J. Cole “The Off-Season” [Album Review]

Artist: J. Cole

Album: “The Off-Season”

Released: May 14, 2021

This album is a lyrical exercise. He lets his raps be the main instrument. He knows how to pace and deliver his vocals.

A 12 track album, clocking in at just under 40 minutes, “The Off-Season” is an impressive body of work for such a nonchalant, throwaway title.

applying.pressure–J. Cole comes to set the record straight. He goes on a tangent at the end about how he did it his way and in a way no one ever did before.

punchin’.the.clock–an example of how his rap vocals “punch” the track. The rap element of hip-hop is front in center on this track.

pride.is.the.devil–the first track with hook intro comes about half-way into the album. Definitely a noticeable switch from the pace of the album up to now. Not it seems to hit a laid back groove, as if Cole is taking a breather after the lyrical murder of those first few tracks of the album.

close.–I noticed references to the value of knowledge as wealth over material, earthly silver and gold. I noticed this as an underlying theme throughout the album

hunger.on.hillside–again on htis track we hear Cole using his vocals as an instruments. staccatto? punching, hitting the track. his vocals when singing are smooth and glide over the track like butter. He has a skill to effortlessly switch up his voal delivery. Throughout the album he lets this skill shine and be the lead instrument and /or sound over production (or specifically OVER production).

The album itself is so stripped to a bare essence that the vocals to shine over production. Not an glossy, radio hit-heavy, commercial-friendly tracks.

This is a solid J. Cole album to put his enemies & haters on notice that he is still very much here, relevent, doing things his way. The under 40 minute album is concise, concentrated and packed with lyrical electricity that Cole is known for.