Image via Complex Original
1.
Tonight at 11 p.m., J. Cole will release his fourth studio album, 4 Your Eyez Only. As we all know, the Roc Nation rapper went double platinum with no features on his last project, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. So, in the wake of his greatest commercial success, what's next? Cole is an artist who has carved out a lane for himself thanks to his composed and soulful presence, sharp technical ability, and reliable production talents. Still, there's room for him to grow on his projects to come, and 4 Your Eyez Only is an opportunity for Cole to show his progression as an artist, and to shake the criticisms that have, in the past, dismissed him as a boring or predictable rapper. Here's what we're hoping to hear from Cole on his newest LP.
2.An Evolution of His Sound
Cole is an underrated producer and he'll continue to stay that way unless he pushes the envelope creatively. The footage of Cole working with, and instructing, studio musicians in the Tidal doc, Eyez, is encouraging. Here's to hoping he expands his sound in 2016.
3.Other Producers
You know what one of Cole's best songs in recent years is? "Grew Up Fast," a loosie that sees him blacking over a beat courtesy of the underrated Canei Finch. I feel like Cole's gonna ride out this "no features" meme for as many future projects as he can, which is fine and hilarious. But I'd love it if he put his own ego aside and let some other beatmakers into the mix. It'd make his albums more dynamic sonically. And, on a purely selfish level, Cole has a great flow: I don't want him to abandon his brand but how exciting would it be listening to him rhyme over other great producers as they adapt their sound to fit a Cole World?
4.Guest Features
On 2014 Forest Hills Drive, we saw J. Cole strip everything back and deliver a rare album that included, as you may heard, no features. As Twitter endlessly observed, the album was a purely solo effort for Cole and the results landed him double platinum status. Though the tracklist for his new project doesn't list any guests spots, here's hoping that there's some surprises in store. If for nothing else but to mix things up a bit and (hopefully) hear Cole spar with some other hip-hop heavyweights. Off top, a track with Cole and Hov going back and forth would be much-appreciated. It also wouldn't be the worst thing for Cole to share the spotlight with some of his Dreamville talent.
5.Cole Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is
J. Cole took some serious shots, most notably at Kanye West, on one of the tracks (that won't be on the album) he released last Thursday. The essential claim of "False Prophets" is that 'Ye fell off—a bold statement, considering that The Life of Pablo is a consensus pick for a top-five album of the year—and if Cole wants to be taken seriously, he's going to need to back that up. Saying that one of hip-hop's indisputable greats is dropping "half assed shit" is the kind of shot you take when you know you have a classic in the chamber. Let's see what the kid's got.
6.Cut the Casual "Conscious Rap" Misogyny
J. Cole talks about women like an older uncle after a few drinks. If he were 50 years old you would think about correcting some of his language, but end up letting him live on account of growing up in an earlier era. J. Cole isn't straight up misogynistic so much as he seems like he'd be very at home in the '70s. The problem? Cole was born in 1985. He's presenting himself as rap's intellectual savior, the artist putting on for the people, and he's still talking about "saving" women. Maybe, four albums deep, he'll catch up to the times.
7.The First Happily Married Rap Album
Compared to peers like Jay Z or Kanye West, little is known about J. Cole's love life, and his longtime girlfriend-turned-wife, Melissa Meholt. If director Ryan Coogler hadn't accidentally revealed the fact that Cole is married during an interview between the two in 2016, we still wouldn't know. Though Cole has been quick to point to the importance of friends and family in his life, he remains tight-lipped about Meholt. Will that change on 4 Your Eyez Only?
8.Songs That Can Win a Star-Studded 2016
By releasing an album so late in 2016, Cole has given himself an opportunity to definitively win the year. Presumably, he has been making 4 Your Eyez Only during the past 12 months, and using the time to sit back and assess his competition. He knows that albums like Lemonade, The Life of Pablo, Coloring Book, and Blonde are the contenders he needs to best in order to win the crown, and likely knew that while he was recording. If he puts out a creatively-daring project that plays with his longtime supporters and wins over the audience who have long resisted his appeal, Cole will have an LP that no one else will have the time to top.