He has returned yet again, with another album that leaves us to reminisce about the shit that has occurred in our lives. The storyteller that has mastered the art of secrecy, but consistently gives us more than enough with those vivid lyrics that lets us read him in a way that he intends.
Cole World, it's about that time again.
I've been rocking with Cole since "Friday Night Lights" and it's been worth-while to see how he utilizes his platform to give us front row seats to his life. One can hear the story, relate to the real, and meditate on the advice. Last week, Cole announced a surprise concert in New York City and I dropped everything to attend the concert. The last time I saw Cole perform was during my junior year of high school during his Forest Hill Drive tour. I refused to miss the opportunity to see him live before his album release because it hurt me that I was never able to attend his Dollar and Dream tours.
"K.O.D" is different for Cole, but in a way that shows his explorations as an artist. The flow and the lyricism are still there, without a doubt. Different beats with a new vibe that serves a different purpose for his delivery. The new sound works, it's different but it's still Cole. It surprised me during my first listen to the album because I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm far from disappointed.
K.O.D is dark but it's simply allowing us to experience Cole in a different light.
The album in its entirety is a dope listen, that I definitely recommend. Cole's music always serves as motivation for me during several occasions. And, I've already added some tracks to some of my playlists. Check out some of my favorites from K.O.D.
1. "Photograph"
I'm sure this is what we've all experienced before. Digging the personality of someone that we've only seen in pictures on social media. There may be room for further intellectual conversations, but who knows if we're not even sure if they'll follow us back. Right when the beat dropped, there were instant head bops with grimmey facial expressions. The monotonic voice that Cole uses to sing the chorus adds that dark twist to the track, although he's just expressing his admiration for the women from social media. He's letting her know he's not like the others who have tried to attract her attention before.
2. "ATM"
Oh yeah, "ATM" is definitely that universal track that everyone will bump. Not because it sounds like something that will be played on the radio but because it's hard and catchy. "Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it." Money makes the world go round, and more times than none, it helps fix all of our problems.
3. "Kevin's Heart"
This has been my go-to track. I love everything about it. Cole's singing is something that fans will get used to but I'm here for it. The beat makes me hopeful and makes me want to just groove. I'm sure this is about Kevin Hart's infidelity, and Cole makes it known that sometimes "all a n***a know is how to fuck a good thing up".
4. "Once an Addict"
I love how much Cole lets us in with this track. He talks about his mother having an addiction to alcohol and how it affected his life. He goes on to stress how the hurt from witnessing his mother struggle only allowed him to use the Ville as his outlet for coping/survival.
5. "1985"
I don't even have to say much because Cole took the words right out of my mouth. Most may take this record as a diss to mumble rappers that have been flooding the Hip-Hop game right now, and it is but he's simply schooling these rappers. Cole is simply telling these rappers the truth and doing it in a way that shows that Cole is, in fact, a teacher, as are other artists in the game as well. It's all love with this track right here. Nothing less than that.
