Review: Cole World-The Sideline Story

28 September 2011 No Comments

By Patrick Dennis Jr.

Two years in the making and it’s finally here. J. Cole’s debut album entitled, Cole World- The Sideline Story is now available ‘legally’ for the public.

With so much anticipation around his album, the North Carolina native who has released mixtape after mixtape for several years, needed to produce a solid album. In typical Cole fashion, the album is a mix of slow grooving beats and clever word play.

While Cole differs from many mainstream artists in the hip hop industry right now, he still offers some of the typical rap content and boastful swagger. His track “Mr. Nice Watch”, which features the man who signed him: Jay-Z, is one of the stand out songs on the album. The song is all about swagger, full of bass and dub-step – similar to tracks on Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne album. Raps like, “I ain’t got a mimic, cause I ain’t got an image to uphold, this real s***, I ain’t got a gimmick” showcase the boastful hunger of the young artist.

One of the year’s most highly anticipated albums provides several tracks that could be singles; however, one can’t help but think that the album could have gone further. What many thought would be a dramatic debut similar to that of Kanye West’s College Dropout fails to be more than what we’ve heard before.

While the album does have its many bright spots, including “Nobody’s Perfect” featuring the talented and diverse Missy Elliott, it struggles to push the envelope where many thought it would have. Give Cole credit however, he does attempt to go beyond the typical beats and cocky rhymes of many artists today. “Lost Ones” brings back that conscious vibe many liked about J. Cole; his songs are often very relatable to his audience.

Maybe it’s not fair to expect the album of the year from J.cole as this is his debut, but he was almost there. J.Cole is certainly on the cusp of greatness. Cole World- The Sideline Story is a solid album. In a year that has seen many rap albums receive mixed reviews, it will be interesting to see where his album stacks up. People are hungry for change and maybe Cole World is the answer.