Introduction
The 2014 Forest Hills Drive album by J. Cole was released on the 9th of December 2014, the third album by Cole. The album comprises hip-hop music, which includes conscious and political hip-hop. It was released by Storm entertainment under the Dreamville Records label. The album was named after Cole’s childhood home address, which he aimed to bring back from foreclosure. It is more of a semi-autobiography that retells stories from his adolescent years until he became a young adult, making his image grander and grander more enjoyable. (Tidal, 2019). The album featured some Dreamville artists as supporting acts like Bas, Omen, Cozz, Aiko, Pusha, YG, and Big Sean.
“Intro”
The beats on “Intro” are soulful and smooth as J. Cole moans about the beauty of being happy and free. The song is not long, and one would think it is not a complete song because its beats give an illusion of slowing down to usher in the next song. Cole sings alone, composed, and one would feel the emotions and the passion through his voice.
“The 28th of January”
The song is about the struggles of Cole and his family as he was growing up. It starts with an intro from someone else who is not Cole about making a million dollars, with strange effects that are difficult to understand. The song is as smooth as the first one and seems to be an up-tempo version of “Intro.” Female vocals can be detected in the background, making the song sound great. It has a recurring background vocal melody, and the beats and sounds maintain a common pace throughout the music. J. Cole seems to freestyle as he rhythms the verses because he does not match the beats’ timing. This alludes that he is trying to sing out his feelings as much as he can before the end of the beat (Definitive Lyrics, 2019).
“Wet Dreamz”
This is the third song on the album, and Cole talks about his first encounter with a girl in his schooling days. The track has descriptive lyrics that listeners can relate to and has hidden meaning, probably on how Cole rose to fame. The solo way keeps repeating key points, especially in the chorus. Cole portrays some emotional and also experiential genuineness about his experience. The beats in the track are smooth, and Cole is singing like he is storytelling to his audience. The drumbeats are the first thing one would notice about this song.
“Adolescence”
The song is about reminiscing about Cole’s past, and at some point, Cole sounds emotional at the hook because he wishes he could be a gangster like the kid on the block whom he admired. The first part of the song has some jingle sounds that give it some theatrical effects. At the song’s end, the beats sound like a cassette tape that stops with a click. These movie effects include Cole directing the vibes early and ending with a click giving him a chance to narrate his personal story.
“A Tale of 2 Citiez”
The track is about Cole’s dreams of getting rich and gives a scope of the life Cole grew up in the inner city, exposed to violence and drugs. Unlike the previous songs, which have soft beats, this track is trap inspired and has its beats hitting hard. Cole seems aggressive at the hook as he explains how he was selling bricks to get out of the city. The drumbeats can be heard, and Cole seems to rap his heart out.
“Fire Squad”
Cole starts the track by bragging about his bravery and that he is not afraid of anyone. He is rapping with confidence, and the verses seem short, like the track’s hook. The second verse of the track mention names of celebrities like Bruce Lee, Ice Cube, and Lil Wayne. In this verse, Cole sounds aggressive and rough as he expresses his bravery, and in the third verse, he is wrapping fiercely about how the whites are appropriating the hip-hop culture. The track’s beats are hard-hitting, with scratches in the background and heavy bass. Cole seems to be spitting bars and is sure of his lines, and it ends with poetic words (Hudson, 2018).
“St. Tropez”
The track uses St. Tropez metaphorically for fame, and this track drastically changes from the tone of the previous song. Cole sings softly about his rise to fame in Hollywood. He does not rap and instead sings throughout the song with the presence of female backup vocals. The beat is smooth, with soft drumbeats and loud trumpets. Cole seems humble as he appreciates his rise to fame and softly narrates it to the audience.
“G.O.M.D”
This is the eighth track in the album and talks about how Cole is making mainstream music in Hollywood. He seems arrogant when he starts the song, and in his second verse, he declares that he is focusing on true happiness and love as he becomes famous. The track has heavy bass, and Cole raps enthusiastically as he transitions through the verses. A female voice is heard in the background with sparse drum beats, and the performance seems energetic.
“No Role Modelz”
The song is straightforward on how Cole did not have role models as he was growing up. He appreciates those who shaped his path and seems emotional as he sings the track. The track is over a hard machine beat with sporadic trumpet sounds. Cole is not aggressive and seems like he wants to make a point of his achievement of making it in life despite not having role models.
“Hello”
The song is about the absence of love. He tries to call his ex-lover, but she has moved on. Cole seems to be singing more than rapping; the song is emotional. The pace of the beat is too fast, and Cole seems to be singing off-tune, probably because he is crushed by the thought of his ex-lover having moved on. The keyboard is played chiefly toward the end of the track, making it evident that it is a sad song.
“Apparently”
The track is about Cole’s reflections on the wrong things he has done and how he is working on correcting them because he has become a role model to many. Keyboard keys lead the track with smooth beats. In the first verse, he sings and raps aggressively in the second verse as he describes his eventful life.
“Love Yourz”
The track is about love and appreciation. The beats are smooth, and the rapping style is smooth. Cole performs with energy as he sings through the lines about love and how he appreciates it and God. The style used has a high ferocity and primarily uses piano beats.
“Note to Self”
This is the last track, about Cole’s outlook on life, which is loving each other. The way is thanking everyone, and piano beats with a mix of horns can be heard with female vocals in the background. Cole is singing more than rapping, with some lyrical attack enhanced by the background vocals. Cole is happy and performs with enthusiasm as he thanks everyone.
Conclusion
Overly, the 2014 Forest Hills Drive is a solo rap album in which Cole talks about his life from childhood to adulthood to how he became famous. He also talks about what he believes in and loves and ends the album by thanking everyone.
References
Hudson, Y. (2018). J. Cole, “Just Playin” & facing the firing squad without fear. DJBooth. Web.
Tidal. (2019). Tidal. Web.
Definitive Lyrics. (2019). Breakdown: J Cole – the 28th of January. Definitive Lyrics. Web.