J. Cole was just a rapper trying to find his spot in the game, a year in which a handful of breakout artists arrived on the scene, when The Sideline Story dropped. While under the watchful eye of Jay-Z at Roc Nation, one could assume the pressure was on the Fayetteville emcee.
Fast forward a little under two years and Cole is ready for his return, but this time he’s doing things a little different. Originally scheduled to be released on June 25th, Jermaine pushed the Born Sinner release date up to compete with none other than Kanye West’s album, Yeezus, on June 18th. A bold move from an artist with a fraction of a career his peer has had, but a respectable move at that. With “Power Trip” still tearing up the radio and Billboard charts, and “Crooked Smile” featuring the legendary TLC to soon be on the same path, Born Sinner provided just what the fans wanted.
A balance between radio hits, introspective records (“Runaway”, “Rich Niggaz”), and lyrical showcases (“Villuminati”, “Chaining Day”) is exactly what Born Sinner was anticipated to be. With discussions of who will sell more between himself and Kanye, J. Cole’s promotion for the album almost took care of itself outside of his most notable $1 shows as apart of his “Dollar & A Dream” Tour. Time will tell what Born Sinner ends up being but one thing is for certain. J. Cole is making it known why he is not one to be slept on. Now that the day has arrived, we want to know your favorite track is.
Check out our team’s picks after the jump.
Legend: “Trouble”
SH: “Born Sinner” (feat. James Fauntleroy)
MVP: “LAnd Of The Snakes”
Dell: “Forbidden Fruit” (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Walker: “Mo Money (Interlude)”
Pchopz: “Crooked Smile” (feat. TLC)
Cole: “Let Nas Down”