First Impression On J. Cole’s “Lewis Street” Singles
Intro:
J. Cole has just released two new singles as the “Lewis Street” EP. The first track titled “The Climb Back” is produced by Cole himself. The other track actually features production from T-Minus (who recently collaborated with Cole on Middle Child) and JetsonMade. I’m not sure if/when he’s dropping his next album, but it seems like these are the first 2 singles that’ll actually appear on the album.
The Climb Back:
Definitely my favorite between the two, as Cole gives some of the best rapping he’s done in recent years. There’s a lot of charisma in his flows and the delivery on here sounds like he’s hungry AF. Lyrically he’s pretty solid, however one of my favorites had to be: “And you'll see how I flipped like exclamation points”. I do love the outro as well, but admittedly his singing still isn’t the greatest lol.
It’s 5 minutes long, but doesn’t really feel like it by the time the track ends. Also, this is EASILY one of the best beats Cole has made. The stretched vocal sample in the background sits perfectly between the deep 808 bass & rest of the percussion. Honestly sounded like it could’ve had a Cozz feature. Lastly, I have to acknowledge the Chief Keef (one of my favs) shoutout: “Address me as the G.O.A.T. like they call Chief Keef Sosa”
Lion King On Ice:
Cole, T-Minus & Jetson provide another amazing beat for Cole. I noticed that both songs feature beats with stretched out vocal samples over trap drums. It’s really cool to specifically see Jetson stepping out of his comfort zone as a producer. Cole flows effortlessly over this one, and some how keeps a chill vibe in contrast to his fast/rapid fire flow and delivery. I can see Lion King On Ice becoming my favorite of both singles over time.
Some themes present here are a lot of self reflection & reminiscing on his life/career (growing up with nothing, becoming successful, then learning about himself/spirituality). Even outside of himself, providing some commentary on the current rap game. Me and other fans are convinced Cole took shots at Lil Pump (or just “mumble rappers” that dissed him) with lines like:
“I hope that you see how they came and they went/They shots never hit, but they made they attempts/May have a good year like that name on the blimp”
Overall:
I really did enjoy both of these singles a lot. I think Cole has found a nice pocket in all of his releases since KOD, and sounds like he’s found a new level of passion for making/releasing music. There are rumors that J. Cole will be retiring soon, so at least if “The Fall Off” is his last album it should be an amazing end. Personally, I do think he’ll at least drop one more after this next one; but we’ll just have to see. Thank you all for reading and enjoy the new Cole singles with the link below.
