Dec 2, 2014

With his newest album around the corner, I figured I'd post my old SL review of Born Sinner to try and spark more discussion around Cole. Enjoy!

Review:

Born Sinner is the first time we as listeners really get to hear Cole as he wants to be heard. You can tell that this is very much the album he wanted to make, as opposed to the rushed and desperate-for-a-hit product that Sideline Story was. Born Sinner opens with a pull-no-punches song called Villuminati that is hooks you instantly. He really sounds hungry on this song, and it's one of my favorite intro tracks of this year so far. This sets bar that, although many of the songs can't reach, propels Cole into a different tier of artist. I really didn't think he was capable of this until now. Following this is Land Of Snakes, a track that has been quoted in too many friends' status updates to count. This is one of the songs that I didn't care for until recently. It becomes more and more intriguing to me upon each listen. It's also placed perfectly on the tracklist. It follows up the viciousness of Villuminati with a more slow-paced and thought provoking sound. People often tell me J Cole is the most relatable artist out right now, and this song helps back that point. This song successfully continues the strong opening.


Next up is Power Trip, and all I can say is "Wow". This song, helped by a masterful music video, has become the largest hip hop song this year aside from the anthem that is Started From The Bottom. Tragedy oozes from ever bar, and manages to nail the love-struck mindset perfectly. Addiction, obsession, dedication and sexual desire are the themes here, along with showing how love can compromise your very character to the core. Cole has managed to put a complex spin on a topic that appears on basically every hiphop album. I can say nothing but bravo. This is what a 10/10 love song sounds like.


Sadly, this is where the album takes a weak turn. I remember liking the interlude at first, but now it seems really pointless. Not just that, but the three songs following it are VERY weak. Trouble and Runaway are totally lost on me. I don't think I've heard either one in their entirety. They just bore me. I can't remember any lyric from either song. It makes the middle of this album a failure tbh. And to top it off, She Knows just reminds me how much I miss Power Trip. A weak beat and hook plague this song from the start, and has me questioning it's very inclusion. It goes for 5 full minutes, and is truly incapable of keeping me interested. Cole is better than this.


But when it seems like Cole has fallen back into his generic ways, he does a total 180. I won't waste much time on Rich Niggaz and Forbidden Fruit because it's already clear that they stand as strong songs, and although Forbidden Fruit suspiciously lacks a Kendrick verse, J Cole manages to entertain the whole way through. The next 2 songs, Chaining Day and Crooked Smile are guilty pleasures for me. These are more examples of songs that I hated at first, but grew on me. Chaining Day is a slow burner, but keeps me intrigued. I find it funny how I prefer this song to EVERY song on Game's Jesus Piece album. I like how Cole breaks down his obsession to jewelry, and the outro is so d--- perfect I can't turn it off. On a side note, I love hearing this song next to Kanye's Diamonds remix. With Crooked Smile, people tend to write it off as just a pop single, but I appreciate the honesty of it. I feel the honesty helps overcome the corniness of it all. I can't think of one single where the artist spends time criticizing his own personal appearance, let alone making it the core of the whole song. It's pretty inspiring tbh, and I can picture it being a big hit with the target audience, young women. I just like it.


Let Nas Down and Born Sinner finish off the album perfectly. The remix version has replaced the original on my iPhone, and it gives me goosebumps every time. Hearing J Cole talk about how he let his idol down is pretty hard-hitting. You really start to feel bad for Cole, and all the other artists that are stuck between their integrity and their bosses (Saigon immediately comes to mind). Then hearing Nas come through on the remix is just perfect. It's another 10/10 without a doubt. The jazzy beat also helps it stand out from the rest of the album. Finally, the closing track is another great accomplishment. After running through the album top to bottom, you really get the idea of the struggles Cole has faced. Maybe that sounds weird talking about someone with such a large fanbase and tons of money, but after hearing the consistent bragging on both Magna Carta and Yeezus, it's got me to appreciate the other side of rap music. The side about upbringing and troubles with girls, money, and life in general.


Final thoughts:

I'd rank this album as an 8/10. I'm very curious to know where J Cole goes from here. And I'm more excited than ever to hear this upcoming Kendrick/ Cole collab. I can only hear Temptations so many times with getting angry that I haven't heard the full song yet. Anyways, this impressed me, and I encourage anyone who is a Cole skeptic to give this another shot. It's definitely an album worth taking in.


Songs I kept:

Villuminati
Land Of Snakes
Power Trip
Rich Niggaz
Forbidden Fruit
Chaining Day
Crooked Smile
Let Nas Down
Born Sinner

 

Dec 2, 2014

Surprised no mention of She Knows which is one the best songs on the album. Overall the album is okay a bit boring though. Apart from Lost One's J Cole has lacked any real great songs on his first 2 albums.

 

Dec 2, 2014

Enjoyable review. I'd give the album a 6 tbh.

 

Dec 2, 2014

Original crooked smile is far superior than that radio s--- he put out. Album is solid but lacks replay value its a 7.5 on its best day id give it a 6.5

 

Dec 2, 2014

@Hasman get j cole to post here...i will give him 2 likes

 

Dec 2, 2014

4

 

Dec 3, 2014

History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes / Same way that these rappers always bite each other’s flows / Same thing that my ni**a Elvis did with rock ‘n’ roll / Justin Timberlake, Eminem, and then Macklemore,” raps Cole, who appeared on the remix to Timberlake’s “TKO

 

Dec 3, 2014

Loved born sinner when it first come out but got bored of it quick only kept a handful of the songs but his new album sounds promising so gonna check it out soon

 

Dec 3, 2014

Same. Very underwhelming. Especially when it had so much potential to be a classic.

 

Dec 29, 2014

Villuminati 9/10
Sermon/Land of the Snakes 7.5/10
Power Trip 9.5/10
Mo Money 9/10
Trouble 8/10
Runaway 8.5/10
She Knows 6.5/10
Rich Niggaz 9/10
Where's Jermaine/Forbidden Fruit 7/10
Chaining Day 7/10
Ain't That Some s--- 6.5/10
Crooked Smile 8/10
Let Nas Down 9.5/10
Born Sinner 9/10

Some of y'all trippin
8/10 overall

(FHD 8.75/10)