By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer
J. Cole’s album “2014 Forest Hills Drive” is an absolute classic. Dec. 9 will be the seventh anniversary of its release, and since then, it has been certified triple platinum — an accomplishment done with zero features.
Cole’s third studio album is named after his childhood home’s address, which he is seen sitting on top of on the album cover. The album covers all bases: It has multiple different types of songs with different purposes, but they each fit into the overall vibe of the album. FHD has hype songs such as “Fire Squad” and “G.O.M.D.”; chill songs with “January 28th” and “St Tropez”; and radio hits such as the six-time platinum record “No Role Modelz.”
However, that is not what makes an album a classic. There is a difference between a collection of good songs and an album. “2014 Forest Hills Drive” is like a movie, in the sense that from start to finish, the listening experience is unreal and the album could be seen as Cole’s autobiography.
The first three songs are “Intro,” “January 28th” and “Wet Dreamz,” which are the story of his childhood. “Intro” sets up the overall theme of the album and his life — which is finding happiness in what matters — and can act as the opening credits scene. Cole was in fact born on Jan. 28, and “Wet Dreamz” tells the story of his first crush in school and how it went.
In the next few songs, Cole details his life as an adolescent and young man and paints a picture of the area he was raised in. He mentions his friends being caught up in the wrong things while he had the potential to get out. He also seemingly talks to himself in “Fire Squad” by telling himself that he has to man up or he will never accomplish what he wants to do.
About midway through the album, Cole makes it to Hollywood and becomes a star. Unfortunately, he quickly realizes it’s not what he thought he wanted out of that life. He wanted everyone to back off of him; he wanted his privacy back and realized most people out there aren’t in touch with reality. This is where he begins his redemption. In the song “Apparently,” Cole talks to his mom, regrets how he treated her and others on his way to the top and reminds her he loves her.
In “Love Yourz,” Cole delivers one of the best songs of recent times with a beautiful message. Here, he gives his audience insight into what getting rich is really like and how there are pros and cons with every situation — essentially the idea that money cannot buy happiness.
“There’s beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success,” Cole said. “Hear my words and listen to my signal of distress … For what’s money without happiness, or hard times without the people you love.”
Cole is literally warning people to find what really matters in life and to love what they have. The last song is a 15-minute song in which Cole thanks everyone involved in the album name by name — quite literally the end credits of the movie.
I believe Cole paved his own lane with this album. In a genre where features are plentiful and having money is the coolest thing to do, he went and did the opposite. Not only this, but the concept, the message, the execution and the impact of this album make it a classic and my favorite album of all time.
