NigerianDonDada
FFOE
Who is the person at the center of all this outward projection? We still don't really know. Cole's second, attention-grabbing mixtape, 2009's The Warm Up, positioned him as an upstart unmoored from traditional conventions, an artist who could switch up flows, rap furiously and build his own hooks; Born Sinner finds himself standing in about the same place he was on Cole World: The Sideline Story, but the green room here is a little nicer.
Once in a while he can create something catchy-- the Miguel-featuring "Power Trip" almost seems like it was designed in a lab for radio rotation but the album as a whole splices together musical eras and reference without much purpose.
At its best, Born Sinner, showcases J. Cole's overall musicality, pairing his ability as a lyricist with a more broadly developed production palette. In a heat, he can rattle off some fierce rejoinders (See: "nikkaz Know"). But several releases deep into Cole's growing catalogue, we haven't been delivered the savior that Jay-Z's "A Star is Born" seemed to anoint. (The latter's current indifference to Cole has become so pronounced that Cole has to keep squashing beef rumors.) Though much has been made of Cole's decision to bump up Born Sinner's release to the same day as Kanye's Yeezus, Cole is popular to a degree that suggests his sales will be competitive with Kanye's divisive-by-design Yeezus. That popularity, which has grown through a handful of big singles, is a testament to the fans who've been with him since his come up, fans rewarded with a recent string of $1 "Dollar and a Dream" performances taking place this week. But Born Sinner didn't turn out to be a reward in itself.
lol that's why XXL and The Source rating system is completely irrelevant.
How the hell can they give it less than they gave Cole World? Doesn't even make sense.
It's impressive but yet weaker than Cole World? Interesting.
I would guess that it was cause they didn't wanna give Kanye and Cole the same score. That's why Pitchfork (and others with x.x/10 system) has the best scale out, only 5 different ratings is weak.
good kid, m.A.A.d city-9.5
Yeezus-9.5
Take care-8.6


because most of these people are giving it a lower rating than Cole World when this album is waaaaaay better than that one....


fukk Pitchfork.