So far, he has led the career of a rapper not quite sure where he’s headed, and one afraid to fully commit to a direction. Cole’s most consistent quality is his inconsistency. For as much beauty as we find in the calm that the album brings, one can’t help but clamor for more energy, at times. 2014 Forest Hills Drive fell flat because it never felt comfortable lightening up 4 Your Eyez Only falls flat because it never feels comfortable revving itself up.Įven on the album’s standout tracks such as “Neighbors”, a subtle and succinct commentary on race, and fame’s inability to supersede its effects, lasts for only two short verses before it carries on to more singing and poorly written metaphors in the album’s later half. Yet, one can’t help but wonder if a feature or two would help take some of the load off Cole’s back delivering a better album. Cole went double platinum with no features” was one of the most durable internet memes of the past few years. For someone as dead set on convincing his fans that the rap industry life is not as important to him anymore, songs such as “Deja Vu” show the opposite.
However, it’s followed by the album’s most frustrating song in “Deja Vu”, which plays out exactly the same way as every quasi-romantic J.
It begins with an extremely effective, albeit short, heavy-hitting instrumental in “Immortal”. In a broader sense, even the structure of the album seems flawed in the way its songs play out. Yet it begins its first verse with him stating, “Every time you go to sleep you like you in heaven/plus the head game is stronger than a few Excedrin.” It’s one of several palm-to-face moments on the record where you become distracted by traces of Cole’s old habits. 1” is a romantic ode to his wife, with Cole attempting to take himself seriously. Laced with a somber piano instrumental, “She’s Mine Pt. Cole’s biggest obstacles has always been his ability to keep his eye on the ball conceptually. In theory, raps about fatherhood, new marriages, and the struggle for a more meaningful existence outside of music sounds like what his biggest critics have been asking for. That isn’t to say, though, that Cole executes this material to its highest potential. What fast food is open on Thanksgiving?.Walgreens Thanksgiving hours: Is Walgreens open on Thanksgiving?.Walmart Black Friday 2021: What time does Walmart open on Black Friday?.Target Black Friday 2021: What time does Target open on Black Friday?.For the first time in his career, the concepts in which he chooses to rap about are far more interesting and introspective than ever before. Instead, he turns that perspective inwards for a change, through many parts of this album, and it is where he remains the most effective.
No longer does Cole look outwards about being overlooked by idols or video models. It’s an almost disorienting change of pace from a rapper we’ve watched carry a chip on his shoulder at all times. On songs such as “Foldin Clothes”, Cole raps, “Listen, this is a meditation for me, a practice of being present/there’s no where I need to be, except right here with you,” when talking about his wife and newborn daughter. Cole in a much more reserved and reflective part of his life a rapper enamored by the quieter, lighter moments of his days, like pouring almond milk on his Raisin Bran (not kidding), as opposed to the lyrical braggadocio ways of his past. From the minute the album’s intro “For Whom The Bell Tolls” plays, it’s clear we aren’t getting the same Jermaine Cole we are accustomed to.Īfter two years without much in the way of new music, we encounter J. Instead, Cole chooses a quieter path, accompanied by orchestral instrumentals and jazz-infused melodies. 4 Your Eyez Only isn’t an album as lush and nostalgic as Born Sinner, nor is it as gritty as 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Cole wants from his own music? With every album it seems we, as listeners, find him less and less interested with the typical aspects of the rap lifestyle that he was once so eager to find.