J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive

I don’t know what it is about young rappers that they feel compelled to be as crass as possible. It is almost like they think their album won’t sell or they will be made fun of by other rappers if they are not dirty dogs. Even more frustrating when they show glimpses of what they are capable of. Several tracks feature lyrics about politics, race relations and relationships that are enlightened and insightful. Then he falls back into the trap of crass. The production on the album is stripped back so it really places emphasis on his rap style and the lyrics. Courageously he has made his flow rather dreamy and unhurried but keeps the energy up with his voice and ideas. While this is above average hip hop somehow though I was left a little disappointed. After having seen what he can do and bring live there is something that is not translating to his recordings. He has got to find a way to accomplish this.