In this blog post, we mention some of the best J. Cole songs you can add to your rap playlist. The Born Sinner MC may be the most divisive figure in hip-hop today. That’s saying a lot in an era frequently trashed as mumble rap. However, he’s also among the most successful, despite his antithetical approach.
Bio: Who is J. Cole?
Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) also known as J. Cole is a rapper and producer who signed on with Jay Z’s Roc Nation in 2009. Before becoming popular he faced several challenges trying to make it in the music industry. In the beginning, he was dismissed after traveling to Roc The Mic Studio and waiting three hours to give Jay Z a beat CD. Years later, when he signed a deal with Jay-Z, his new boss demanded a single for radio, Cole released the poppy “Work Out”—only to get a call telling him that another idol, Nas, was disappointed with the song. Cole chronicled the experience on his 2013 album Born Sinner, which he pushed up the release date in order to compete with another rapper he looked up to: Kanye West. While he ultimately didn’t outperform Kanye’s album, Cole came very, very close: Born Sinner debuted at 297,000 units sold, just 30,000 behind Yeezus. The feat proved that Cole had arrived, and was on the same playing field as the artists he looked up to.
Best J. Cole Songs For Your Rap Playlist
1. MIDDLE CHILD
On “MIDDLE CHILD” Cole envisions himself in the center of the old and new generations of hip-hop, therefore making him the “middle child” of rap. Here, Cole isn’t a middle child in reality—he has only one older brother—but he uses the idea as a metaphor for his place in hip-hop while he warns the rest of the industry that he has no plans of sliding into the background. “Middle Child Syndrome” is a psychological condition in which middle children sometimes feel neglected by their families due to the attention that their younger and older siblings receive. The visuals was directed by Mez, and Scott Lazer was the creative director. Lazer also directed a number of Cole’s videos including “ATM”, “Kevin’s Heart”. Throughout the video, Mez puts J. Cole in a series of situations: an award show, a morgue, a drumline performance, a faux NASCAR rally and a hunting lodge.
Stream “MIDDLE CHILD”
2. Wet Dreamz
“Wet Dreamz” the third single from Forest Hills Drive, sees Cole reminisce about his first time with a girl. He puts on the typical play-it-cool attitude when in reality all he knows about are wet dreams. The song instantly brings you back to a more innocent time in your life, during your high school years. As hormones fly around the halls, being in a relationship and thinking about sex can become the only obsession of a teenager’s life. Thus, losing your virginity is as important as graduating. That’s what Cole explores on this track, the moment he loses his virginity and the lies he tells in order to achieve it.
Stream “Wet Dreamz”
3. She Knows ft. Amber Coffman, Cults
“She Knows” is a song by J. Cole featuring Amber Coffman and Cults from the 2013 album Born Sinner. The song details J. Cole’s sexual exploits outside his relationship and how he suspects that his girlfriend knows he’s been unfaithful. In the visual for “She Knows”, Harold Perrineau stars as Kyle who gets dropped off at school just to go off with his boy for the average skip day. His fun times at the arcade and smoking dope at an abandoned pool are halted by a surprise he would have never expected.
Stream “She Knows” ft. Amber Coffman, Cults
4. Apparently
On “Apparently“, Cole reflects on the decisions he’s made in life and tries to make them right, now knowing how much people believe in him and look up to him. He expresses gratitude towards his girlfriend and his mother, apologizing to his mom and recognizing that his girl believes in him. In the visuals, Cole takes a simple approach by rapping inside a green room while vibrant colors are projected against his profile. His energy is truly felt in the video, as he raps through the song being both serious and playful. “Apparently” was nominated for Best Rap Performance for the 2016 Grammys.
Stream “Apparently”
5. G.O.M.D
On “G.O.M.D“, Cole is starting to lose himself in Hollywood; becoming arrogant and making typical commercial music. His first doubts about his new lifestyle come in the second verse—he starts to realize he should focus more on true happiness and genuine love. This begins his transition to the Cole we know now; he’s trying to get in touch with his roots and find himself throughout the rest of the project. However, the music video for the song directed by Lawrence Lamont is a period piece that features Cole as a house slave to a white-owned plantation. The visuals reveal that J. is a house slave, one who seems to be in charge of making sure the rest of the servants keep in line. He’s also searching for acceptance, it seems, by doing an anachronistic black power salute to the “field negroes” heading out for a long day of thankless work but who could care less about his presence or his greeting.
Stream “G.O.M.D”
6. Power Trip ft. Miguel
“Power Trip” was released on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The self-produced love anthem saw J. Cole reflecting on a doe-eyed, teenage crush that perseveres as he enters adulthood. The Roc Nation rapper returns to his hometown after building his name as an artist, but can’t shake his attraction to the one that got away. According to Cole himself the song has a double meaning, with the song not only about his love for a girl, but his love for hip-hop and how it’s got him up all night trying to create chart topping love songs. The video tells the story of an admirer gone mad as Cole and a friend stalk a woman who belongs to another man (played by Miguel). The eerie video concludes with the Born Sinner MC burying Miguel’s dead body. Cole shot a majority of the video in his hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina, except for that final scene where he buries Miguel out in the woods on the outskirts of the city.
