It may hard to believe, but it’s been six years since J. Cole delivered his classic album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. His third studio album helped capitalize on the success of Born Sinner and take him into a new tier of stardom. With records like “Role Modelz” and “Love Yourz,” the North Carolina native rose to the top of the charts and eventually earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Rap Album” alongside Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly.
On the album’s sixth anniversary, J. Cole has returned to deliver the previously unreleased video for “Fire Squad.” At the time of its release, the St. John’s University graduate made headline for his direct mention of white rappers altering the commercial nature of Hip-Hop culture.
History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes/Same way that these rappers always bite each others flows/Same thing that my nigga Elvis did with Rock n Roll/Justin Timberlake, Eminem and then Macklemore/While silly n*ggas argue over who gon’ snatch the crown/Look around, my nigga, white people have snatched the sound,” he rapped.
In 2020, the controversy surrounding his third verse is simply a footnote when discussing his most successful album. In celebration of 2014 Forest Hills Drive, check out the video below.
