J. Cole: The Fall-Off

"Cole remains a technically strong rapper but often gives the impression he's reading directly out of a notebook. His verses on "Run a Train" sound like they were designed for one of those videos mapping out MF DOOM rhyme schemes in different colors of highlighter. Strange concepts, like the FaceTime call through time on "Bombs in the Ville/Hit the Gas" and the necromantic Tupac and Biggie dialogue on " What If," aren't any smarter or better executed than his straightforward raps; they're just overwrought."

"The worst perpetrator of all, "Safety," tries to deliver a self-sanctified testimony of allyship with some violently distasteful storytelling: He describes a childhood friend who died of AIDS by saying he "[ran] with fruity types, dick-in-the-booty types," and in almost the same breath, condemns the use of anti-gay slurs. "Safety" feels like a roundabout apology for Cole's embarrassingly long history of transphobic and homophobic bars, but it's well-meaning in the clunkiest, shallowest way possible."

J. Cole remains a technically strong rapper but often sounds like he is reading directly from a notebook. Overwrought conceptual tracks, including time-travel FaceTime and necromantic dialogues, do not land as well as his straightforward raps. Simpler songs such as "Poor Thang" and "Old Dog" reveal genuine excitement and effective pen-and-flow. The record offers sharp societal commentary alongside baffling takes on women and OnlyFans. The song "Safety" attempts allyship yet contains violently distasteful phrasing and a clumsy, shallow apology for past transphobic and homophobic lines, undermining any authentic reckoning.

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