J.Cole's, "The Fall Off:"Cole Cements His Legacy

Jermaine Cole has catapulted himself into one of the most prominent and popular rappers of this modern generation. Cole has been one of my favorites largely due to his emphasis on conscious rap. Conscious rap refers to artists creating music that makes you think with unique, hard-hitting lyricism as opposed to the strip-club anthems that are so prevalent in hip-hop today.

It's always a refreshing change of pace to hear J. Cole speak. The Fall Off finds J. Cole incorporating everything that makes him so great. Exciting lyricism, braggadocio, internal conflicts, mental health topics, etc. all play a huge role in this album.

In a world where lyrics have taken a backseat in favor of hard-hitting beats, J. Cole successfully challenges that narrative. The Fall Off refers to critics of Cole claiming he has fallen off since he is not going along with the rest of hip-hop. However, as we see throughout much of history, it is the individuals who challenge these absurdities and critics that ultimately come out on top.

The standout track, My Life, shows J.Cole reminiscing about the failures during his rise to the top and how those have molded him into the man he is today. While the topic is not new by any means, the way Cole approaches it is remarkable. With features from 21 Savage and Morray, Cole utilizes them perfectly in creating a track that will hype anyone up. The track is riddled with gospel influence which highlights the grandiose nature of this project.

Cole is trying to establish his legacy on this project. The gospel influence and the acceptance of himself for who he is shows this on such a high level. Furthermore, this project is a pre-cursor to his final album which has yet to be named. Cole has hinted at retiring from rap for years now but after listening to this album it feels as though he wants to leave the game on his own terms...something that is a rare feat.

In his defense, what more can he possibly achieve? Multiple grammy's, six solo albums all topping the Billboard charts, and one of the top 10 most streamed artists in history. Cole has hit his peak and although he could continue for likely another decade or more, he is content.

What makes this project even more impressive is that Cole is quite literally rapping his ass off like he has nothing to lose. It is that type of hunger and drive that makes listeners fall in love with his music. Many artists lose that motivation when they have the same status as Cole. However, Cole is still fueled by his initial hunger...something that allows him to flourish.

To me, this album felt like an amazing close to his career. I am curious to see how he approaches his supposed final album. With how long this album has been rumored to release, I would hope that Cole is putting every ounce of effort into making it the perfect goodbye to one of rap's titans.

Knowing him...his last project will follow suit.