Born Sinner : J Cole Album Review

Born sinner/ the opposite of a winner – Notorious B.I.G

This album has been anticipated by many rap music lovers all over the globe. Last night it leaked. This morning my TL on the twitter was filled by J Cole tweets. Even basic bitches who had never listened to more than one Cole World record (sema Work Out?) their entire lives were weighing in their expectations. It’s no surprise he was trending. His debut after dropping hot mixtape after hot mixtape after hot mixtape, The Sideline Story, was a shitty album full of whining & crying courtesy of Jermaine. Can he redeem himself with Born Sinner? Let’s go in.

VILLUMINATI

I instantly know I’m gonna like this just coz of the title. I fucks with any illuminati reference & Cole has my attention. Damn it. Kendrick influenced him with that church shit. This beat sounds like Timberland. Okay. Cole dick rides Hov but then goes in mean! Daaaaaayum! This record is tough! So many quotables, will he have any jewels left for the rest of this shit? He really dick rides his boss Hov though. Plus he name dropping maad! Cole is the new Game!  Dude sings sounding like the poor man’s Drake! He took an L at the end coz his insecurity starts showing. Quotable: If the hoes like it, then I love it!

KERNEY SERMON (SKIT)

Another K. Dot touch. A skit. The music in the background is OutKast’s  Da Art Of Storytellin Part 1! That’s my favorite OutKast joint of all time! I don’t even pay attention to the pastor shouting on this skit!

LAND OF SNAKES

Yaaaaaaaaayz! \o/ Cole is gonna rap on the beat! I’m fucking with this! Cole added his hard drum kicks to this but kept the beat pretty much the same. This is like a come up record. Cole has made it & reminisces on when he had no crib, hoes and shit. But then he keeps flipping & says watch out for snakes. He loses me.  Dude actually acknowledges that his kicks are hard! Quotable: My kicks hard/ my whip hard/ I came out the womb with my dick hard! I LOVE THIS ONE. The drums switch at the end sounding all African. Dooooope!

POWER TRIP FT MIGUEL

The obligatory song for the bitches. I didn’t like this song till last week. It made the girl next to me at the bar holla, dance & kiss me. I can’t be mad at that. It’s a pussy record designed just for that I guess. The sample is nice though & the production is meh but that’s where it stops. But like Cole world says,  the hoes like it so I love it. Ha!

MO MONEY (INTERLUDE)

Damn. There goes those hard kicks again. I’ll get a headache. This is kinda nice. He’s rapping about all types of money. Quotable: Blacks always broke coz we don’t know. Short & sweet. I actually wish he would have rapped just a little longer on this.

TROUBLE

Drake’s influence is all over this. Woi! Then there’s a choir. Okay. Where is this going? He started with “Real niggaz tryina fuck/ fuck niggaz wanna fight” but now it’s like he’s at Sunday service. Hahahaaa! He starts rapping about how he can’t stand these bitches & hoes. “Cole on twitter/ Bitch can’t get a follow”! The beat is a yawnfest but the rhymes are interesting like when he’s talmbout going to school. Quotable: I’m dumb as shit/ hangin round these rappers coz they dumb as shit!    

RUNAWAY

Isn’t that Mike Epps in the intro? Hmmm…Kendrick’s touch? Another song about girls? He even says how the fuck did his life become a fucking love song? This is a song for bitches that want to escape their shitty lives.  Pause. This album feels like Game’s Jesus Piece, Kendrick’s GKMC & Drake’s Take Care had unprotected sex & Born Sinner is the illegitimate child. Mad similarities. Back to this jam. Girls & activist ass, Talib Kweli listening, sad niggaz will like this. I barely care for it, it’s no “Keep Your Head Up” & Cole is trying too hard to be 2Pac…

SHE KNOWS FT AMBER COFFMAN

He jumps off singing. The girl is amazing. Can’t make out what she’s saying though. Typical Cole production. Another jam about these chicks? Dude! I finally get that line on Villuminati about changing his target audience. Cole is rapping for the bitches. He finally realized his a hunky piece of man meat! Quotable: What she want from a nigga/ to put a ring on it/ got a bitch on my dick right now & she just wanna sing on it! I kinda fucks with this!

RICH NIGGAZ

I don’t like the title. I dislike rich niggaz. I am not rich. Is that a harp? Dang! Hahhahahaaaaa! He surprised me, he says he hates rich niggaz! I thought he’d be bragging about his cash. He’s rapping about being broke & frustrated. I like it. Real people music. He considers selling his soul. I know it homey. I think that’s why he’s rapping for bitches, he sold his soul. His insecurity shows again as he wants to be great but is afraid of failing. Falling is worse from a higher height they say.

