Mark Braboy
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer
Roc Nation artist, J. Cole, released his new mixtape “Truly Yours”, a small warm up before his sophomore album “Born Sinner” will be released after it was announced that the album has been delayed for a later date.
The Fayetteville, N.C. native decided to release five songs in the form of an EP (a release with nine or less songs) to tide the fans over until the album drops. Since this is his first project released since his 2011 debut “Cole World,” many are wondering does Cole still have the depth and lyrical content that fans loved from him in the first place.
His honesty, depth, and lyricism show no signs of fading on this tape. The lyrical content and subject matter is consistent to his musical style. These songs are very personal as he tells narratives about his life after his success, stories about hard times, and the people around him on songs like “Can I Holla at Ya” and “Rise Above”.
On the song “Crunch Time”, he talks about these hard times with lyrics like “This is for n**** with empty dreams and empty jeans/Still holding on to the word maybe/Cause this 9 to 5 s*** is driving you stir crazy/Coming home tired just to hear it from your lady/Hollering bout your baby, and need this and need that.”
J. Cole does a great job of having a core sound and ongoing theme on this EP. Despite the material sounding a bit raw, the production is excellent. It is reminiscent of how many hip-hop albums used to sound in the early 90s from artists such as Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and many other East Coast rappers. The EP is sample heavy and carries a very nostalgic vibe.
Overall, this is a solid release of music from J.Cole. It is capable of satisfying his fan base and leaves listeners expecting the same quality, if not greater on his next album “Born Sinner”. He does an excellent job at releasing only enough music to satisfy the fans without attempting to accidently outshine his future project.
