J Cole - Born Sinner (An Impromptu Album Review)

I'm pretty sure this wasn't supposed to drop until June 18th... Regardless it's all over the internet already and I'm listening to it as I write this...

It's early days, as it's the first run through I'm doing of listening to it as a body of work. So, I'll just give you my honest initial opinions on the sophomore effort from J.

First of all, let me state for the record I've always bought into the fact that Cole has a clear reserve of talent and potential to warrant the Jay Z signing.  I'm level headed enough not to swallow everything he releases, or that the media might of hyped him up to be more greater than he's cracked up to be.  Case in point, I genuinely thought his mixtape was way more stronger than his first studio release.  The joke was his mixtape was not even a mixtape. It was basically an album. Nevermind, you live and you learn...

So, now he's back after dropping a few more EP's/Mixtapes... but this time he's got it the right way round. I didn't like much of the EP's/Mixtapes that he dropped in the build up to this second album, but 'Born Sinner' in my opinion is a certified modern day classic. Not an obvious classic, but believe me... Neither was many a classic on its initial release.

It's well documented that J Cole's idol, Nas, wasn't a fan of a previous commercial hit of his... So much so, J addresses the episode on an entire track on this album.  For this reason, I can't help but think that's the reason there's no obvious commercial choices for singles on this effort... However, that's not a bad thing.

Also, I have an issue with Cole's rap style and flow... previously it's been slightly predictable and that just doesn't bode to well with the melodic, reciting rhetoric folks of nowaday.

However... I believe French Montana said it best... "IT DOESN'T MATTER!"

J Cole has come back so hard, he's given all us hiphop lyricists something to chew on, but balanced it well with good production... and nice melodies. Cole out does himself in overcoming his monotonous rap style that often risks the loss of the lesser dedicated, salivating lyrical listener. Balance is key. Material deeper than the obvious. Not so deep you loose us. Your young. The world is yours.

J Cole definitely delivers all of that, and to be honest... It's almost like a good soul album.

Yup, he delivers well beyond my expectation. This is a full length earphone, personal i-pod listening album.

You won't hear a "Hiphop" album like this for the rest of 2013... He's channeling all kinds of old skool influences such as old RNB, Timbaland tracks, Jay Z, Westcoast tinged vibes... not to mention the prolific use of interludes, which is nostalgic of past Hiphop albums.

I think, this is a great album.

J Cole has delivered an album which is reminiscent of a Hiphop album you would buy back in the 90's... and the best thing about it - is that he carries the weight of it all by himself.


J.Cole - Born Sinner.



Joshua, TCC