J. Cole's new album, 4 Your Eyez Only, was finally released just a few weeks ago and has already received a ton of praise. Cole bases the album through the eyes of his late friend, telling the story of his life for his daughter, Nina to keep forever. I have always admired J. Cole's music because of its authenticity and its unique sound. However, the first time I listened to his latest album, I could not help but relate to it.
"She's Mine Pt. 1"
In this song, Cole raps about the feelings and thoughts that run through a man's mind when they first begin to fall in love with a woman. Anyone who has ever been in love can relate with this song. The feeling of realizing how much you connect with another person can be a very emotional moment. It can be a very powerful thing to finally have someone else by your side that knows you inside and out, while still accepting the things you don't like about yourself.
"Neighbors"
This song is about how Cole rented a house in a predominately white suburban neighborhood to get away from everything and record his music. In the chorus, it says, "I guess the neighbors think I'm selling dope" (Cole). The neighbors became suspicious of a group of African American men walking in and out of the house all of the time, assuming that they were selling drugs. They even went as far as to call the police to raid the house, when the whole time they were just recording music in the studio. The song focuses on the racial stereotyping that we continue to see in society. It's disappointing that people continue to assume the worst about minorities. As a Latina, I have personally experienced this and witnessed it first hand with my friends and family. J. Cole is an example of someone who contributes good to the community and breaks stereotypes.
"She's Mine Pt. 2"
This is personally my favorite song on the album. Branching off from "She's Mine Pt. 1" with talking about falling in love with a woman, Cole talks about the moment a father meets his daughter and falls in love again. This song really hits home because it makes me think of the relationship I have with my own father. Like Cole talks about, I was my parents first child that they had at a very young age. In the song he says, "For you I dropped the tough guy sh**, on this bus I sit, thinkin' bout ya," (Cole). I can relate to this story of how a young man caught up in a bad lifestyle, began to change once he had his daughter.
"4 Your Eyez Only"
This is the last song on the album and the dedication of the story of the album to Cole's late friend's daughter, Nina. It's about how a man tried to change his lifestyle, but unfortunately still lost his life because of it. He tells his story to pass on to his daughter for her to keep his memory. It's an emotional song because I've seen people close to me lose their fathers, but it's a beautiful thing to see them keep their memories alive. The last line in the song is the most powerful, talking about how a man is real man, not because of all of the ways he proves his masculinity, but because of the way he loves his daughter.
This album can relate to many people in different ways, whether it be based on love, family, or society. J. Cole's ability to go against the mainstream style of rap and talk about real issues is admirable.
