On “Let Go My Hand,” he manages to reach for profundity while paying tribute to a couple of formative influences: “Ignorance is bliss and innocence is just ignorance before it’s introduced to currency and clips” (or, “Curren$y and Clipse”). On later tracks, Cole mentions the 2Pac hologram and, more somberly, fallen heroes Pimp C and Nipsey Hussle. He starts revving the engine on “Applying Pressure” with lines like, “My latest beat just sound like they was released by David East,” “Shit crazy, didn’t know I got more M’s than a real Slim Shady video,” and “Big Boss, less Rick Ross, more like a wavy Hideo Kojima,” referencing the legendary video game designer. There’s the standard shit-talking (“Cole been goin’ plat’ since back when CDs was around/What you sold, I tripled that, I can’t believe these fuckin’ clowns”), but also a lot of playful name-dropping.
He’s still taking on the rap world across The Off-Season, but his attitude is more pickup game than Game 7.
The last couple of times he made diss or diss-adjacent tracks, however, it didn’t go so well for him. Recognizing the competitionĬole’s a competitor who often likens hip-hop to hoops. The beat selection makes the album less insular and more in conversation with contemporary sounds. The solo Cole productions (“Applying Pressure,” “ The Climb Back,” and “Close”) really stand out now for their heavy drums and soul samples. The Canadian hitmaker returns to work on four of The Off-Season’s 12 tracks, and his and Cole’s collaborative success has seemingly opened the door to even more outside producers here, including big names like Timbaland, DJ Dahi, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, and Jake One. T-Minus further stood out by co-producing the excellent 2019 single “ Middle Child” with Cole. The only track he didn’t produce or co-produce was highlight “ Kevin’s Heart,” which was co-produced by T-Minus, known for his work with Drake and Justin Bieber. Cole takes pride in doing things his own way, too, and he made the beats on KOD almost entirely by himself. Outside producers are back to liven things up These cherry-picked features show that Cole wants to be seen as a connective tissue instead of some sort of anti-hype iconoclast. On “My Life,” 21 Savage attests, “All we believe in is homicide/I got a good heart, so I send teddy bears every time we make they mommas cry.” Cole isn’t changing his style to chase trends, and 21 Savage and Lil Baby aren’t pretending to have just signed with Dreamville. He is particularly savvy in choosing 21 Savage and Lil Baby as his peers here the Atlanta artists don’t necessarily rap to be clever or wordy, they rap with blunt purpose. Now, with his reputation solidified, the guest rappers highlight Cole’s connection with a younger generation of hip-hop. “‘Y’all gonna make me put a feature on the album just so this shit can stop.’”Ĭole’s solo run was an antidote to 2011’s Cole World: The Sideline Story and 2013’s Born Sinner, albums that sounded like industry box-ticking for a young man eager to please his bosses and idols, namely JAY-Z and Nas. “I was like, ‘All right, it’s almost embarrassing now,’” he said in 2019. At some point, though, Cole got tired of the jokes. Cole went platinum with no features.” By now, it’s happened three times. It’s the DIY-minded, fan-originated boast that became a meme following the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive: “ J. It’s more of a mindset for the 36-year-old Cole: staying ready and honing his skills at an age when most rappers would be battling for relevance. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is sampled on The Off-Season, which also has references to Memphis Grizzly Ja Morant, among other NBA players-but that doesn’t mean you need to follow the league to immerse yourself in the record. There’s the burning hoop on the cover, the profile for Slam magazine, the tieback to his name-making mixtapes The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, and the recent news that he signed a contract to play professionally in Africa. The narrative ahead of today’s album, which was announced only 10 days ahead of its release, has loosely centered around basketball, Cole’s first love. Now we get The Off-Season, which arrives as a prelude to a teased, possibly-final opus, The Fall Off.
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