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Anyone who encountered his numerous mixtapes can tell you that before his official debut landed, rapper/producer J. Cole had spent some time bringing the whole Drake, Wale, and Big Sean style to a more street level. It’s worth mentioning because Cole World: The Sideline Story has little of that debut desire to cross over, and while the multi-talented Cole is a skilled, interesting beat-maker in his own right, a superstar production would have certainly made this album more approachable. Instead, No I.D. -- the biggest behind-the-boards name here -- turns in a sluggy, druggy construction for “Never Told,” Cole's deep, rich study of father/son confidence. Cole handles most of the rest on his own, turning in B+ stabs at dubstep (“Mr. Nice Watch” with guest and label boss Jay-Z), indie-hop (“Cole World” or “flossin’ with a laptop”), and his own humbler version of the Roc-A-Fella sound (the great single “Lights Please”). Add an “Intro” and then a part III -- the first two parts to be found on earlier mixtapes -- and you’re practically telling the aboveground crowd they’re stale from the start, but the tradeoff is a talent that has matured in the underground and is free of any forced outside influence. Cole’s fantastic style shoots off bold punch lines one minute (“I blow brains, Cobain-style”) and then goes deep the next, with equal skill and all while stringing together eye-level, real-life stories that have that classic flow. The reservation count is high and the flaw count is zero, and in this case, that’s the proper formula for a rich hip-hop album. Take a couple listens, let it sink in, and then discover that Cole World is one hell of a debut.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
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J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist - The University, Producer
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Brian Kidd, Producer - J. Cole, MainArtist - Trey Songz, FeaturedArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist - Emile Soumah, ComposerLyricist - Ibrahima Kouyaté, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Kingsley Swan, ComposerLyricist - Suzanne Swan, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Shawn Carter, ComposerLyricist - J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jay-Z, FeaturedArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, MainArtist - Drake, FeaturedArtist - Aubrey Graham, ComposerLyricist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist - L&X Music, Producer
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Missy Elliott, FeaturedArtist - J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Curtis Mayfield, ComposerLyricist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Ernest Wilson, ComposerLyricist - J. Cole, MainArtist - Kevin Randolph, ComposerLyricist - Steve Wyreman, ComposerLyricist - No I.D., Producer - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist - Greg Dykes, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Milton Nascimento, ComposerLyricist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Eero Koivistoinen, ComposerLyricist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Elliot Wolff, ComposerLyricist - J. Cole, Producer, MainArtist - Kanye West, ComposerLyricist - Miri Ben-Ari, ComposerLyricist - John Stephens, ComposerLyricist - Jermaine Cole, ComposerLyricist - Sukmeke Rainey, ComposerLyricist - Bosco A. Kante, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
Album review
Anyone who encountered his numerous mixtapes can tell you that before his official debut landed, rapper/producer J. Cole had spent some time bringing the whole Drake, Wale, and Big Sean style to a more street level. It’s worth mentioning because Cole World: The Sideline Story has little of that debut desire to cross over, and while the multi-talented Cole is a skilled, interesting beat-maker in his own right, a superstar production would have certainly made this album more approachable. Instead, No I.D. -- the biggest behind-the-boards name here -- turns in a sluggy, druggy construction for “Never Told,” Cole's deep, rich study of father/son confidence. Cole handles most of the rest on his own, turning in B+ stabs at dubstep (“Mr. Nice Watch” with guest and label boss Jay-Z), indie-hop (“Cole World” or “flossin’ with a laptop”), and his own humbler version of the Roc-A-Fella sound (the great single “Lights Please”). Add an “Intro” and then a part III -- the first two parts to be found on earlier mixtapes -- and you’re practically telling the aboveground crowd they’re stale from the start, but the tradeoff is a talent that has matured in the underground and is free of any forced outside influence. Cole’s fantastic style shoots off bold punch lines one minute (“I blow brains, Cobain-style”) and then goes deep the next, with equal skill and all while stringing together eye-level, real-life stories that have that classic flow. The reservation count is high and the flaw count is zero, and in this case, that’s the proper formula for a rich hip-hop album. Take a couple listens, let it sink in, and then discover that Cole World is one hell of a debut.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:38
- Main artists: J. Cole
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Roc Nation LLC
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records ℗ 2011 Cole World/Interscope Records
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