2014 Forest Hills Drive Review

           It’s really hard for me to call this album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. If it were up to me I’d call it “Truly Yours 4.” Because this sounds more like a continuation of the Truly Yours mixtape series than an album. I was surprised when I first heard about Forest Hills Drive. It seemed almost impromptu because it came out of nowhere. When the album leaked, fans praised J. Cole and crowned 2014 Forest Hills Drive as the best rap album of the year. It was déjà vu; the same thing happened last year when Born Sinner came out. Before I heard this album I asked people if it was better than Born Sinner. The consensus- hell yes. My vote- Nah. 

Let me start by saying I enjoyed FHD. I think it’s good, but it isn’t great. The intro set the tone that the album was going to be on the soft side and I was okay with that. I don’t mind J. Cole singing. “January 28^th” kicked things off and I was riding with it. The instrumental was good and the significance of the song’s title and the Rakim reference were fresh. I wonder why it took so long for Cole to make a song like “Wet Dreamz.” I’m surprised he didn’t make a song like it already. It seemed like something that would come out pre-Sideline Story. According to Feefo from Dead End Hip Hop, “January 28^th,” “Wet Dreamz” and “’03 Adolescence” work as a coming of age story to introduce listeners to the artists they have before them. “’03 Adolescence” is deep but it’s nothing I wouldn’t expect from Cole. “A Tale of 2 Citiez” is easily my favorite track. Everything from the beat to the lyrics is flawless. “Fire Squad” had a bit of hype around it because of the third verse which I think is clever but the overall song doesn’t hit me like the track before it. After “Fire Squad” things start to ride on idle speed until “Note to Self” which was another favorite of mine.   

“4^th quarter, so much due, but f—k stressin’ I just step into the ring and do my muhf—n’ thing”

-J. Cole

“Winter Schemes”

That line foreshadows this album. In “Note to Self” J. Cole admits there was a deadline scare during production and throughout the whole album Cole is doing Cole. Nothing really stood out. Sideline Story was his debut and Born Sinner was his proving that he’s one of the best rappers out. Maybe the focus wasn’t on J. Cole asserting his dominance; maybe he just wanted to say what’s been on his mind. I didn’t expect to hear an avant-garde, experimental project. I’m just saying that the hype is a little unwarranted. This year has been a drought for Hip Hop and fans are finally seeing some rain and they’re breaking into hysterics.

I have nothing but respect for J. Cole. He’s one of the realest, most humble rappers out right now, him and Kendrick Lamar. He’s also widely underrated. His name isn’t mentioned enough in barbershop conversations. FHD sold 370k copies in it’s the first week without any guest features and no intended singles. That’s impressive, it also proves that Cole has a dedicated fan base. He probably has the best relationship with his fans out of every rapper ever. With an already expansive body of work it’s interesting that Cole still has something to say and he says it in a way that remains true to himself. He’s not switching flows or trend hopping.

          While I enjoy most of the songs on the album, the only songs that I see myself bumping to for years to come are “A Tale of 2 Citiez” and “Note to Self.” Listening to FHD is like watching Rondo get a triple double, it’s great but I expect that from him. I give this album 3 out of 5 stars. What I would really like to see is the album or EP with Kendrick Lamar actually happen. I’ve been waiting on it for three years.