For an artist that always seems so vulnerable and self-conscious, J Cole showed a new found sureness in himself when he moved his release date up to compete with Mr. West’s Yeezus. After Kanye released his innovative projections, J Cole was quick to one-up Ye, as he announced that through an app, he would be conducting a listening session at certain locations in North America by distributing the latitude and longitude of the 8pm, one time stream of Born Sinner.
The subject of spiritual journey amidst his life in the spotlight was the obvious theme of Born Sinner and Cole even took it to the next level, when bringing in a full choir into the studio to record. From the beginning of Villuminati, the first track on the album, it was apparent that Cole was coming from a darker place from his last music and that he had something to prove. The Biggie sample was a nice touch as he spit, “Sometimes I brag like Hov” proving that he is in fact sure of himself now, and ready to take his position in hip-hop.
He improved immensely on production but the same story-telling, self-realized Cole spits on Born Sinner at times, seems quite overdone, further underlining the ongoing joke that Cole is…well, boring. Tracks like “Land Of The Snakes”, “She Knows” and “Trouble”, are examples of such tracks that Cole could have done without. The skits and interludes were also irrelevant and the only thing they added to were the number of tracks on the project.
Highlights of the project were the much anticipated collaborative effort with Kendrick Lamar on “Forbidden Fruit”, even though many fans were disappointed that Kendrick sang the hook as opposed to spitting a verse, but foresee a remix. “Let Nas Down” was a Cole masterpiece, reliving the story of how he let his idol down with projects like “Workout Plan” and how that affected him as an artist.
His leading singles “Power Trip” and “Crooked Smile” do their part in hopes that Cole can find himself that radio single he’s been looking for, but do not quite mesh with the dark theme of the project. Overall, Cole’s sophomore project is a great effort, showcasing his lyrical and production abilities but not quite at the ‘classic’ pedestal that many of his fans put him on.
