'4 Your Eyez Only' is J Cole's best album.

[AMcV'88]

now I'm not a J Cole fan by any means, my posts will show it but the Dreamville project has been a go to Sunday album now and again for me and I was listening Bas Milky Way and thought fukk it, I'll give a J Cole album a listen again.

I picked 4 Your Eyez Only and it surprised me.

When it came out I said it was more of the same from him. I was wrong, he toned down most of his worst instincts, cut all the sheen, cheese and the goofiness out of FHD stripped it back and put together his best album.

The album is condensed, well produced, actually well written. it's the best he's ever sounded rapping.
a guest or another voice was needed in the run of songs after DejaVu.

I get the reaction to it at the time. it wouldn't have won any cynics over (including me) and for him to make this album after what was seen as a step in the right direction with FHD (a classic for the gentrified generation) it probably wasn't what they wanted but it's the best out of a mediocre body of work.



...that is all.

 

[Piff Perkins]

The thing I liked about that album was that by rapping from another perspective, he eliminated one of the biggest flaws of himself as a rapper. Cole's music is so singular and focused on his perspective, what he thinks, etc. Me, me me. When you do that while also being "conscious" it becomes easy to come off judgmental or just annoying. The few concept songs he did where he rapped from other perspectives felt very one note. Lights Please is like the classic track that started it all for him...but that shyt always felt paper thin and one note to me. Almost like a soulless attempt at making a Nas song.

4YEO has flaws, but the concept and that last track really give it more feeling than his other albums for me. He finally creates a fully developed concept/person who feels like a real person. I thought he did this well on his next album (KoD) well, especially that track about his mother. He's improving. Some rappers just do that shyt effortlessly out the gate like Common/Nas/Kendrick/etc, because they're introspective and evocative lyricists. Cole strikes me more as a punchline rapper who gained consciousness and started evolving on the mic.

 

[Surreal]

Nikka wack sauce TBH

 

[CrimsonTider]

Hell no

 

[Ziggiy]

Agreed.

Love this album

 

[Creflo ½ Dollar]

Born Sinner>>>>>>>>

 

[Anerdyblackguy]

I agree. The maturity of that album in comparison to FHD is ridiculous.

 

[Cadillac]

nah

 

[Guvnor]

Nah 2014 Forrest Hills Drive is the right answer.

I'll revisit this album though but I don't know..shyt was too somber and slow to me. I mean folding Clothes? nikka was bugging son. I like that Falling In Love For The First Time record though.

 

[Tommy Sheppard]

I have to run this album back, I remember the last song being the standout but I don’t remember much besides that one.

fhd always had a winter feel to it to me so I always would play it when it gets cold.

 

[KillKenny]

Very good album imo, a special one but not sure his best one

 

[Sauce Dab]

fukk no. That shyt was his worst album

 

[Cheese McNair]

I love January 28 from FHD. It was a good intro.

But my favorite Cole album is KOD. I gotta run back 4YEO, it’s been awhile

 

[Guvnor]

fukk no. That shyt was his worst album

I feel the same way. That shyt seem trash to me.

 

[Cadillac]

fukk no. That shyt was his worst album

I have the same view, that shyt is prolly his worst output.

fhd always had a winter feel to it to me so I always would play it when it gets cold.

almost all if not all of Cole's music is winter type music honestly

Even FHD feels like that and I would argue it has a more summer type.