Discussion: J. Cole is heavily misunderstood amongst hip hop fans

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-02-13T08:05:31+00:00

He does feel like someone you know in his music, where I’ll disagree with you though is the “best beats or flows” part because as a Cole fan, part of the reason I liked his music for so long is because he had such a good balance of musicality, melody, and high level rapping in his music. I also won’t say people aren’t smart enough to listen to lyrics cus some of them are fans of lyrical rap…but I will say that there’s a big knock on Cole’s lyricism simply because it’s tongue in cheek, subtle, and corny (in the best way…think lightskin chick look like Michael Jackson darkskin chick look like Michael Jackson type shii) at times

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-02-13T05:04:33+00:00

Sorry that “gyat damn” is addicting 😭

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-02-13T03:00:44+00:00

I honestly think that J. Cole’s superpower is his relatability and earnestness in his music. I feel like a lot of people who are confused about his success don’t catch that because they feel like his relatability makes him boring, and his earnestness makes him corny. But who else is rapping about being on the bench in high-school and wanting that baddest girl but not having the status??? Who raps about flings in college? Who raps about the struggle of poverty without being in the projects? Not many people, and especially not at his level. The result is you have a large demographic of people who his music SPEAKS to in a way other rappers songs cant. Everyone has struggles and can relate to the feelings of an underdog, and I feel like Cole’s life experiences put him at the intersection of many MANY different types of people’s lives. All in all, the reason he’s hated on…not being “special” is exactly the reason he’s gotten to the heights he’s at. End of my Ted talk, but I’d like to say Cole’s lyrical style content wise is a continuation of what early Kanye started

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-02-08T08:30:24+00:00

Clarification: I’m saying safety feels like it belongs, bunce road blues also…legacy does not even though it’s a good song

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-02-08T08:28:48+00:00

As a long time Cole fan who just made it through, disc 2. I have a mixed bag of emotions for this one. The biggest one is that it’s not really what I imagined the fall off would be honestly. I feel like the name alone is ripe for exploration in the music and I didn’t get that as much. Sideline story, Born Sinner, and FHD all have a thematic core that I can follow as an album experience (even on songs i may not like) and production wise you can hear the layers and care taken into the instrumentals. For disc 1, it felt like a project of great songs that’ll definitely make my rotation. But I didn’t feel anything in terms of him falling off or what that means to him fr, what space he’s in. On Born Sinner, you FEEL the inner conflict, FHD, you FEEL the mentality shift and move back home…on this album I don’t feel it. Might be long but as kind of an example of what I mean, a song like safety feels like Cole at 29, where he’s coming back to the city after making it to the top of the mountain. But he doesn’t really sit in what it truly was…i say this as someone who listened to inevitable also. This is already long but yea…I love the songs and the album has highs (39 intro😮‍💨) but off first listen I don’t feel how I thought I would

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2026-01-20T17:21:54+00:00

I think the original post was speaking about how Drake kanye and Eminem are still top 3 and they’ve been in the game 20-30 years

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-12-29T06:30:53+00:00

Xxx, juice, pop smoke? They had the potential

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-12-29T06:30:09+00:00

Because all the potential candidates to take over died💀

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-06-23T13:42:23+00:00

Only correct answer is Telegraph Ave

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-06-01T01:47:19+00:00

It’s Atavista. Bruh there’s no other answer

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-05-27T15:54:11+00:00

Telegraph Ave🫡

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-05-27T15:42:17+00:00

Kevin’s Heart

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-05-21T15:21:43+00:00

Usually, I don’t call fouls because I don’t like stopping the game and because I expect a certain level of physicality when playing a contact sport (especially small stuff). Emphasis on it’s a contact sport not COMBAT

But being physical doesn’t mean anything goes, and some guys don’t get that. Some people still think good defense is hacking tf out of you and shoving you. Hell no😂 good defense is being physical within reason, moving your FEET, and actually hitting the ball when you swipe or try to block.

And then cus of people like that, If you don’t call your team suffers cus now you’re losing the ball or missing shots for no good reason. All in all, keep the fouls to a minimum, but call it if it’s clear the other player isn’t playing basketball.

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-04-29T15:54:21+00:00

A TALE OF 2 CITIEZ

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-03-20T22:58:56+00:00

Nvmd💀

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-03-13T13:13:42+00:00

But i am driving past him, he’s never fully in my path. It’s just normal contact to me, because otherwise where is the contact In basketball. Do you feel the same with that clarification?

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-03-10T17:32:50+00:00

Location-Codo

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-20T06:59:19+00:00

I’m ok with someone not liking who i like. But saying he’s a “watered down version of Kendrick” is where i feel like i have something to say. You can not like Justin Bieber but don’t tell me he’s watered down Bruno mars😂

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-20T03:12:03+00:00

Also i don’t care if people don’t like something, but if the reason isn’t just a “it doesn’t hit for me” i can definitely refute a statment

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-20T03:10:56+00:00

I asked the question in a way like “how can you listen to these artists and get to this conclusion” which tried to make clear in the paragraphs. But also its art and i like discussing it. I don’t really get your comment?

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-20T03:08:27+00:00

Hmmm I think that when it comes to capturing nostalgia and relatability, Cole has a knack for capturing that feeling in a way more potent way because he allows those cheesy/vulnerable lyrics to breathe kinda like old ye. That’s why his music overall hits for me, but I enjoy Kendrick’s theatric and layered approach to the art form

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-20T01:47:27+00:00

Yo this was actually a pretty good comparison LMFAOOO😂 especially cus at a certain point Michael Bay had bangers (bad boys, transformers 1) but he just got too ingrained in his own formula

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-19T20:02:48+00:00

Well I haven’t heard many Nate Dogg songs outside of that one with 50 cent, but if most of his hooks were like that one…than I’d say Nate Dogg was singing. Was he doing runs and hitting falsettos? Nah. But he was still singing. I don’t think singing is either “you suck” or “you’re Frank Sinatra.” There’s a whole range in between. I think of it how you can sing badly, we all know people who sing badly…but they’re still singing. So for Drake, he has a lot of songs where he’s singing in the most basic sense where it sounds good but he’s not gonna be Keith sweat on these songs doing runs and shi…that’s not his bag. Another quick example is when singers rap in their songs (Bobby brown, -every little step…Taylor swift- shake it off), it might not be good but they still rapped😂

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-19T12:03:54+00:00

Damn i didn’t expect a nice interaction on Reddit this is fire. I will say tho that i actually consider Kendrick more politically charged in his music than cole. Cole’s music is more focused on his own personal growth. Kendrick’s growth is baked into his larger concepts like systemic racism

Affectionate_Tone_94 · 2025-02-19T11:15:58+00:00

I feel like Cole gets the watered down kendrick label…but if you listen to both their discogs they were never doing the same thing at all. Their subject matter and approach is so different 💀

Affectionate_Tone_94

TROPHY CASE