Don’t get me wrong, I love Coloring Book and The Life of Pablo and Blank Face LP, but none of them managed to pull me away from Blonde or Malibu or A Seat at the Table. Will it be an album of the year contender?Ģ016 has been a year of 8/10 rap albums-projects that are really good but not all-the-way amazing. The question is who fits into Cole’s vision for 4 Your Eyez Only? If nobody else does, then does he have the chops to carry it out by himself?Ĥ. If Cole didn’t want to take the DJ Khaled route, his home state of North Carolina is brimming with talent that would make for some tasty collaborations, like 9th Wonder, Rapsody, King Mez and Phonte. Cole could get anyone he wanted for 4 Your Eyez Only. For those unfamiliar with Cardo’s résumé, this year alone he’s picked up credits for ScHoolboy Q’s “THat Part,” Kendrick Lamar’s “untitled 07” and Travis Scott’s “Goosebumps.” There’s no guarantee Cardo will appear on this new album, but it’s an exciting prospect that suggests Cole is keeping his options open, at least on the production tip. But who doesn’t like a little seasoning on their steak?Īlthough news of potential collaborations has been few and far between, producer Cardo revealed that he sent beats to J. Cole isn’t a bad rapper or producer by any stretch of the imagination, and given its personal nature, you could argue 2014 Forest Hills Drive didn’t need big-name features. “The production falls short, too, with dull beats to match his languid flow,” David Turner wrote (rather harshly) in his review for Rolling Stone. The album, which holds a score of 67 on Metacritic, was partly criticized for its lack of variety on both sides of the booth. Will there be any guest features this time?Īs commercially successful as it has been, 2014 Forest Hills Drive isn’t exactly universally adored. Cole has been quietly observing the world, and is finally ready to speak up. If there’s anything to be gleaned from the album artwork, it’s that J.