Cole’s Spotify profile plainly states that he is a musician. When the famous Nardwuar asked him “Why should people care?” he said, “They don’t have to care . . . its not that serious, me or otherwise” and then gave his heartfelt gratitude to those that do care. But he is more than just a musician, and I am not talking about his time playing professional basketball in the Rwanda African League or in the Canadian Elite Basketball League either. I’m talking about his vision, his impact on my own life and in the rap game. To tell you the truth, I think he’s our generations Jesus. That is a grand statement, but that’s a topic for another day.
There are a few things I want to address before we continue. First, I am simply saying that he’s more than a rapper and a producer. His impact on the rap game is so monumental that there will be a book written about it. Mark my words. Also, and it’s a shame that I have to say this, but I am not saying that others like Kendrick Lamarr are not also more than just musicians. The focus in this essay is solely on J. Cole.
And yes, I am aware that he has explicitly talked about not idolizing celebrities, about not seeing them like gods. And that is not what I am here to do. I think this must be stated because I plan on writing a lot about him. I am also aware that from certain angles it may seem as though I idolize him, as though I follow him to a level that is not healthy. And maybe that is true, I’m not sure. If it is true, I think this writing will help me realize this and maybe understand it.
The reason why I follow him so intently is because he has literally changed my life. I know, I know that’s cliché. But that’s okay, because its true. And when someone changes your life, helps you in your toughest times, I think it is inevitable that you will feel indebted to that person, or that they will become a godlike figure in your own world. With all of this said, I try to be objective, realizing that maybe I do idolize him too much, depending on his words and guidance more than is normal. To help keep me grounded I keep K Dot’s words deep in my mind. “He is not your savior”.
Cole has always been a “conscious rapper”. The first song he wrote at the age of 15 was about a women cheating on her man and the storm that is revenge and probably karma. 98% of his music is serious and has a core message. The couple of songs that come to mind that are completely unserious or lack a core message are “[The Jackie]” and “Passport Bros”. And personally, “Passport Bros” is one of my least favorite Cole songs (though it is growing on me).
Though “conscious rap” is a term that has been used to describe J. Cole’s music, it has grown a sort of negative connotation that makes me hesitant to use it. His music is definitely conscious, as he is very conscious about what he writes about and the message that he chooses to share. But there is just something about the term that doesn’t resonate with me. Maybe it’s the fact that the adjective is so vague. Like, aren’t most rappers consciously writing their raps? And the answer might be no, they’re not. Some rappers are on lots of drugs, and rap about hollow topics such as money, drugs, guns, and women.
And maybe it is that kind of thinking that has given conscious rap a bad connotation. The thought that because someone is rapping about a serious, more profound topic that they are better than the rappers writing fun and catchy, not necessarily profound music. So, I am also not trying to say that the music that rappers like Playboy Carti or Kodak Black make are inherently bad. I enjoy them from time to time, but they are for sure not my favorite type of music. I am also aware that there are those who might think that J. Cole fans are pretentious and think that anything that is not conscious rap is bad. I want to say that though I favor “conscious” rappers over others, I still like the “ignorant” shit (as I’ve heard Cole call it). I grew up on Future, Drake, Young Thug, etc. I am aware of the subjectivity of music, and I don’t think that music that is not conscious is automatically bad and lesser than music like J. Cole’s and Kendrick Lamarr’s. And of course, Ill primarily be talking about his impact on me. I can assume that he has had a great impact on many others and know for sure that he has on some of the people that I’ve spoken to.
Cole is many things. For one, he is a poet. His words touch the soul. They find their way into your heart and then, they stay there indefinitely. They also make their way to your brain, where they simmer, until thoughts are produced or stimulated. They also inspire, they inspire to do better than what you’ve been taught to do, and they inspire to do better than what you think you can do.
Some of his words have become a part of me and a part of my core belief system. Words like “If you ain’t aim too high then you aimed too low”, or the words “There ain’t no such thing as a life that’s better than yours”. His messages are so relatable to someone like me, someone who is not from the hood but yet has had a troubling upbringing, and the hood nearby—in my case mostly figuratively.
One can say that he is an educator. He has taught me much, much about how to chase your dreams, how to stay true to yourself, how to be better than the situation you were born into. He has literally expanded my vocabulary. Many a times I had to google a word that I didn’t know, words that now seem simple to me like “perpetuate”. He has taught me that I must work hard. In songs like “p u n c h i n ‘ . t h e . c l o c k”, which is mostly a song about his past and his struggles. Yet, the title and the voice recording of Damian Lillard drill in me the fact that I must, must work hard for my dreams, for my aspirations. Of course, this message is prominent in many of his songs, but for whatever reason this one always finds a way to motivate me like none of his others.
Cole is many things. He is at least a poet, and an educator. He is a change maker, a pioneer. For this article I’ve shown that he is more than a musician. To write about all the things he is and the impact he’s had on the rap industry would require writing a book. I’ll probably write about the other things that he is in the future. But for now, he is more than just a rapper, more than just a musician.