J. Cole's Music Style

Back in August, I attended a J. Cole concert at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the concert, he performed tracks from his latest album 2014 Forest Hills, as well as a few throwbacks. In addition, the guests artists, Big Sean, YG, and Jeremih, also performed a few of their songs. J. Cole’s musical style is Rap and R&B. Most of his songs lie underneath the Rap category, especially since he is known as a rapper. Songs, such as “Lights Please” from his mixtape The Warm Up (20 08) and “Lost Ones” from his album Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011) show his rapping abilities. However, his song that hit number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart “Crooked Smile,” which he performed at the concert, played on numerous R&B radio stations. On his new album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, all of his songs contained at least one sample. Instead of incorporation old-school samples, which artists are known to do, J. Cole uses samples from current songs. One example from his song “G.O.M.D.,” another song performed, included samples form Branford
Marsalis’ song “Berta Berta”(1992), “Drunk in Love” by Beyoncé feat Jay Z (2013), and “Get Low” by The East Side Boyz feat Ying Yang Twins (2002).
Because J.
Cole’s audience represents the hip-hop culture of today, his style of dress also represented the hip-hop culture. Dressed in a black t-shirt, black shorts, and red/black/white Nike’s on, he modeled the same urban style as majority of the audience did. I believe that artists should connect with their audience on a level beyond their lyrics. With J. Cole, he wanted to portray that the hip-hop culture is just as important to him as it is for us. In several of his songs, he mentions that flashy material objects do not faze him anymore. From his appearance at the concert, he practiced what he has been preaching through his music and interviews. In addition, his outfit did not take away from his performance, which can happen to an artist who tries to impress their audience. J. Cole knew that people came to see him perform because of his music, not because of the money he makes or how many chains he
owns. I enjoyed the performance for multiple reasons. J. Cole, as an artist, stands out because he addresses social issues in his songs. Messages pertaining to how society see black people, whether it is by the way they are dressed, how they speak, or where they come from. When glancing at him, it is difficult to imagine that he graduated magna cum laude from St. John’s University because of his untamed hair, urban style, and slang talk. He represents what it means to not mold one into what society wants you to be. During the performance, he relayed to the audience to be unique and love you, even if no one else does. Another reason I enjoyed the performance is because the relationship J. Cole has with his fans. During the whole performance, there was not a single person sitting down or remaining calm. The crowd was, for a lack of a better word, “hyped.” Since J. Cole is a native North Carolinian, it was an even better show because most of the people in the audience could relate to his references, including myself. He found a way to connect to a piece of everyone, either through his experiences or his love for music.