Stream “Power Trip” ft. Miguel
7. ATM
“ATM” is an introspective yet energetic track that highlights Cole’s relationship with money. He confirmed in a tweet that the song title is an abbreviation for “Addicted To Money.” He contemplates his current state of fame and what it means for his family and his community. A money counter sound effect is used throughout to drive home the monetary theme. In the visuals, Cole satirizes trap’s one-note tropes by portraying a rapper whose cash runs out faster than his fantasy. Directed by Scott Lazer and Cole, it’s a technicolor morality tale that highlights what happens when we fall for the proverbial slice of devil’s pie.
Stream “ATM”
8. Crooked Smile ft. TLC
On “Crooked Smile“, Cole reaffirms his belief that nobody’s perfect, as everyone has their own “crooked smile”, and that nobody has to be perfect, making worrying pointless. The song actually does make mention of his literally crooked smile, but his intent was for a grander scheme. He dares people to appreciate who and how they are, and to turn the finger right around on the masses that try to make you feel insecure. For the song’s hook, Cole recruits T-Boz and Chilli of TLC, one of his favorite groups growing up. Just like TLC did on their 1999 Billboard chart-topper “Unpretty,” Cole chooses to uplift and give confidence to his listeners. The music video was dedicated to Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a 7-year-old girl killed in 2010 by police officer Joseph Weekley in Detroit. The “Crooked Smile” visual showcases the extreme extent to which law enforcement goes as soldiers in the war on drugs. Their efforts, all a product of a system put in place for years, play an adverse effect on both sides shown in the video, reflecting just how crooked the justice system can be today.
Stream “Crooked Smile” ft. TLC
9. Work Out
“Work Out” was released as the lead single from Cole’s debut studio album Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011). It takes cues from Kanye West, as it samples Yeezy’s The College Dropout single “The New Workout Plan”. Although the song achieved great commercial success (reaching #13 on the Hot 100 and going double platinum), it was received negatively by Cole’s core fans, and Nas wasn’t a fan either. This inspired Cole to create the song “Let Nas Down” for his album Born Sinner.
Stream “Work Out”
10. Kevin’s Heart
In “Kevin’s Heart,” Cole is singing from the stance of a person in love with drugs. Throughout the track, he references taking Xannies and smoking blunts, and relates the use of drugs to potentially cheating on his partner. In the music video, it tells the tale of fighting off the urge to cheat. Kevin Hart confronts his infidelity, inspired by his September 2017 cheating scandal. The deeply personal, five-minute clip documents the comedian’s struggle to own his mistake and not let history repeat itself. The actor made headlines for cheating on his then-pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish, after an alleged extortionist claimed to have a “sexually provocative” video of the infidelity.
Stream “Kevin’s Heart”
11. Everybody Dies
“Everybody Dies” takes shots at the current class of “Lil” rappers. Of course, speculations point to the most obvious, Lil Yachty and or Lil Uzi Vert. The song stirs up controversy over who exactly Cole might have been referring to in one of the most infamous lines: “Especially the amateur eight-week rappers, Lil’ whatever — just another short bus rapper.” The J. Cole produced beat samples Minnie Riperton’s “Inside My Love.” Directed by Scott Lazer the visual is a low-tech affair, with Cole rapping the song while sitting on the cab of a truck while rolling through the streets.
Stream “Everybody Dies”
12. In The Morning
“In The Morning” is from J Cole’s mixtape Friday Night Lights, produced by L&X Music. The piano-laced tune boasts hollow taps on a wood pipe and searing synths, with the Roc Nation rapper spitting about pleasing his girl while Drake serves up his own classy rhymes. Cole originally recorded “In the Morning” in 2007 in his bedroom, featuring three of his own verses. The track almost made one of the North Carolina rapper’s previous mixtape efforts, but he held onto it before it eventually got leaked on the internet.
Stream “In The Morning”
13. False Prophets
On “False Prophets” Cole addresses the trials and tribulations of being a star. Though he refrains from name-dropping, Cole uses this track to fire shots at a few people, particularly Kanye West. In a May 2018 interview with Power 105’s Angie Martinez, Cole confirmed that part of the first verse did, in fact, apply to Kanye. Cole expresses some sympathy on “False Prophets,” but the verse is dominated by resentment and disappointment. He feels betrayed by Kanye for giving in to what he sees as the materialistic side of himself, after letting Cole and a legion of fans fall in love with his righteousness.
Stream “False Prophets”
Honorable mentions
- 21 Savage – a lot (Official Video) ft. J. Cole
- 6LACK – Pretty Little Fears ft. J. Cole
- Beyoncé – Party ft. J. Cole
- Kendrick Lamar & J Cole – Black Friday
- Bas – Tribe with J. Cole
- Dreamville – Under The Sun ft. J. Cole, DaBaby, Lute
Connect with J. Cole
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