Opinion | Bona Fide | “KOD”
A review of J. Cole’s “KOD”
J. Cole dropped “KOD,” April 20.
WARNING: “KOD” contains heavy themes and strong language. It is in no way intended to glorify addiction.
J. Cole delivers his most thoughtful and insightful album to date: “KOD.” While he keeps up-to-date to the standards of modern hip-hop, April 20.
Being 33 years old, J. Cole has been in the rap game for awhile and still, his albums seem to only increase in quality with each release. The ever-praised “2014 Forest Hills Drive” (2014) was Cole at his best. I did not believe he could top his best-selling album.
“KOD” is Cole’s masterpiece.
Cole lays his entire life on the 42-minute LP and his ultimately profound take on addiction, growing into himself and the current world in which we reside.
The introduction “Intro” perfectly engulfs the atmosphere for “KOD:” a torment of addiction and self-preservation.
“Can someone please turn off my mind?/My thoughts are racing all the time/There is no reason or no rhyme/I’m trapped inside myself.”
“KOD,” the title track, brings the LP to scope and grabs the listener without letting go for the entirety of the the album.
Although Cole used drugs to “numb” his pain, “KOD” puts a focus on how drugs set him and those he loves on a downward spiral.
With “KOD,” Cole has mastered rap to its potential, resembling classic rap: honest, thought-provoking, soulful and most of all connects with its audience.
I’ve listened to the album 10-15 times since its release, and I can already guarantee it will be one of the best albums of the year.
“FRIENDS” which features Cole’s alter-ego (kiLL edward) takes on addiction and its effects. The writing is exceptional and illustrates addiction’s demon-like qualities.
The themes in “KOD” are the most relevant and important themes to come out of a rap album in years. Cole takes on addiction, the evolution of rap and how kids perceive their idols and their world around them.
“1985 (Intro to ‘The Fall Off’)” destroys every mumble rapper in the game, stating their flaws and impact on society and how their relevance will be short-lived with the simplistic themes of women, drugs and/or fortune portrayed in their songs.
Although rap has turned into something of a behemoth, with over half of the songs on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts being rap, Cole stays true to his point of view and how he perceives the world in front of him while regarding what has become of the genre.
But possibly the most impactful song (or interlude) of “KOD” takes on Cole’s conflict with his mother’s addiction growing up. The track draws no boundaries revealing the most personal of demons. “Once an Addict (Interlude)” is the most lyrically-sensitive track, as Cole’s struggle to rap his own lyrics is prominent in his voice.
“KOD” took me by surprise. I expected another J. Cole album: everyone would love it, I would like it and it would sell a trillion copies. But one of those assumptions has changed: I absolutely adored “KOD.”
Cole has grown and carefully shares his perspective through an album that WILL stand the test of time 30 years from now. Don’t take my work for it; listen to “KOD” for yourself. It is a holy grail in rap.
You can stream or purchase your copy of “KOD” here.
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Braden Rowl • May 14, 2018 at 2:59 PM
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