Rap Artist J. Cole released his latest album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, last month. It is his first official album as the rest of his work was on free mixtapes. The album features many well known rappers including Jay-Z, Drake, Missy Elliott, and Trey Songz. J. Cole was recently signed by Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation, which has released the new album.

Cole World includes a variety of song types. There are slower beats containing serious lyrics, as well as faster beats with more uplifting lyrics. He raps about growing up in a rough, poverty-stricken area in North Carolina. He explains how he made the best of his situation in the serious single, “Sideline Story.” There is a great fast-beat single about his successes called “Lights Please.” Cole World is a well produced album, and it definitely deserves more credit than it has received. J. Cole is a genius with his lyrics and word play. The stories he tells inside his songs are inspiring and flat-out cool. Grade: A-     

–Mikey Allen, The Patriot Press