Land Of The Takes

It's been just over a week and a half since the arrival of J. Cole's The Fall-Off on streaming services, and with it, an avalanche of opinions and reactions of varying nutritional value. The best, obviously, was by Yoh Phillips at Super Empty, which took a favorable view of Jermaine's devotion to his own wishes above anything else. For The Guardian, AD Carson came away with a different, less effusive perspective, but I think argued it well. Pitchfork's Benny Sun panned it, in what I considered to be pretty uncharitable and dismissive fashion. At The Linx, Anthony Seaman explored the sometimes overwrought earnestness at the heart of Cole's music that 1) makes him the last of a dying breed in the mainstream, and 2) provokes such undying derision from the 'Fork and much of the rap commentariat at large. One glorious excerpt from Seaman's piece I can't help but share:

"Rappers sweating out storyboarded ideas act as heels to the impulsive and sparky underground joints [Pitchfork] and the broader online community adores. The creative core of rap music is lying dormant in any rapper, waiting to be activated by the perfect drug dosage, impromptu spirit channeling, and irreplaceable vibes within a bedroom closet turned studio, showing the true wonder rap allows. What pops up in [these] pieces or song lists from the blogs looking to capture a cool everyone else will be on in 3 years, is the occasional life altering Soundcloud link. The other 95% of the time, we get unlistenable swings toward uncharted territory that remained untapped for a reason, regional street rap with one cool line in it ready to get mined into a TikTok trend, or the drugs taking over a guy’s jaw with such might words are strangled into the whines of a dying chihuahua."

For our part, Super Empty seeks in a moment like this to not only share and assess the merits of commentaries from the outer rap world, but also to facilitate discussion amongst our own. So I reached out to some people in the SE orbit, some who you know and some who you may not, and asked them for one thought (a single random thing, or overall impressions) from the album. This is what they had to say:

Big Cas (emcee/journalist) - How Fayetteville-oriented it was. Ground Zero (early ‘00s Fayetteville group) talked in our interview about how lit the city was when they were were kids, performing the song Cole sampled (on “and the whole world is the Ville”) and he was in the audience watching. The entire album is references to the same Fayetteville memories we all have.

Brian Kidd (recording engineer) - The impeccable storyteller Cole is. This is some of the best storytelling out of his whole discography. I'll put this probably in his top four projects as of now.

Jimmie Dillard (Let’s Kick It 295) - After listening to it the first thing that came to mind was, “This was the plan all along, he never forgot about home, he just saved the best for last.” This album was basically a masterpiece of reflection from where it all started at home, giving appreciation for accomplishing the life he always desired, and now shining light on the area—opening the door wider for all opportunities to pour in.

Tab One (emcee, member of Kooley High) - The love for NC and great storytelling.

AyeeeDubb (radio host, creator No Skips) - I actually enjoy when J. Cole sings! Cause he sorta sounds like me if I attempted. A relatable king once again in the rap game.

Yoh Phillips (writer, cofounder Rap Portraits) - The Fall-Off closes a circle more so than it ends a career. To close the circle, he had to retrace his steps. Returning where he started, renewing his relationship with a city left behind and the artform he loved. (Excerpted from his review for SE.)

James Mieczkowski (producer, PBSNC's Shaped By Sound) - It's a complex picture of a man struggling with his identity, both past and present, which is so deeply connected to a sense of place.

Fola Onifade (editorial director, Sistories) - The night before The Fall-Off dropped, I went back and listened to 2014 Forest Hills Drive and Born Sinner to conjure up the Cole I loved as a teenager, so from the opening of “29 Intro,” I was hype to be along on his journey back home. He showed his undeniable skill, took big risks (I love “The Let Out”), and ran a well-deserved victory lap on “Old Dog.” It didn’t need to be nearly two hours and there were bars I could’ve lived without. But if it is truly his final album, I think J. Cole made North Carolina, his fans, and his younger self proud.

Also This Week On The Tuesday Mixtape:

• 💿 A new, purchase-only album from Nxgxl called Black Son, and revisiting 2022's Marlowe 3 by L'Orange and Solemn Brigham
• 🎧 Other new music from 'Tracei,' Shame Gang ft. Boldy James, and more
• 📆 Some event recs for the week to come
• 🔗 A fresh batch of weekly links, including the possibility that the first rapper ever was from Durham, North Carolina.