The first two weeks of Dec. have been filled with album releases from some of the top artists in the rap game, with rappers like Post Malone and Childish Gambino releasing new tracks. Arguably the best album to be released thus far is J.Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only”. After Cole became the first rapper to have an album go double platinum without features in over 25 years, expectations were high for his next project. Fans from all over rejoiced after other rappers’ projects were not as great as expected.

“The whole album is great,” said senior Xavier Lovelace

The album has been perceived as a changeup for Cole by most, but fans aren’t saying that it’s a bad thing.

“Cole talks a lot about the problems going on in the world in this album and explains most of his current struggles, such as his newfound responsibility as a father,” said sophomore Rashad Tafwed.

Cole’s “4 Your Eyez Only” gets down to who he really is as not just an artist, but also as a person, making him relatable for his fans. Him being vocal about his struggles allows others to know that they are not alone in what they are facing.

Cole dropped two tracks in the weeks leading up to his album release, “False Prophets” and “Everybody Dies”. On “False Prophets”, Cole threw shade at Kanye West, rapping, “When he tell us he a genius, but it’s clearer lately. It’s been hard for him to look into the mirror lately.” This was in reference to West’s recent admittance to a mental hospital following a breakdown during his Saint Pablo tour. Some questioned the insensitivity of Cole’s bar, but some, like Lovelace, feel otherwise.

“I don’t think he was really sending shots; I feel like he was just speaking the truth,” said Lovelace.

Others, like Tafwed, felt that Cole was just showing his versatility.

“[Cole] just wanted to show people that he isn’t like other artists,” said Tafwed.

Regardless of Cole’s intent, he clearly put his artistic abilities on display on “4 Your Eyez Only”. Projections from Hiphopdx.com have Cole’s latest project selling 500,000 copies by the end of its first week, and it is expected to reach the top place on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. You can find links to the album below.

iTunes: http://apple.co/2hSpjRV

Spotify: http://bit.ly/2hAjGsR