WHERE’S JERMAINE (SKIT)

A church choir singing to God. The A Tribe Called Quest “Electric Relaxation” strings come on. Please tell me he’s gonna rap on this as well!

FORBIDDEN FRUIT FT KENDRICK LAMAR

I think I just jizzed my pants! Not only did he sample my favorite ATCQ record but he brought Kendrick along. I thought he said the album had no rapper features? Maybe he meant verses? Is he gonna use K-Dot just for a muthafuckin hook? Another song about these bitches. This nigga needs to stop singing. Sounding now like the poor man’s Drake on lean. Yep Kendrick just singing on the hook & saying bitches coz no one says it quite like him huh. All of a sudden he goes on a rant against rap magazines & those who think he won’t beat Kanye. Quotable: She raise that nigga kids but she swallow mine.

CHAINING DAY

FORBIDDEN FRUIT ended with Cole’s getting a Jesus Piece. I remember the most amazing Chaining Day was when Kanye got his Roc Chain. Again he’s rapping from the perspective of a nigga who wants that shit! He paints the picture that the game is a façade. Most rappers be shining just for show but he does it as well. The chains are like weaves. It’s a lie. Cole is smarter than most rappers but must stoop to their level of ignorance just to be loved & respected in the game. This nigga crying again & singing! Woi! This joint isn’t bad though. Quotable: Iced put crazy I wanna shine like baby/ compared to that nigga I ain’t  even got a bib yet/ truth be told I haven’t even bought a crib yet!

AIN’T THAT SOME SHIT FT A$AP ROCKY, KING CHIP

Oh snap he goes in! I’ve noticed that Cole sounds the best when he’s just rapping punchlines like he’s in attack mode during a battle. If only he displayed this confidence in all his raps he’d be great! Shout to A$AP & Chip for their one liners on the hook.

CROOKED SMILE FT TLC

Ha! I’m not trying to check for TLC. This jam sounds to me like he was getting his Kanye West on like when Ye did “All Falls Down”. Only Cole is directly talking to these chicks to be confident & not insecure coz of their looks. Look at who’s talking? The most insecure rapper in the game! Trying to be Pac again. I think Pac was the first rapper to talk about girls with a crooked smile. Quotable: Never let them see you frown!  

LET NAS DOWN

What the fuck is this shit? Ye’s “Big Brother” was one thing but this is straight sucking Nasir’s cock son! This is beyond dick riding! Even Game’s love letter to Dre “Doctor’s Advocate” has nothing on this jam. Okay maybe Game’s was on the psycho end. No I.D. killed it in production. Basically Cole is sad that Nas said hated his biggest single Work Out. Gaaad! That joint was annoying! LOL! I love how he says Nas made “You owe me” so he should relate. You owe me was worse. Dick sucking & whining aside, this jam is kinda nice. Cole does do this rap shit from the heart.

BORN SINNER FT FAUNTLEROY

This sounds boring from jump! Cole is talking to God thanking him for everything He let Cole see & achieve. My girl said it sounds like praise & worship. I must agree. Saved the worst for lost. I think this record is really personal to Cole & I respect that. It’s just a yawnfest. It kinda makes me feel as if I’m listening to Pac with a better flow. Pac had tons of these sad as shit records on all his albums!  OMG! There’s even a fucking choir at the end. Bye!

This is where the official album ends. The remaining 5 jams are from Truly Yours 3.

I think Cole has redeemed himself. This is waaaaaay better than Sideline Story. It’s not a classic. It’s good. He still whines & cries a lot & needs to cut the singing but even production wise the kid has really found himself. I like that he’s now rapping for the bitches. He’s better looking than Drake. Shit. This light skin nigga better looking than me. This is J Cole’s first album in my books. Sideline story never happened. Well done Cole. Thanks for not disappointing the first nigga that ever played your shit on Kenyan radio. And bringing back the memories of Biggie, OutKast & ATCQ, priceless.

But the lack of confidence & your insecurity Cole World is the reason you will never be great. Stay tepid my nigga.

Favorite Jams: Villuminati, Land Of Snakes, Forbidden Fruit, Chaining Day, Rich Niggaz, She Knows, Rich Niggaz, Mo Money, Ain’t that some shit.

Peace, Love & Pussy! Pamoja!!!