[REVIEW] 2014 Forest Hill Drive - J. Cole
This much is clear about J. Cole and his third studio album 2014 Forest Hill Drive: he wanted to tell a story, but had no story to tell.
J. Cole’s treated 2014 FHD like his personal sandbox. There is no blatant attempt to pump out a club classic the way his last album Born Sinner did with made-for-the-radio tracks like “She Knows”. J. Cole comes across as being genuine, ecstatic to have a stage to himself to host his performance. He made the album for himself and his music, so much so that there’s even a 14-minute outro in which he shouts out everyone involved in making the album.
There’s no unifying theme to 2014 FHD. Across 13 tracks, J. Cole spouts off on a seemingly random collection of his personal thoughts. 2014 FHD opens with a self-anointing track about his place in the rap zeitgeist, before veering into a song about teenage sex fantasies. J. Cole even goes as far as to change his delivery in a few tracks to imitate the styles of his contemporaries. “St. Tropez”, for example, is obviously a nod to fellow New York City native Mos Def.
By jumping from topic to topic (at times within a single song) J. Cole comes across as having nothing meaningful to say. He touches on so many issues -- from racism, to the rap industry, to inner-city violence -- but fails to tie them together in a collective theme. 2014 FHD feels less like an album, more like a collection of songs from a lengthy discography loosely cobbled together under the faint premise of J. Cole telling his life story. It mirrors Jay Z’s Black Album, only without the classics.
Even without a coherent message, however, 2014 FHD is salvaged by J. Cole’s delivery. He’s better known for singing catchy hooks, but J. Cole can spit as well as anyone when he puts his mind to it. His phrasing ebbs and flows along with the dulcet tones of the backing tracks, which serves as a testament to his abilities as a producer. Due diligence is paid to every track making for a pleasant listening experience, even if not much is being said.
