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Published 10:01 18 Apr 2018 BST
Updated 09:42 19 Apr 2018 BST
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After 45 minutes of waiting in the queue I was rewarded with a wristband and two words: "Village Underground." My ticket to whatever the hell it was that was in store had been granted and I now had a location.
But before I proceed to the main event, let me drop a fact or two as to the importance of Jermaine Lemarr Cole.
Firstly, the thing that makes him indispensable to Hip Hop is that he is unapologetically loyal to himself, his meaningful lyrics and the art form of rhyming over a beat. No frills. No gimmicks. He even famously acknowledged his early career radio-friendly misstep "Work Out" on the song "Let Nas Down" from his sophomore album Born Sinner.
"Granted, my heart was tainted/ By my mind that kept on sayin’/ "Where’s the hits? You ain’t got none/ You know Jay’ll never put your album out without one."Fact two. He’s gone Platinum with no features. Twice. TWICE I TELLS YA! First of all he accomplished this on an album that this writer right here considers a classic in 2014 Forrest Hills Drive. The first album in 24 years to do so (the last one being Vanilla Ice, but let’s move very swiftly on). Second was with 4 Your Eyez Only, which received a lukewarm reception by comparison. Okay, let’s swan dive into the reason you’re here: the show itself. First things first, a disclaimer. This was a single listen-through in a room of no more than 700 people. Therefore this is not a review. These are base on first impressions. Second things second. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to being in the studio with an artist as they wrap listening to their album. Now remember how there were no phones allowed? Upon entering Village Underground we were all ordered to switch ours off, before we handed them to someone who slid them into a padded case, sealed with a pin that needed a magnet to undo. Cole was welcomed on stage to rapturous applause sporting his very understated, relatable attire - a white t-shirt that simply said "Jamaica" on it, and grey joggers. No chains, no accessories, no flashiness, no bullshit. "How the fuck y’all get here so quick?" he joked with his opening line as he scanned the crowd inside the venue. He went on to explain that this album was recorded in 13 days, just before he went on his 4 Your Eyez Only Tour - however he removed three songs in order to replace them with three others that he deemed raised the quality of the album.
The next topic for discussion? The theme of the album. Just what the hell does K.O.D. even stand for?
"Kids On Drugs, King’s Overdose and Kill Our Demons" he exclaimed before covering the themes of the album; pain, and how we deal with it, whether that be through various vices, or more specifically, medicinal and recreational drugs; setting the context of the album by talking about how advertisements in America encourage us to numb our feelings with medicine, instead of opening up and talking about it.
Now, as previously mentioned, this is not a review. I am not in a place to be able to credibly review an album I listened to once, however I can touch on a few aspects.
The beats. In the past J. Cole has been accused of being boring, partially down to his beat selection and lack of club bangers. Believe me when I say that the crowd were fully on board with a number of tracks, despite listening to them for the first time. Up-tempo beats with a rapid, tight flow and punchlines that made the crowd move. One hell of a feat.
Again, no features. He’s proven twice now that he doesn’t need them - however, we wouldn’t say no to another Kendrick Lamar collaboration sometime this decade please Mr. Cole, sir.
Referencing the first reason why J. Cole is indispensable to Hip Hop. He hasn’t jumped on any bandwagon here, not even a hint. In fact, the very opposite. One lyric I picked up was literally "this statement won’t be popular."
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