J. Cole - 4 Your Eyez Only
Scene
J Cole already exists in a realm alongside Kendrick Lamar as the best rappers in the game, which also means that they are the most important and influential artists. After going platinum without any features on his 2014 Forrest Hills Drive album, Cole is set to do that again with '4 Your Eyez Only' as he serves up another tightly packed album that has a clear narrative.
A concise story isn't all that common amongst hip hop albums these days - apart from the upper echelon - as many struggle with the concept of telling a story first and foremost. Cole does that while also expanding on his musical production, showing signs of growth as an artist, not just a rapper. This blends a funky collection of music together with an intriguing story, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you nod ya head back and forth.
Songs
- For Whom the Bell Tolls - A muddled mind, Cole's variety in delivery. Intro to immense musical awesomeness.
- Immortal - The street niche of that muddled mind, lovley flute there.
- Deja Vu - Small town lovin', the first lovey-dovey jam.
- Ville Mentality - Gotta get away, Blues vibes.
- She's Mine, Pt.1 - Love poetry.
- Change - 'The only real change come from inside', a realisation.
- Neighbors - That song about Cole's hideaway, but it comes after a song preaching change.
- Foldin Clothes - Setting the scene for a happy marriage, Cole on the guitar.
- She's Mine, Pt. 2 - The same, featuring a baby and comfort with stature.
- 4 Your Eyez Only - The whole point.
Vibe
Every time I've listened to '4 Your Eyez Only' I have found a different little pocket, a line or a perspective that Cole adopts and that's the joy of albums like this. I've only had my mits on this album for a few days, so I feel a bit dumb really coming to any major conclusions without letting it simmer away in my brain. While Cole largely takes on the perspective of a friend who is juggling all sorts of pressures and expectations, there's also a vibe of Cole coming to grips with his standing in pop culture and what he's here to do.
That this comes in the form of Cole weaving in the narrative of his friend and Cole clearly offering a view from his own perspective is a mark of the craft in this album. Regardless, either perspective touches on many of the problems not only with the United States of America, but also our world in general and this isn't done in the standard social commentary sort of way either. It's done via story-telling and while Cole flexes on the two videos he dropped prior to the release of this album, there's a severe lack of the quintessential rapper-flexing as there's only room for bars and songs that assist the story.
With that, I've settled on 'pure album' vibe. There's so much to un-package in terms of what Cole means with a verse, song or the album as a whole and that's for y'all to figure out from your perspective. '4 Your Eyez Only' reminds me of what an album should be in terms of a story with a clear starting and finishing point, the sort of album you get when you subtract singles designed for radio or songs that are selected for an album because they sound great, yet don't fit the narrative.
Music
Much of that vibe comes via the music behind Cole, as the wide range of instrumentation takes you on the ups and downs of the story. Each song is connected by a lack of typical drum patterns or sounds that we are now familiar with and what sounds like organic instrumentation.
From the horns on the opening track 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', to the flute that pierces on 'Immortal', to the keys on 'Ville Mentality', to the bass guitar on 'Foldin Clothes' to the lazy trumpet on the closing track '4 Your Eyez Only', the instrumentation offers a common theme in the music while serving up enough twists and turns to match the drama.
There are 11 producers credited; Cole, Elijah Scarlett, BLVK, Ron Gilmore, Cardiak, Deputy, Elite, Vinylz, Chargaux, Boi-1da, Velous, Frank Dukes.
There are 17 musicians credited; Cole, Nate Fox, Peter Cottontale, Nico Segal, Matt McNeal, Chargaux, Anthony Ware, Theo Croker, Nuno Malo, Ron Gilmore, Steven Lacy, Deputy, Kyla Moscovich, David Linaburg, Nate Jones, Carlin White, Masayuki Hirano.
No features, as per much of Cole's work. I like that.
Finale
What I imagined when I had my headphones in, zoning away, was a cloudy ol' theatre. Ya know, those old-school blues gig where the crowd is seated and an artist is crooning away behind a piano with his band playing beside him.
'4 Your Eyez Only' is a dreary album that offers layer after layer (just in Cole's words, let alone the music behind him). Layer after layer of the straight up truth, contradictions that plague American society and a bit of love thrown in there. It's the sort of album that you need to go out of your way to listen to and by that I mean that you need to put aside 40 minutes to listen to it, allowing you to be taken on an audio journey that keeps your mind ticking.
Some people don't like to listen to albums like that, I do. And this is an album that reflects why Cole (and Kendrick Lamar) are considered the best in the business as there's a purpose, writing/delivery skill, funky music, social commentary and immense replay factor.