What "intangible" IT factor is J. Cole missing that Drake seems to have?

[KravenMorehead™]

I read this awhile ago, and it's well said.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/12/07/review-j-coles-2014-forest-hills-drive/20055147/

Review: J. Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive'
Martín Caballero, Special for USA TODAY 5:50 p.m. EST December 8, 2014

(Photo: Dreamville/Roc Nation/Columbia)

For an artist recruited by Jay Z to be the new face of his Roc-Nation label in 2009, it's amazing how little use rapper J. Cole has had for his legendary patron. Aside from a perfunctory Jay Z cameo on Cole's debut album, the 29-year-old North Carolina native, to his credit, has been just fine on his own, building his own brand and releasing two No. 1 albums on which he also served as lead producer.

Still, after hearing his third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive (* * ½ out of four), out Tuesday, it seems as if it wouldn't hurt Cole to have someone like Jay in his ear every now and then, if for nothing else but to save him from himself.

You at least have to admire his conviction. After two good-but-not-great albums, Cole is doubling down on the premise that, this time, he'll get it right without retooling his formula.

Presenting himself as rap's cocky yet vulnerable everyman, he gets off to a convincing start. The smooth and self-assured manner in which he addresses his career so far on January 28th makes you believe this LP will be the one. Wet Dreamz could be the album's best moment, a breezy nod to awkward adolescent hookups that serves as a showcase for his self-effacing wit and storytelling skills. Those same talents are used to darker effect on 03' Adolescence, as he strikes an honest emotional tone in rapping from the perspective of a despondent friend urging him to stay focused on his career.

Ironically, that's right about the point on Forest where Cole could use a friend. Not including any guest artists and insisting on singing every chorus may seem like a brave choice, but the album's second half exposes the fact that, talented though he might be, Cole is not as singularly compelling as he thinks he is. Fire Squad offers lukewarm battle raps over what sounds like a reheated '90s Wu-Tang beat, just as A Tale of 2 Citiez echoes a tepid rehash of Kendrick Lamar's m.A.A.d. City. Continuing on through St. Tropez, G.O.M.D. and No Role Modelz, Cole constructs lumbering tracks weighed down by extended instrumental bridges, choir vocals and over-elaboration. They become so bloated and desperate to be taken seriously they stop being fun, diminishing the pleasure of noticing the right balance is finally achieved on penultimate track Love Yourz.

Forest confirms that Cole dreams bigger than most major-label rappers, but he has yet to realize that vision in LP format.

 

[MouseTeeth]

Cole has smash hits tho

not really...his highest charting single, "work out," only went to number 13

http://www.billboard.com/artist/276541/j-cole/chart

Meanwhile, drake

http://www.billboard.com/artist/301284/drake/chart?page=3&f=379

Drake has had several top 10 hits and this is really inaccurate because its only counting him as a solo artist and not his work as a featured artist, which trumps this list

Not sayin drake is "better" than j cole, im just sayin they're both lightskinned half white rappers who have similar sounds/subject matter but drake takes the wind out his sail bc he makes a more commercially viable product

 

[No1]

half of take care was wrote by the weeknd, that exactly why The atmosphere was the way it was.

And that the only thing I would give drake over cole, he creates a atmosphere thats unfukkwitable, only one thst does it better is the weeknd, and soon as u where crew love u know that has weeknd written all over it

I think Drake probably has more mic presence too. They are about the same lyrically but Drake has a superior delivery when he is not on his singing shyt. Not so far that you could not prefer Cole if you like his content, but I think it is noticeable.

 

[rapbeats]

im not een saying da club tho

Im saying life in general

Drake says sht that nikkaz can relate to

sht like

"she gon be uupset if she keep scrolling to the left dawg"

I remember when my homegirl(dyke) used that line when she was talm bout shorty she was dealin wit

I was like

more girl music like i said. obviously people can relate cause he's border line a simp on the mic when talking about girls. then he goes on a B & H tirade then back to simping. yes thats real dudes. thats how dudes act. so i get it. thats why THOSE types of dudes love drake. others are playing drake cause they know girls like him and he got some fire beats. when you have an era of rappers in the mainstream that are not that GREAT, the next thing you look for is a good vibe(beats and flow). if that is good enough you roll with the artist. i've said from the beginning drake has always had a good VIBE. Cole's vibe was decent but only recently has become very good on this new album.

KL had a great vibe on Section and GKMC.

These albums are VIBE albums. Not the old fashion albums where some was vibe music other was hard hitting songs that became hits. This era reminds me of that old disco/ airy phil collinson soft rock era. those were some good songs when i was a little kid growing up(and i was listening to that stuff back then and it was old then quiet as kept. but my parents, uncles, etc were playing those songs. thats the vibe we're in with hiphop now.

 

[rapbeats]

I read this awhile ago, and it's well said.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/12/07/review-j-coles-2014-forest-hills-drive/20055147/

well now, that review is on point. cant even front. i still like the album overall though. and still think its by far his best work.

 

[rapbeats]

I think Drake probably has more mic presence too. They are about the same lyrically but Drake has a superior delivery when he is not on his singing shyt. Not so far that you could not prefer Cole if you like his content, but I think it is noticeable.

do not agree with the drake delivery. drake is flowing over better beats. its that simple. if someone gave cole a perfect producer for his voice/delivery. he would sound just as good or better then drake does on his own personal sound/music.