By Karimar Gatica
Ever since I was young, J. Cole has inspired me in ways no other person has ever done. When I first listened to the song “Fire Squad” on my friend’s phone, I loved the beat and the words he was saying. He was actually rapping with meaning and passion unlike other rappers who rap just to catch the beat. There’s no point to it other than the fact that it’s catchy. Later that following day, I started from his first album “The Warm up” all the way up to his most recent “Forest Hills Drive 2014”, it made me not want to stop listening to his music. To this day, I love his music and how he speaks truth while still rhyming. Overall, I highly recommend that you listen to his most recent album,“Forest Hills Drive 2014.”
Jermaine Lamar Cole is a person with passion to make dreams come true. Jermaine was born January 28th, 1985. Cole was born in Frankfurt, Germany but raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Forest Hills Drive. A house where Jermaine started “dreaming the dream.” J Cole’s mother is of European descent and his father was African American but as soon as his mother, Kay Cole, moved to Fayetteville with Jermaine, Mr.Cole didn’t follow. With Kay Cole working as a mail carrier and the re-marriage of a soldier, they barely had enough to move to where the nice houses stood. Growing up, J. Cole fully appreciated the fact that he had his own room. A place where he had privacy to produce rap beats and stand in the mirror rapping bars without somebody looking at him like he was crazy.
Being certified 2 times platinum with no features is no ordinary feat. J. Cole, the man who makes you realize reality throughout his albums. “Forest Hills Drive 2014,”is my favorite album out of the other amazing albums he has created. Jermaine’s music has a connection that you can relate to for example, “Love Yourz” will boost your self esteem and is for people who are having a rough day. When in an angry mood and the day just isn’t going as planned then “GOMD” is just for you. It’s a song that’ll get the stress out of your system and will have you thinking about how fake some friends are capable of being, and how keeping things to yourself is sometimes the better option. Throughout the album, every song you listen to will connect to your heart and mind and provides songs that are easy to relate to whether you are happy or sad I highly recommend this album if you enjoy hip-hop artists like Nas or Tupac who speak the truth through their rhymes. You won’t regret listening to it, it did get certified platinum twice for a reason.