One such example is Cole’s admission that his motivation for nearly everything he does, and one he suggests to listeners, is that it “won’t be long before disappears,” as he states on “Ville Mentality.” The motivation he derives from the knowledge of his certain death colors all the advice he gives the listener, whether that be on continuing to always evolve, as he dictates on “Change,” or finding a lasting love, on “She’s Mine Pt. While the album never fully returns to this initial depressing tone, it continues with Cole’s vision of a life well-lived while still paying attention to these existential thoughts.
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The first two songs start with a grim discussion about learning how to continue living even while knowing that death is the end. Cole also faced growing up.Īnother prevalent thematic undercurrent throughout the album is Cole’s struggle with the ideas of life and death. On this track, Cole dedicates the album to his fallen friend’s daughter, hoping the album serves as a guide for her in the absence of her father, a situation J. For example, on the title track and album closer, “4 Your Eyez Only,” Cole imagines McMillan speaking to his daughter: “My worst fear is one day that you come home from school / And see your father face while hearing ’bout tragedy on news / I got the strangest feeling your daddy gonna lose his life soon / And sadly if you’re listening now it must mean it’s true.” McMillan is a recurring character in the album, in which Cole often references his life and death.
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who died in a shooting related to gang violence. In “Change,” Cole tells listeners of his friend James McMillan, Jr. Cole decries discrimination in “Neighbors,” based on the real story of a SWAT team invading his home on suspicions of drug dealing based on a report from his neighbors. He uses this skill to engage the listener in a more political manner, tackling the issue of police brutality and gang violence. Whether it is the feeling of heartbreak from falling for someone in a relationship, as in “Deja Vu,” or even just folding clothes for a loved one, as in “Folding Clothes,” Cole’s storytelling ability remains one of his greatest strengths. In the time since Cole’s last album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” the rapper has gotten married and had a daughter, and the conclusion of Cole’s personal narrative is evident throughout “4 Your Eyez Only.” Cole repeatedly toys with the idea of retirement and muses finding fulfillment in a quiet and simple life, with relatable narratives to sell his point. Cole has been able to find through his establishment in stardom.
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The album sees Cole reevaluating his life after fame and finding fulfillment in activism through rap, providing straightforward, yet nuanced, social commentary that J. Cole, released his fourth studio album, “4 Your Eyez Only” on December 9 th. Two years after the double Platinum-certified album “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” Jermaine Cole, better known as J.