Jermaine Cole, better known as JCole, is a hip hop artist and record label owner from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cole is also one of the founders of the record label “Dreamville” which he consistently references throughout his work. Aside from featuring on plenty of albums and songs, JCole has officially released a total of 7 studio albums and 3 mixtapes, complimenting his small collection of singles. To shoot up his rap career as well as pursue higher education, he moved from his birthplace to New York City, attending St Johns University but living off campus at an apartment in Jamaica Queens.
Out of his fantastic collection, I was fascinated by his introductory mixtape “The Come Up” because of his most recent album release. While listening to it I was drawn to his seamless ability to tell a story and connect his rhymes in such meticulously crafted ways unlike most rappers I’ve listened to. You can tell that rapping is an actual artistic passion for him that he takes time to hone and master. So of course, I went down a rabbit hole digging into his hit songs before finally deciding to start from the beginning of his career and work my way up. I’m grateful for following my intuition, as this project is easily one of my favorite albums of all time and at the top of my list of rap albums.
Released on May 4th 2007 and hosted by DJ OnPoint, “The Come Up” is JColes debut mixtape and introduction to the rap game of not only New York City, but the world. The mixtape stays true to my description of an introductory tale, as the first track titled “Intro” does exactly that, with JCole announcing himself to the world with his chest out high. Throughout the album it’s clear that he’s confident in himself and his achievements, whether it be the references to his academic brilliance that achieved his 3.8 GPA he graduated with, or his ability to rap with such profound technicality and ease that it’s as if he’s been rapping all of his life. His efficiency with rap wasn’t capped out at rapping, his production is also an exceptional part of his Hip Hop identity— producing 12 out of 27 tracks on “The Come Up.”
What I think is the most charming factor of this album is J. Cole’s ability to turn his struggles growing up in “The Ville” into motivation for other young Black men to improve their lives. Throughout the album, he confidently balances themes of relationships, success, academics, and hometown pride. The song that best captures these ideas, and my personal favorite, is College Boy, where he reflects on his ambition, changing relationships with people back home, and his determination to succeed through either rap or education.
I hold this album in high regard because, on the surface, most people see it as nothing more than an introduction to J. Cole’s long and successful career. In the album, he debuts his style of rapping through complex rhyme schemes and double entendres, which later become trademarks of his music. However, I think the album is much more than just an introduction. I believe that in this album he’s highlighting what life can be when people, though specifically young black men, take that leap of faith into their journey. Being confident, bold, wild, while also maintaining and pursuing academic excellence and truly diving into one’s passion— that message is what truly sparks my new found love for JCole.
