#002 the off season - j.cole | album review

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(originally published Tuesday, ‎10 ‎May ‎2022)

-the below show notes are ai generated from the full transcript available here, might contain obvious (or not so obvious) errors-

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#002 the off-season - j.cole album review | show notes

Introduction (00:00:03): Hey, welcome back to another episode of “relisten”. Today, I'll be reviewing J. Cole's latest album, "The Off-Season."

Overview (00:00:09): "The Off-Season" was fire when it came out. I wanted to listen to it multiple times in excitement. You know, when you're excited about an album, your mind is not in a clear place yet. So you just have to let it settle down. Even if it's a bad album, this was not a bad album—nothing close to a bad album. J. Cole is someone I really like; I've listened to him for years.

Album Background (00:00:35): This album was released on May 14, 2021. It's his sixth studio album and had some crazy features on it: 21 Savage, 2 Chainz, Bas, and others. So let's get right into it.

Song Reviews

95 South (00:00:52): The first song on the album gave me goosebumps. The intro was crazy. The production quality was amazing. On "95 South," J. Cole was just clearing all these doubters and haters. He's talking about how he's been minding his business, but if beef comes around, he could just put a name on your head and you're Luigi's brother now. The violence he's talking about, the life in the South, it's real.

Amari (00:02:42): This song's production is by Timbaland, and it's arguably top five on the album. J. Cole's flow and attention to detail are on point. The way he uses the beat is impressive. At first, I thought it wouldn't be interesting, but then the beat dropped, and it blew my mind.

My Life (feat. 21 Savage) (00:05:04): When the album first came out, the features were unannounced, so it was a surprise to see 21 Savage. The samples used in this song are great. J. Cole talks about his life, his block, and how he's minding his business. 21 Savage's verse adds a lot to the track, making it one of the standout songs.

Applying Pressure (00:09:10): Honestly, this is my least favorite song on the album. It's not a bad song, but I wasn't really feeling the style he went for. However, J. Cole drops some wisdom here, talking about not envying millionaires and focusing on yourself.

Pride Is the Devil (feat. Lil Baby) (00:12:13): This song talks about how pride can lead to negative actions. J. Cole reflects on his own experiences with pride. Lil Baby's feature was a surprise but blended well with the track, making it one of the highlights of the album.

Let Go My Hand (00:14:36): This song is deep, but it's not my favorite. J. Cole talks about finding an instrumental on his phone while on vacation and turning it into this track. It's a good song, but it doesn't connect with me as much as others on the album.

Interlude (00:16:10): This track was released earlier as a preview. The samples are great, and J. Cole's flow is unreal. He talks about being at the top of the game and preparing for anything that comes his way.

Close (00:19:34): This song is very underrated. It has the lowest streams on the album, but it's one of the best. J. Cole talks about not wanting to be an "almost" and doing everything to get things done completely.

Hunger on Hillside (00:21:55): This song is easily in the top three of the album. J. Cole talks about staying hungry and never getting comfortable. He emphasizes the importance of always pushing yourself and not settling for less.

Conclusion (00:24:18): "The Off-Season" is a very good album. I'd rate it a solid 9 out of 10. It's an elite-level hip-hop album, and I'm excited to see what J. Cole does next. Thanks for listening to this episode. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and catch you in the next episode. Bye!

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