KOD

In todays album review we will be taking a look at an album that no one was expecting to drop this year. The last time we heard a full length project from this artist was back in 2016 with "4 Your Eyez Only". We are indeed talking about rapper Jermaine Lamarr Cole, better known as J. Cole. With his unexpected 5th studio album "KOD" which dropped on April 20, of this year. I say this album was so unexpected as Cole didn't release any singles to hype up the album or announce it before hand. He announced the release date of the album 4 days before it dropped. "KOD" a 12 track project with a run time of 42 minutes. Which in my opinion is a perfect length of work especially in this day and age where hip hop music is either too short or albums are too long and filled with filler songs. Looking through the track list I was surprised there was really no features except for 2 by a same mysterious artist, who goes by kiLL edward. I say mysterious because I never heard of the guy before and nor has the rest of the internet as their searches to find who is this other artist some even say its Coles alter ego, but who knows. Before getting to the album itself, Id got to admit, that I am not a J Cole fan as I don't listen to him as often or at all to that matter. But I do indeed understand what he brings to the table with his type of music. As nowadays we hear a lot of artists talking about the same exact things just with different hooks, beats, and flows. Which is something that Cole addresses on KOD. On tracks like "KOD"and "1985 (Intro to "The Fall Off"), where he is talking about artists of today. Especially on 1985 which many of whom think Cole is addressing directly at Lil Pump and Smokepurpp. When listening to the song I understand why people would say as Pump has history of dissing Cole before. Overall I thought this album was good seen as though Im not a fan of his so I wouldn't know where this album stands in his discography. But I did enjoy a couple songs as the ones I already mentioned plus "ATM", "Motiv8", and "Photograph". "Photograph' which some might say Cole is clearly ripping of the flow of another artist that goes by the name Ski Mask the Slump God. Lastly within  a couple days I cannot decypher the album for its meaning but Cole said KOD has 3 meanings in his mind which are:"Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed" and "Kill Our Demons". As you can see by looking at the album cover is clearly representing some time of message with those meanings.

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