By Gavin Guffey, Staff Writer
Last Friday, American rapper Jermaine Cole, known professionally as J. Cole, delivered an instant classic to fans with his new album, “The Fall Off.”
“The Fall Off,” Cole’s eighth studio album – and supposedly his final project – was a long-anticipated project. His previous music and features contained many references to the album, which created excitement among not only his fanbase, but the entire music industry.
A notable reference is in his song “m y . l i f e” from his last album, where Cole says, “After The Fall Off, I promise I’m comin’ to sellin’ out Wrigleys,” referencing Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, for a potential concert. Another reference is in Drake’s 2023 single, “First Person Shooter,” where Cole features, singing, “I’m namin’ the album ‘The Fall Off’ / It’s pretty ironic ‘cause it ain’t no fall off for me.”
Not only has the idea of “The Fall Off” been around for quite a while, so has its production. Cole posted on Instagram prior to the album’s release, which detailed his mission and highlighted how he perfected the album over the span of 10 years.
“The Fall Off” is split into two parts, “Disc 29” and “Disc 39.” These are meant to tell two stories of Cole returning home at each respective age, perfectly curated with ideas, themes and narratives describing his past, along with what he sees and discovers in each trip.
One of the best sequences in the first half of the album is on the track “Legacy,” where Cole says, “‘Cause I done spent so long playing games and holding back / From giving all of me, too scared that I won’t get it back / And yes, I’m well aware, I rhyme the word back with back / ‘Cause that’s exactly the direction that I’m tired of looking at.”
This series of verses sums up the entire album, and most of Cole’s discography. While he seems to be referencing “the one who got away,” likely a nameless woman who is mentioned in other songs, it is a parallel to the theme of “The Fall Off.” Cole has spent so much time looking back and telling stories, that he cannot focus on the future he has built for himself, nor can he enjoy the present.
J. Cole’s “The Fall Off” marks the rapper’s last studio album following his long and successful career.
The best track on the album is “SAFETY,” due to its deep passion and connection to the past. It is a homecoming narrative of Cole returning at 29, only to find that many of his hometown’s characters have moved onto new endeavors. He now realizes both his mistakes and some of his successes with his childhood friendships. He tells stories of friends that he reconnects with, and friends that unfortunately were lost, with no goodbye.
“SAFETY” calls back to other heartfelt tracks from Cole about past stories and unfavorable situations, like 2016’s “4 Your Eyez Only.”
Cole is often described by fans as humble and authentic due to his willingness to reconnect with and mention his hometown of Fayetteville, N.C. One of the tracks that represents this best is “and the whole world is the Ville” on Disc 39, where Cole raps, “What I rep to the death is where my steps were first taken.”
The final song that should be highlighted is “The Villest (with Erykah Badu)” on Disc 39, where Cole revisits a younger, much hungrier version of himself, where he “dusts off the old notebook,” finding a page “stained with what seems to be a hundred tears.” I love the realistic narrative where Cole describes the dark times and struggles of trying to make it big while the world around him provides so much trauma and hardship.
This album emphasizes how Cole began as a young, hungry kid from Fayetteville but now thoroughly and maturely developed into “Carolina’s Finest.” “The Fall Off” is a must-listen album with no skips, and an incredible project from a musical legend.