Rap/Hip-Hop |
On The Record
February 15, 2012
It's clear what Jay-Z heard in J Cole's mixtapes: The North Carolina rapper has a magnetic voice that draws you to his stories. The difference is that J Cole isn't a hitmaker, at least not yet. He produces most of the music on Cole World: The Sideline Story, preferring nondescript beats that focus attention on his lyrics. It makes for an album that's more than the sum of its parts, with few standouts but plenty of solid tracks about abortion ("Lost Ones"), negligent fathers (the No I.D.-produced "Never Told") and trading freaky tales with Drake ("In the Morning").
2Pac recorded The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory in several days during the fall of 1996, shortly before he was gunned down in Las Vegas. It has since acquired a controversial reputation, and is neither the masterpiece its supporters claim nor the violent orgy its detractors allege. "Hail Mary" is rightly acclaimed as a seminal anthem; also remarkable are battle raps like "Against All Odds" and "Bomb First." Other songs, such as "Just Like Daddy," sound rushed and uninspired. While erratic, Don Killuminati was an emphatic final statement from one of the genre's greatest antiheroes.
From The Vault: On The Record with J. Cole
Welcome to From the Rhapsody Vault, a look back at splendid Rhapsody TV videos of yore. Today we've got then-up-and-coming rapper J. Cole, going On the Record, telling us about his favorite album (congrats, 2pac!) in exactly 45 seconds. Of course, this year Cole went on to have a no. 1 Billboard album of his own, so congrats to him, too. Enjoy.