If you’re just now hearing about Jermaine Cole, aka J.Cole, please do yourself a favor and spend the next 2 hours (give or take a few minutes) educating yourself on what promises to be one of the best new Hip Hop artists of 2009. After you are done listening to J.Cole’s now classic Mixtapes “The Come Up” & “The Warm Up” please continue reading…
As you now know, J.Cole has a unique voice and approach to Hip Hop which like so many other Hip Hop greats will allow him to quickly gain momentum and fans. Needless to say, being the first artist signed to Jay-z’s Roc Nation label couldn’t hurt much either. As the story goes, Jay-z contacted and signed J.Cole after hearing his track “Lights Please.” (Sometimes I listen to that track and pretend that I’m Jay-z discovering new talent…)
J.Cole especially excels in the story telling aspect of Hip Hop. Listening to J.Cole speak about trial and tribulations in his life is as much therapy for those of us who have had similar experiences as it is entertaining for those who could barely imagine being in a New City with only a “Dollar and a Dream.” (Which is exactly where J.Cole found himself after leaving North Carolina to attend St. John’s University in hopes of pursuing his music career while in the big city)
Speaking of which, “Dollar and a Dream” is my favorite track on “The Come Up” where J.Cole recounts what it was like coming up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He even finishes the song with the line, “A journalist nigga, call me the Fayetteville observer.” J.Cole does a great job describing the hustle and obstacles of coming up in the hood. Minus a few references to the south, this song could easily describe coming up in any hood across America, which is exactly why J.Cole appeals to so many fans of Hip Hop.
Not to much surprise, “Dollar and a Dream 2” is my favorite track from “The Warm Up.” This remake is less gritty than the original and features a smoother beat, but is still a hustler’s anthem. My favorite line from “Dollar and a Dream 2” is, “They say I’m the future, but yet I’m giving niggas flashbacks.” That line sums up how I feel about J.Cole as an artist. He stands within the small group of great new MCs (Kid Cudi, Mickey Factz, B.o.B., Curren$y, etc) who are feeling extreme pressure to create the future of Hip Hop, but at the same time his style and flow reminds me of great past Hip Hop MCs such as Nas (a major influence on J.Cole’s music.)
Take a look at the video for J.Cole’s Hit single “Simba” from his “The Come Up” Mixtape:
If that video left you wanting more, here is the trailer for J.Cole’s latest Mixtape “The Warm Up”:
[...] J.Cole releases the mastered version of “Lights Please.” Check this track out…It’s the reason Jay-z signed the North Carolina MC to Roc Nation! More on XXLMag.com [...]
[...] about his first meeting with Jay-z. No, not when he got signed to Roc Nation, but rather when J.Cole ran up on Jay-z to give Hov his mixtape! More on [...]
[...] Those songs show Mickey’s talent as an artist, but if he is going to truly change the sound of hip hop he will need to get his music out to as many people as possible. (A task that has never been easy for lyrically strong MC’s) However, there is hope with the ever changing playing feild and the rising presence of hip hop online. There is even word of Mickey Factz signing with Roc Nation. If the Roc Nation deal is true, then Jay-z is about to take over the game with his new label which already has the ultra talented J.Cole. [...]
[...] J.Cole produces single for fellow Fayettville artist Rain. Hit me up on my Twitter @HipHopAtLunch Let me know if you feeling this song! More on DJSemtex.com [...]
[...] first blog post was written on July 22nd, [...]