Taken from www.doublenegativepeople.com
Jermaine Cole’s 3rd retail effort arrives at a time when hip-hop is again in dire need of variety. While the spotlight continues to shine on those who celebrate their own celebrity, Cole represents the underlings in the society that is rap, those who toll in the underground with complex exploration of self and the world around them as opposed to grandiose claims of trendsetting or odes to the trap. What is notable about 2014 Forest Hills Drive when compared to his underwhelming debut and step-forward sophomore effort is that J. Cole has mastered this lane, both as a producer and as an MC, by continuing to be vulnerable and simple lyrically while paying homage to nuggets of nostalgia in his production choices. All this is done as Jermaine seems to have found himself comfortable enough to challenge his own insecurities musically and personally. There are a few missteps, but J. Cole has established himself as a key player in the movement of the culture with 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
The outstanding opener, “Intro/January 28,” snapshots the production focus on this piece perfectly by matching a smooth vocal chop with live instrumentation. The intro is a slow, piano-led piece that lends itself to Cole seemingly searching for fredom. His use of programmed keyboard bass interspersed with a live bassline in the main piece is interesting because they don’t clash when played together and displays good use of balanced equalizing in the bottom.
Throughout the album, we hear Cole use live instrumentation and complex production to balance his sample-based style; “St. Tropez” boasts a chop of Esther Phillips “That’s All Right With Me” familiarized by Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods” and balances it with lush horns and good background vocals; the Kanye-esque “G.O.M.D.” has several different sections built around a chanted loop; and “Fire Squad” incorporates early RZA hi-hats with a stretched bassline to give the joint good balance.
Being in the minority that was more entertained by Born Sinnerthan Yeezus (they will forever be infamously compared because they came out the same day), as well as being a somewhat distant fan of his mixtapes, I never doubted J had the capacity to be a fantastic producer. Although he did not produce every song on FHD, his perspective is obviously different as a producer himself. This is reflected in his beat choice, and when he doesn’t make the beat himself, he did a good job of aligning his beat choices with the overall feel of the album. “Love Yourz,” and “’03 Adolescence” are the only two joints that were not produced or co-produced by Cole, and they fit well.
I think J. Cole is who he is lyrically (and singing, which I will get to in a second). Take it or leave it. He is not, and probably never will be, a super lyrical monster. This is mostly due to his interest in conveying life stories or complex emotions and not just using metaphors to show his skill. He does well in putting you in the space he seeks, albeit without the detail of some of his peers.
The singing is……exorbitant. It offers flavor sometimes, and other times it is a bit much. But again, it is clear that Cole is very comfortable taking chances and that is what we truly want from artists. It will be interesting to see what he does next; he has NO features on this album, and I am interested to see if he will feel pressure to feature his crew more on his next effort to offer more variety vocally. Also, the 15 minute-shout-out-everybody-on-the-planet last song has been done and will probably never be heard more than once unless you play the album while you clean your house.
In what some believe is the worst year in hip-hop ever, 2014 Forest Hills Drive is the album that most of us (purists? snobs?) want mainstream hip-hop artists to make. It is indicative of an artist that started in one place, gained success, and challenged himself to do his own thing and continue to grow. No matter where he goes from here, he will probably be most proud of this album when he looks back. We should all be proud of him as well.
4.25/5
Jermaine Cole’s 3rd retail effort arrives at a time when hip-hop is again in dire need of variety. While the spotlight continues to shine on those who celebrate their own celebrity, Cole represents the underlings in the society that is rap, those who toll in the underground with complex exploration of self and the world around them as opposed to grandiose claims of trendsetting or odes to the trap. What is notable about 2014 Forest Hills Drive when compared to his underwhelming debut and step-forward sophomore effort is that J. Cole has mastered this lane, both as a producer and as an MC, by continuing to be vulnerable and simple lyrically while paying homage to nuggets of nostalgia in his production choices. All this is done as Jermaine seems to have found himself comfortable enough to challenge his own insecurities musically and personally. There are a few missteps, but J. Cole has established himself as a key player in the movement of the culture with 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
The outstanding opener, “Intro/January 28,” snapshots the production focus on this piece perfectly by matching a smooth vocal chop with live instrumentation. The intro is a slow, piano-led piece that lends itself to Cole seemingly searching for fredom. His use of programmed keyboard bass interspersed with a live bassline in the main piece is interesting because they don’t clash when played together and displays good use of balanced equalizing in the bottom.
Throughout the album, we hear Cole use live instrumentation and complex production to balance his sample-based style; “St. Tropez” boasts a chop of Esther Phillips “That’s All Right With Me” familiarized by Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods” and balances it with lush horns and good background vocals; the Kanye-esque “G.O.M.D.” has several different sections built around a chanted loop; and “Fire Squad” incorporates early RZA hi-hats with a stretched bassline to give the joint good balance.
Being in the minority that was more entertained by Born Sinnerthan Yeezus (they will forever be infamously compared because they came out the same day), as well as being a somewhat distant fan of his mixtapes, I never doubted J had the capacity to be a fantastic producer. Although he did not produce every song on FHD, his perspective is obviously different as a producer himself. This is reflected in his beat choice, and when he doesn’t make the beat himself, he did a good job of aligning his beat choices with the overall feel of the album. “Love Yourz,” and “’03 Adolescence” are the only two joints that were not produced or co-produced by Cole, and they fit well.
I think J. Cole is who he is lyrically (and singing, which I will get to in a second). Take it or leave it. He is not, and probably never will be, a super lyrical monster. This is mostly due to his interest in conveying life stories or complex emotions and not just using metaphors to show his skill. He does well in putting you in the space he seeks, albeit without the detail of some of his peers.
The singing is……exorbitant. It offers flavor sometimes, and other times it is a bit much. But again, it is clear that Cole is very comfortable taking chances and that is what we truly want from artists. It will be interesting to see what he does next; he has NO features on this album, and I am interested to see if he will feel pressure to feature his crew more on his next effort to offer more variety vocally. Also, the 15 minute-shout-out-everybody-on-the-planet last song has been done and will probably never be heard more than once unless you play the album while you clean your house.
In what some believe is the worst year in hip-hop ever, 2014 Forest Hills Drive is the album that most of us (purists? snobs?) want mainstream hip-hop artists to make. It is indicative of an artist that started in one place, gained success, and challenged himself to do his own thing and continue to grow. No matter where he goes from here, he will probably be most proud of this album when he looks back. We should all be proud of him as well.
4.25/5
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