On Feb 6, J Cole (Jermaine Lamarr Cole) dropped his 7th studio album, allegedly his final album, The Fall Off. It consists of two disk tracks, 29 and 39, each with 12 songs. Disk 29 is mainly about his life and struggles he experienced when he was 29, and disk 39 switches to his life now, being at peace and growing from those experiences. 

   Some artists featured on the album are rappers “Future,” Petey Pablo, and Burna Boy, with Singers Tems, Erykah Badu, and Morray. The Fall Off was highly anticipated as J Cole stated on his Instagram that it would be the last and closing up his Rap Career. J Cole started off with his first album, The Come Up, in 2007. The Fall Off title is a nod to that beginning. 

   As I have really enjoyed some of J Cole’s songs like “No Role Modelz,” “4 Your Eyez Only,” “Power Trip,” and “Wet Dreamz,” I Do“we belong together?” was really excited for this release. The second song on Disk 29, “Two Six,” starts with a strong, heavy beat and calls out fellow rappers who have doubted him. J Cole criticized many for being unoriginal. 

   This was one of my favorite songs on this disk, with a different beat compared to the rest, as the other songs seemed to blend and sound the same. This first track sounded angry and aggressive. 

   Now, Disk 39 was where I really started to like the album; the beats and lyrics reminded me a lot of his previous releases, particularly my favorite, “2014 Forest Hills Drive.” “The Villest,” with Erykah Badu, shone; it talks about his younger years and when he first started rapping at 12. The cover picture is of his childhood bedroom. The beat and lyrics are a lot softer, but still have an edge, and it has some summer flair that makes me want to drive around the beach with it playing. 

   Back in Disk 29, the eighth song, “WHO TF IZ U,” which is about him gaining confidence in his music and having originality that he believes other rappers have lost. This song comes back up on Disk 39 with “Old Dog” featuring Petey Pablo, with the same beat and same recognizable intro with a phone ring and asking who it is. J Cole and Peety Pablo both come from North Carolina and rap about shared roots and experiences growing up. J Cole references rapper T.I. ‘s song “24s,” released in 2003, which is what influenced his style. 

   After “Old Dog,” the track takes a switch to softer music, reflecting healing and reflection on where he started and where he is now, again giving the same vibe as his older songs. I enjoy the softer songs and beats on disk 39 that are constantly different. The last song, “Ocean Way,” is very slow, and instead of rapping, J Cole sings, with a guitar background, about finally finding his way and returning home. 

    I think this was the perfect way to end the album, fully showcasing his versatility and talents while also closing his music career. I would rate disk 29 a 6/10 due to the similar styles of songs and aggressive lyrics, but I did like that he talks about originality and how artists need to get back to their roots. 

   I recommend listening to disk 39, a 8/10, which has lots of different styles. If you are a fan of J Cole’s older music, you would really enjoy this album.