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Rarely do rappers see the kind of longevity that has been afforded to an artist like J. Cole. His career trajectory is an interesting case study when you actually observe his overall output. Landing on the underground scene back in 2011 with a promising mixtape, Cole showed hunger, and an inclination towards hopeful, arena-sized hip hop. A far cry from the consciousness he would delve into on his subsequent releases, the two fan-favourites ‘Born Sinner’ and ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive’ marked maturity for Jermaine’s pen game. He started tackling bigger ideas further on this trajectory, as ‘4 Ur Eyez Only’ was littered with jazz-rap ruminations on family, trauma and upbringing. At this point in his career, at least from my memory, Cole was the subject of pretty relentless ridicule from the wider hip hop community. A combination of his hero tendencies and writing that could feel like a lecture more than him spitting actual game, was not conducive to friendly reception. I include myself in all of this, as I have never been a gigantic J. Cole guy (I’ll take Kendrick in most cases if we’re choosing). This is why the latter half of his time as an artist has been so fascinating.
Because J. Cole, for all intents and purposes, has never shied away from indulgence. Yet, what has always held him back for me (and I’m sure many others), is his seeming inability to apply his thoughts with any real tact. It’s the kind of problem I had with guys like Hopsin. For all of their moral confidence, they really didn’t have the strongest lyrical capabilities to back themselves up. Cole has completely turned on a dime in the last several years, starting I think with his surprise ‘The Off-Season’ drop back in 2021. He sounded absolutely invigorated on this record, and seemed mostly free of the pretense that plagued his previous stuff. Even his feature work was thrilling. He could make a track completely just with his presence for a 16 bar verse. Now, 5 years after that tape, he’s dropping what is perhaps his best album yet.
A double album, nonetheless. 22 official tracks with a bonus cut on each disc, and I have to express immediately just how satisfying it is to see Cole stick a tough landing. The production here is consistently sweet, soulful, bouncy and full-bodied. His rapping is the most intricate it’s ever been too. He makes great use of something that he’s always avoided too, much to audience’s dismay, and that is *features*. Though sparing, when they do pop up, they either offer solid vocal diversity, or a verse that compliments Jermaine’s own writing. Future’s voice over an Alchemist beat is not something that was on my bingo card in 2026. Sidebar: I also didn’t think Cole had a rager like “WHO TF IZ U” in him at this late stage, but not only does he have it, he ends up crafting some of his best work and consolidating it into 4 and a half minutes of pure rap heaven. Even the more low-key moments like “Legacy” and “Drum n Bass’ see Cole allowing his thoughts to breathe a bit. He doesn’t try to solve all of his problems right then and there. He’s meditating on stuff. I am a little stunned to be honest.
I can’t touch on every moment in this tracklist, but I can say at this point in time, that J. Cole has effectively proven his worth as an emcee on ‘The Fall-Off’. This is evidence enough that he can string it together, and he can make an album function as something more than just the sum of its parts. The mostly complimentary flow of this project is maybe the biggest tick in its favour. One moment to the next, different vibes and ideas serve to support those that follow and those that precede. Overall though, this thing just sounds super solid. I am rarely bored or unimpressed, and when I am slightly let down, I’m given something to look forward to come the next cut. Double albums are difficult to get perfect, and I think often succeed due to a power greater than the artist. Cole pulls through with something actually really pure to him, and it makes for a great send-off to his time as a rapper if this is to be the case.
Dan Will Review 