Album Review: The Off-Season (May 14, 2021)

The Context – Casual hip-hop fans and rap-head enthusiasts alike adore holding divisive stances on Jermaine Lamarr Cole—better known professionally as J. Cole. Critics lambaste Cole on social media for lacking the lyrical depth, flow, and the elusive “it” factor saved for his contemporary star Kendrick Lamar. Despite the hate from contrarians, J. Cole remains an indispensable force in the rap game whose influence and cultural impact certainly places him amongst the likes of Lamar and Kanye West in the Mount Rushmore of 2010s rap music.

The Fayetteville, North Carolina native released three mixtapes of note in The Come Up (2007), The Warm Up (2009), and Friday Night Lights (2010) under the self-produced Dreamville Records before signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. Cole’s ensuing full-length releases continued the critical acclaim as he reached an astonishing six consecutive number-one records on the Billboard 200 (Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011), Born Sinner (2013), 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014), 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), KOD (2018), and 2019’s compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III with the Dreamville crew). Regardless of the platinum accolades and GRAMMY noms (Best Rap Album in 2014 and 2020), J. Cole’s latest LP The Off-Season serves as a twelve-year bookend to The Warm Up mixtape in which the marquee artist, producer, and now basketball player in the NBA Africa league yearns to shake-off complacency and reach creative heights.

The Content – Cole starts his self-proclaimed “Falloff Era” with a much deserved braggadocious, yet gritty track in “9 5 . s o u t h” packed with quick-spitting bars hearkening to his NC roots and featuring introductory and conclusionary ad-libs from 2000s rap staples Cam’ron and Lil Jon, respectively. “a m a r i” maintains the nostalgic thematic as Cole documents his rise in the rap game backed by more subdued production juxtaposed with his emotionally strong vocals and lyrics. The aforementioned dichotomy of production versus bars is more pronounced on “m y . l i f e ”–a banger showcasing J. Cole’s fire flow and including solid vocal features from Morray and bars from 21 Savage. “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e,” a nod to the eponymous documentary released on YouTube prior to the release of the record, is a punchy, spit-driven track where Cole separates his veteran skills from the “fraudulent” prattle of young rappers.

A sampling of NBA star Damian Lillard’s post-game interviews sandwiches Cole’s brief, but fired-up verse on “p u n c h i n ’ . t h e . c l o c k.” Dreamville product Bas harmonizes with J. Cole on a strong selection from The Off-Season in the chorus-driven formation of “1 0 0 . m i l ’ .” Cole builds resolutely on the hip-hop/pop crossover foundation on “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” in a laidback banger pacing the vocals and bars from the acclaimed artist and Lil Baby exceptionally. The reflective “l e t . g o . m y . h a n d” gives Cole a slate to spit truth regarding the passage of time as well as grants Bas and Atlanta’s 6LACK a more pronounced platform to lend their smooth vocal inflections to the track.

“i n t e r l u d e,” the record’s teaser single, encapsulates the flame contained earlier on the record and breaths the passion into the final three tracks. The unintentional O.G. single of The Off-Season is “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k”–an aspirational lyrical ballad documenting Cole’s past struggles and proverbial stride into his Falloff Era. A sample from the late great rapper/producer MF DOOM drives the impassioned bars spat on “c l o s e,” which detail Cole’s coping with the death of a close friend. “h u n g e r . o n . h i l l s i d e,” a reference to his beloved workspace in Queens, concludes the record on a high note with spirited bars, orchestral production, and supporting vocals from Bas.

The Skinny – According to the aforementioned YouTube doc “Applying Pressure” J. Cole set out to better himself from a skill standpoint and “reach the highest [creative] height before [he] collapse[s]” with The Off-Season. Those lofty ambitions for an already established rap icon come to fruition in perhaps Cole’s final studio album. Rap records tend to start off hot and fade as the tracks progress; however, The Off-Season possesses the rare instance where there exists an exponential rise in quality towards the back end of the track list. The sixth, latest release in the discography serves as the first album since Born Sinner (2013) with features, yet the guests do not hinder the upwards trajectory as they serve an additive, complimentary purpose instead. Ultimately, J. Cole does not remain creatively stagnant as the The Off-Season cements Cole’s rap legacy through persistent commitment, energy, and versatility.

The Rating – 7.9/10

The Off-Season