J.Cole’s fifth studio album was released on Friday, April 20. KOD earned 8.1/10. Photo courtesy of YouTube music video
Tyler Krenzin
Lantern Staff
Two years after reaching critical acclaim for his work “2014 Forrest Hills Drive” Jermaine Cole, known by the persona J. Cole, brought us an album that caused the most uproar and controversy with his 2016 album “4 Your Eyez Only.” While not necessarily his greatest work, many people made the claim that J. Cole was “overrated” and “garbage.” As a result, Cole returned to his work in silence.
J. Cole announced the album “Kids on Drugs” (KOD) in April, the same month as it was scheduled to release.
“KOD,” whose album cover dons Cole with kingly attire on and an open robe, showing several children doing the popular drugs of today, slowly fading back to his robe with the last kid appearing as a skeleton.
J. Cole clearly has turned his lyrical genius to the constant glorification of drugs by the rappers that have popped up during his hiatus. Cole speaks about his history with drugs and the violence that surrounds the trade around it. On the song “KOD,” he brings up both of his first experiences with both, seeing blood for the first time at a club and that his “homie” introduced him to the “pharmaceuticals.”
Cole, whose pride fully released his last two albums without a single feature, is the first artist ever to reach double-platinum status without one on his album “2014 Forrest Hills Drive.” Oddly, this left this trend in the dust with an unusual feature of the artist kiLL Edward. kiLL Edward, who didn’t exist until days before the album’s Friday, April 20 release date, is rumored to be the distorted voice of Cole himself, but has yet to be confirmed by any reliable news source or Cole himself. While we are pretty sure we know the truth, it is unlikely Cole will reveal the true identity of kiLL Edward.
Music for most is subjective, something that Cole is very aware of. In a tweet on the date of the released album, the only interpretation he put on the album was three names of which he could not decide one. After that, he left all the thinking to his listeners. As he speaks about his experiences at home, something we learned a little about in “2014 Forrest Hills Drive,” this time we see a darker level to the situation. He has an audio clip of a kid explaining how he saw his cousin shot dead on “Window Pain (Outro).”
This album seems to be a conversation with the rapper today that continues to glorify drugs, violence and gangs. Cole is telling them that they are more of the problem as they spread their influence towards the main stream.
In small, white print at the top of the album Cole leaves one more message of interpretation: “This album is in no way intended to glorify addiction.”
Addiction, the main message of the whole album, that even a person as aware as Cole isn’t free from the addictions the world offers it. Cole left us with his story on the last song of the album “1985 (intro to “The Fall Off”),” telling us that his mission isn’t over yet. 8.1/10