J. Cole-Born Sinner

    I would be lying to you if I told you that I was riding with J.Cole since 2009 or whenever his first project came out. Whether it be Roc Nation (/_\) lol... Or self released. I had definitely heard some of his music back then but I wasn't ready to fully commit to this "upstart" rapper from North Carolina. I initially wrote him off as a product of the industry considering the recent success of the other LITE-SKINNEDED rapper Drake..so I just figured this was Jay's version. Foolish 22 year old I was back then. It also seems I was a foolish 26 and 27 year old as well. It took me hearing "Grew Up Fast" in my boy Malachi's whip back in the winter of 2012. I finally took full on notice when "Truly Yours" came out I was like "Ok, dude is legit" Then "Truly Yours 2" was released, thats when I started getting excited.
    On the cover of Truly Yours its simply says "See You June 25th". Not to mention that was a stellar EP but I wont get into that right now. But what I will get into is that the June 25th date was tentative because as we all know now...J.Cole's sophomore set "Born Sinner" was pushed up to June 18th to compete with "Yeezus".  Mac Miller was also released on the same day so needless to say this was literally Christmas in June for me.
    "Born Sinner" opens with this epic salvo of a song known as "Villuminati". at over 5 minutes..This song is the perfect opener as he weaves in and out of his self produced gem and sets the pace for whats to come. After the forgettable skit, "LAnd of The Snakes" reassures me that Cole is something special. A self professed "Rap Nerd" much like myself, so it came at no surprise that the song contained the instantly recognizable sample THE "Art of Storytellin Pt. 1". MAN I WAS IN AURAL HEAVEN when I bumped that song as a youngster and this current version made me feel the same way.
     Leaving singles where they need to be...I delve into the "Mo Money" interlude which sounds like a ILL ass game load time beat. Cole is dropping jewels about the ills of money and how many of us don't know how to manage it...Wish it was a full song. "Trouble" , "Runaway", and "She Knows" all serves as a EP within a LP because it seems as if they all have pretty similar topic matter and concepts...each song is worth its merit and doesn't detract from the previous songs.
    After that however is where the sequencing gets kinda altered to me. "Rich Niggaz" and "Forbidden Fruit" should be switched...because it feels like the former doesn't really gel with that EP concept but thats my minor gripe. He commits this offense again with "Chaining Day" and "Crooked Smile" with "Aint That Some Shit" sandwiched in between. At first listen its seems like Cole is all over the place and doesn't know how to sequence his songs. On the second listen you realize that was the entire point. Each song in that sequence is there to represent to the listener inner struggle within him and ourselves. Makes perfect sense to me.
    "Let Nas Down" Is something out of this world. Its gives us a rare glimpse into the vulnerability of a fan turned rapper and how he dealt with letting down one of his most revered artists. That some heavy stuff right there. Saying that the concept was awesome was and is a SEVERE understatement.
     "Born Sinner" closes out this Opus and also brings everything full circle. As a album this project was conceived and executed with precision. There are no missteps with J. Cole's latest offering and if there was, I'm sure there are few and far in between. The Deluxe edition includes an healthy 5 extra songs to keep the party going a few extra minutes. That was a good move because they don't fit with the overall theme of the album. Actually they could have stood alone and used for one of those  "after the album mixtapes". I'm glad he decided to include those songs...each one is dope.
       That last sentence is my entire review in a nutshell. After hearing this album you realize that Each song is dope..I mean EVERY song..that is extremely hard to do in today's rap climate. The fact that J. Cole made it seem effortless shows that he is in HIS groove and if he keeps "MAKING" records like this...that TOP 5 alive amongst the current crop of MC's conversation will have to get a hell of a lot longer...
   
   

Kanye West-YEEZUS

      Kanye West is Back!!!!! After three long years since "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fanstasy", Yeezy has decided to show favor upon the listening public and bless us with his 6th solo effort "YEEZUS". I will admit, much of this project was shrouded in mystery up until a few weeks ago.This is when J.Cole decided that he would push up his album release date by a week so he could compete with Ye' ala 50 Cent Style. Now some may consider this as blasphemy because "This is what Ye' does Son"...."The last time he went against some one...he killed him first week son"...or my personal favorite "Cole is wack, his lyrics are boring and there is no way he can go against a Kanye West album....son" lol
     NOT SO FAST DEAR READERS....I'm here to tell you that everything is not what it seems. Yeezus is a different type of album. Trying to compare this to a traditional rap album will prove futile. The opening chords of "On Sight" automatically lets you know that you are not in RapLand anymore. If you are like me, you decide to read the liner notes and you notice something totally shocking. "On Sight" is produced by DAFT PUNK...yes..THAT Daft Punk. Normally I would be intrigued by such a pairing but the sounds are so off-putting that I was barely able to get through the the first track. "Black Skinhead" doesnt do much to alleviate my instant headache as it begins to hollow out my brain. I check the liner notes again and what do i see?...Daft Punk. This song doesnt even resemble a Kanye West record. It sounds like he is featuring on his own song.
    "I am a God" pushes me even further to my aural limits..The title, subject matter and downright crass lyrics makes this song an unbearable listen..I wont comment on that particular song any further.  "New Slaves" is the initial reason I was remotely excited about this new album, I really wish this was the opening track instead of being forced to wade through the murky waters of the first three songs. "The minute I began to take my fingers out of my ears and believe that the album is about to get good...."Hold My Liquor"  featuring Chief Keef and Justin Vernon comes on and reminds me that my ears are still being tortured. This first half of the album leaves me bewildered and struggling to grasp what exactly is happening.
      I seem to be a glutton for punishment or a staunch Kanye apologist because I refused to believe that this album wasn't worth my time or any one elses. "Im In It" doesn't leave anything to the imagination as it's Kanye at his Raunchiest..but...for some strange reason this song works..maybe its the assist from Assassin and Justin Vernon(at this point Justin Vernon is Ye's favorite everything). The song stops abruptly however and goes directly into "Blood on The Leaves" which is another song that works...if nothing else the production is crazy...I just hated the sample beacuse "Strange Fruit" was made during such a poignant part of Black American History..that what Ye turned that into seemed distasteful and out of place..for example why would I wanna hear Kanye scream "Fuck Them Other Niggas" while the background sample vocals cry out "Black Bodies Swinging In The Southern Breeze"...C'mon son..I KNOW you have more sense than that right?
    Anywho maybe just maybe he had a change of heart because the next song is known as "Guilt Trip" featuring Kid Cudi...I wasnt gonna hold my breath and frankly neither should you. "Send It Up" sends me into a tizzy with its repetitive sirens and repetitive lyrics...I guess this will be the drunk anthem for the summer. The final song "Bound 2" upset me for two reasons...the first being that this is what I was WAITING to hear from Kanye for the whole album and second since it was indeed the final song, it was a sore reminder that Kanye West is a brilliant mind he if so decided to use it. Or maybe the was the point all along..Maybe we the listener aren't ready yet to understand what we just heard. Maybe after a couple more spins we'll understand the true genius of this record....Maybe.....