to give the famous rapper his CD. However, just as the world works, when Jay-Z’s new label, Roc Nation, heard his song “Lights Please”, he turned into the first hip/hop artist signed to the label, even though it was meant for pop artists. Cole went on to be featured on songs with artists such as Jay Z and Wale and also featured other artists on his songs including Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. As he started gaining momentum in the music industry he absolutely exploded when 2014 Forest Hills Drive came out, still being one of his most well-known albums. This album seemed to be life-changing for him as it reached Number 1 on the Billboard 200, received Billboard's Rap Album of the Year, and was certified double platinum. Cole then goes on to make history and create some of the most influential music in the music industry. Drake is one to support and recognize the talent when it comes to J.Cole as he mentioned "You are looking at one of the smartest, greatest, most legendary artists of our generation" and I would have to agree. While he loved to write songs, he also found a love for producing music which led him to establish Dreamville, a record label focused on sharing stories and exploring new artists and sounds. Dreamville was founded in 2007 alongside Dreamville Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that is set up to help those in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They are here to "bridge the gap between the worlds of opportunity and the urban youth of Fayetteville, North Carolina".

His music isn't just a bunch of words thrown together, it has a purpose, a story to tell. That is why I love his music. When you dive deeper and truly listen to the lyrics of his songs, you will realize the struggles and hardships that this artist has survived. He starts his song "No Role Modelz" saying how he didn't have a father figure and his only father-like adult in his life passed away. His song "Love Yourz" (which is my favorite song ever) will touch your heart when you listen and understand the words. Analyzing music is important, you can't always just hit play and dance around to it, a lot of the time there are emotions and stories connected to the song. What's a song without a purpose?

Photo: Yohance Kyles via All Hip Hop

Let me talk about my favorite song for a second, "Love Yourz". This song is a favorite to many and I can relate to why that is. It is 3 minutes and 31 seconds of a lyrical genius and it is one that many people should try to understand. Here are a few of my favorite lines:

"Don't be sleepin' on your level cause it's beauty in the struggle"

"And life can't be no fairytale, no once upon a time"

"The good news is ***** you came a long way/The bad news is ***** you went the wrong way"

"No such thing as a life that's better than yours"

"I'm tired of living with demons cause they always inviting more"

"But you ain't never gon' be happy til you love yours"

I don't know about you, but I have gone through a lot of struggles in my life and one of my recent ones was pretty bad. However, I had this song on repeat in my head and I would continuously recite the lyrics in my head that I remembered, and it got me through. It helped me realize that my life is the only one I have and until I learn how to live with what I have and be okay with whatever comes my way, I'm not going to be happy and love my life.

So as a suggestion, listen to some of his songs, but also hear the lyrics and take them in, because they can touch you more than you think.

k...now rage