THE OFF-SEASON X J.COLE

 

And we are back with another official review! As promised, the below are our metrics for our reviews. To see our previous review of A GANGSTA’S PAIN X MONEYBAGG YO, click here.

 

FEEL- What type of feelings does the music evoke? What does it make you want to do?

LYRICS- Are there bars?

PRODUCTION- Does the artist ride the beats? Does their cadence match the production? Does the production fit well with the project?

OVERALL- How many tracks do we like compared to the number of tracks on the project?

 

Feel free to use the above for your own reference as you go through the music and let us know what you think! 

 

THE OFF-SEASON X J.COLE

Release Date: 5.14.21

Number of Tracks: 12

Duration: 39 MIN

Favorite Track: let.go.my.hand

 

The intro will be a bit lengthy, as J. Cole is one of my all-time favorite rappers, so get comfortable.

 

By now you all know the drill- the year was 2008 and a young Oracle was browsing the newly formed mixtapes sites for the latest drops. Back then, everyone took great pride in putting their friends on new music. When I discovered J. Cole’s The Come Up from 2007, I became an instant fan. Only 5 years older than me, J. Cole and The Come Up covered much of what I could relate to, and was not riddled with the a-typical drug abuse and violence that was found in most rap music. Back then, conscious rap was on the rise, and with names like Kid Cudi, Wale, Wiz Khalifa, Chip tha Ripper, Mac Miller, Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, and Drake floating around, the stage was set for Cole’s ascendance.

 

When The Warm Up dropped in 2009, I was quick to share my findings with my brothers. First to introduce both Drake and J. Cole, mixtape sites and fans alike were quick to compile the artist’s best work with the popular We Got a Buzz Now series.  The family was not a fan of either artist at first, but as the major labels began an arms race to sign as many of the afore mentioned artists as possible, they soon took notice. Wale went to Rick Ross’s MMG, Kid Cudi went to Kanye’s Good Music, Drake went to Lil Wayne’s Young Money, and Mac Miller and Wiz Khalfia went to Rostrum Records. That left J. Cole and Jay Electronica to sign to Jay Z’s Roc Nation. And with that, the end of the old school era of rap (and all its rules) began.

 

By the time Friday Night Lights rolled around in 2010, the entire industry was put on watch.

 

The struggles Cole then faced with his mainstream success were well documented. Lamenting his own success in Born Sinner’s Let Nas Down, Cole was surprisingly transparent about his own dealings with fame. I for one, became a fan of Cole from songs like School Daze, I’m The Man, and I Get Up, but Cole’s popularity rose from songs like Work Out from his first studio album. The best way I can think to explain the difference between these songs is this:

 

Real rap fans know the first 3 songs.

Everyone else only knows Work Out.

 

This bothered Cole as it did plenty of his fans, and he soon began to disappear. His features were limited, and no more mixtapes were produced. By the time 4 Your Eyez Only rolled around in 2016, it was clear the rapper was done with his mainstream run. With his attire going from the a-typical jewelry designer gear to “bumming by choice,” and trading his fade for a natural afro, Cole successfully dropped the weight of the mainstream media. This was only possible because those old school rules of having to have a radio hit in order for a label to put out your album out no longer applied. 4 Your Eyez Only itself was described by super fan Mark Phillips of RDCworld1 as “a Personal Album.”

 

And of course Cole was not stationary during this time, as he founded his own Dreamville label, signing artists like Bas and Cozz to headline his unit.

 

2018 saw Cole release KOD under his own rules, were he addressed pressing issues as opposed to solely making hits. And when The Off-Season was announced earlier this year, I was expecting more of the same. That is until I heard his documentary and his L.A. Leakers freestyle, which can be found here. Cole flamed the freestyle to let people know exactly how he was coming on this new album. Paired with his comments in the documentary, which can be found here, that he was not convinced he had made his best raps yet, my excitement grew exponentially.

 

Now that the stage is set and we understand exactly how we got here, it is time to begin our review of The Off-Season.

 

Feel

From the moment 95. South cuts on to Hunger. On. Hillside, The Off-Season has one established feel: J. Cole set out to ensure we all knew why he was considered one of the greats. There is a balance between the bars and the production, and the album flows together well as a project. Cole’s cadence is versatile from track to track and lends itself well to the feel of an album that plays no games. It is extremely difficult to get through the first four tracks without repeating any. The Off-Season feels like a celebration- like the wait for some classic Cole is finally over.

 

“Could Put an M right on your head- you Lugi brother Now.” – 95. South

 

Lyrics

Seeing J. Cole get back to the basics has done a great deal for the culture already. Catchy tunes will always sell, and emotional takes on current events has their place, but fans of an artist typically want more of what made them a fan in the first place. This was especially prevalent on Let.go.my.hand, as Cole recounts his experiences growing up having to box from time to time just to prove “you aint no bitch.” The surprise feature list did not disappoint either. Cam’ron and Diddy speak their parts, and Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Bas, Morray, and 6lack all do exceptionally well, with the top spot awarded to 21. 

 

“I gave my heart away to all the dog hoes cuz that’s who accepted me- I blame my pops for that shit cuz if he didn’t fail he could have corrected me.”  – 21 Savage, My.Life

 

 

Production

The production on The Off-Season is outstanding. Each beat fits well with the overall sound of the project, and lends itself well to a cohesive feeling. J. Cole matches each with his cadence, with the only minor exception being The Interlude, where he runs away from the beat by just a hair. Minor gripe aside, Cole rides the wave set by each track in a way that increases the replay value with each listen.

 

Overall

When news broke that Cole was dropping another album- and soon, I was not sure what to expect. The Climb Back, released in 2020, ranked 6^th overall in our top list of smooth tracks for the year, but was not exactly indicative of what the album had in store. I believe fans of J. Cole were extremely pleased with The Off-Season, and for good reason. From the feel and flow of the album, to the lyrical content, and all the way to the production, the album is an instant classic. The surprise list of features all did exceptionally well, without a single miss, and that in itself is unprecedented. I did not think I would ever hand out 1 (DUM AND DUMMER 2), let alone 2 perfect scores when I started doing this, but here we are. Whether you are a long time J. Cole fan like me, or this is your first time listening, ORR would HIGHLY recommend introducing The Off-Season into your 2021 spins.

 

I know myself and the affore mentioned Mark Phillips will be playing this one for many years to come.

 

The album in a word: absolutely perfect.

 

5.18.2020 – The Oracle