J. Cole - KOD (Discussion Thread)

Hyperion

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momma said:
J. Cole is seen as one of hip-hop's biggest representatives. Criticisms will always be leveled against the top. They do/did the same with Jay, Nas, Kanye, Kendrick, Drake, etc... It's a matter of expectation more than anything. Cole is hyped up as all-time great potential so some people try and fail to find that greatness because you just can't live up to those expectations. I mean just look at how hard people try to rationalize their dislike of J. Cole's music, I've never seen that with any other artist. It's like they're having therapy sessions with themselves trying to get to the bottom of why his music doesn't connect with them.
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Agreed. There's always criticisms against the top tier rappers, but that should speak for the bar we hold them to. Every rap legend has been on the receiving end of harsh criticisms, but that shouldn't take anything away from their greatness, that just comes with the territory. People used to call Jay a Biggie biter, and people would criticize Nas for his beat selection. Eminem had the whole criticism about the lyrical content and his lead singles being corny. And I'm sure if we looked back, people probably said some shyt about Pac and Biggie too before they passed. It's just the side effects of being TOO good, but it also means that no rapper is perfect. Every artist has their fair share of flaws to point out, but to further agree with you, it gets ridiculous.

Even with Kendrick and the Pulitzer prize thing, that made me chuckle a bit, because I vividly remember when TPAB dropped and people were saying things like "Why did Kendrick just drop a jazz album on us? :gucci:" or "GKMC better, Koondrick lost :mjlol:" or "He wants to be deep so bad, so he had an imaginary corny conversation with Tupac :heh:". Now, people think DAMN is undeserving and TPAB is his Magnum Opus, when it wasn't like that when the album came out, not even for a good while until the album marinated and the message really started to resonate.

So it's almost like you can't win, but I notice that people like Kendrick and Cole don't chase the approval from their fans, because I think they realize how fans can be. If it were up to the fans, the artists would never grow. They seem to moreso focus on the message they want to portray and try to make the best music that'll get that point across. I think that's what makes the difference from regular artists and the legends, artistic integrity, but with that comes with the fickleness of the fans.
 
thernbroom

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:dwillhuh: i really don't get the hype with this album even the standout tracks are average compared to his other tracks.

Will try this album one more time
 
Creasy

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gluvnast said:
Creative freedom doesn't mean micromanaging their music. The TEE artist are fortunate to make the music they feel. But all of them when still have to go through what is accepted and rejected, when to release and how through Punch and Top Dawg. Speaking of Ab-Soul, him and Schoolboy Q both voiced tgei frustrations of a release date. SZA even had to do artist development to where her music when she was sign is vastly different and less commercial than her mainstream release. I say all of that to say this. TDE is ran and overseen by Top and Punch. Dreamville is ran and overseen by J. Cole and his partner Ibrahim Hamad. They're their own bosses whereas Kendrick isn't his own boss until early this year when he got promoted to be an executive. Hence him overseeing the Black Panther soundtrack. Before that he was nothing more than an artist who still had to get approval for anything he want to submit and even now he still have to run it by Punch and Top. That's what I mean a limit. Not just making the music but also having the FINAL SAY and when and how to release it.

In a nutshell, Kendrick is no different from Lil Wayne. Yes, Wayne at one point was the biggest rapper in the game, yes it would of appear he had his own musical creative freedom and the mirage of running the defunct Young Money Records, but when we learned his last Carter album was SHELVED, it was exposed how little freedom he really have. Not saying it will happen to Kendrick just saying it CAN, because he doesn't run that label whereas J. Cole can make, creative, and release his music anytime he feels. He has nobody to answer to.
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Got ya. I was just speaking from a pure musical perspective.

How come Cole and Ib have that freedom anyway? Are they and Dreamville not ultimately tied into a major as well?
 
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Creasy said:
Got ya. I was just speaking from a pure musical perspective.

How come Cole and Ib have that freedom anyway? Are they and Dreamville not ultimately tied into a major as well?
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Well they got the same distribution deal with Interscope as Aftermath and TDE. A caveat though is that J. Cole is still with RocNation, but they mainly handle the promo and marketing and organize the tours.
 
CrimsonTider

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The rapping is superb. The production I don’t mind the more I listen

I just can’t get over the singing and that what Makes this a tough listen

Atleast on 4YEO the singing was on its own with She’s mine 1 & 2 and I could skip those tracks
 
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CrimsonTider said:
The rapping is superb. The production I don’t mind the more I listen

I just can’t get over the singing and that what Makes this a tough listen

Atleast on 4YEO the singing was on its own with She’s mine 1 & 2 and I could skip those tracks
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Spot on.
The singing on FHD was unbearable as well.
 
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