‘The Fall-Off’ is not yet

Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST

By Izayah Morgan Editorial Staff J. Cole officially released his seventh studio album titled “The Fall-Off” this February. Ten years in the making, it was originally intended to be Cole’s last album and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 280,000 equivalent units earned in the United States, according to Luminate. My history with Cole spans over a decade, with my mind distinctly remembering songs like “Work Out,” and “Wet Dreamz” - not really for my demographic, but it didn't stop my father from playing them on the way to school. These certified radio hits broke Cole into the industry, but to me, they didn’t come close to what I admired the most about him. Introspectitive lyrics that age with you have been my favorite moments from Cole’s discography. My favorite album being “4 Your Eyez Only” an album which takes place from another man's perspective, highlighting a life of love, poverty, crime, and introspection into the meaning of life. It felt totally different to listen to as a teen compared to now as a young adult. This type of album is what drew me to Cole as a child. His lyrics age like fine wine, and they helped me gain maturity and knowledge. I’m pleased to say that “The Fall-Off” gave me the same vibes. “The Fall-Off” is an album I've listened to multiple times now, and it only gets better with every listen. The album is split into two discs, 29 and 39, which divide the album into two perspectives - one during the “2014 forest hill drives” album era, and 39, his more mindful and mature age. The introduction track, titled “29 intro,” is poetic and soft-natured until gunshots appear, signaling a return to the Ville, his nickname for his hometown. The track "Safety" is arguably the most controversial, but to me, it's Cole at his most vulnerable. At the height of his career, when Cole returns home, he sees a lot around him has changed and those he once knew have died. One of them more specifically died due to his and others’ homophobia. Cole has to wrestle with the fact that his and others’ bigoted ways caused one of his friends to leave home and live in Atlanta which eventually led to them contracting a deadly illness. A deep quietness and realness sits with the listener, and reality hits when you come to realize that your decisions when you were younger have an impact on others. Which, sadly, sometimes you only realize when you gain age and perspective. The song titled “Poor Thang” was arguably one of my favorite tracks on the album. Cole is introspective of pride, insecurity, and the environment that can lead toward the destruction of oneself and their community. The track flips to Cole uncharacteristically calling out someone with whom he had an altercation years ago, criticizing their fake performance of toughness and gangster persona. Overall, Disc 29 gave me a more old-school feeling about Cole and a return to his old mixtape era. Entering Disc 39, we again see a more refined version of Cole. The pre-released single, “The Fall-Off is Inevitable,” was another track I enjoyed. Cole narrates his life in reverse - fame, love, fatherhood, and eventually all the way back to his birth. It's thought of, at least in online circles, to be a tribute to the New York artist Nas, who is known as Cole's favorite and biggest inspiration. My favorite track from the album, “Life Sentence,” sees Cole wrestle with fame, fortune, and the inevitable question: What do I want from my partner? Eventually, he chose to marry his now wife and live with her. The ending track, “Ocean Way (Bonus)” is a short one. Cole has a powerful line, which I think is relevant to how we experience life. “It’s a losing game, but the more we lose, the more we gain” - is a poetic tribute to the career of J. Cole as a rapper, but also sums up the process of life. A question circulating online is: Will he return to music? The answer, to be honest, is up in the air, but “The Fall-Off” is inevitable, so let's just enjoy the time we have left with him. Rating: A+ Did you think I would give it anything less?