J. Cole’s New Single is the Middle of Genius
posted by Keyona Smith | February 26, 2019 | In Arts and CultureIn the hip-hop corners of Twitter and other social media platforms, there was an eruption following photograph evidence that Dreamville artists, not to exclude J. Cole, were back in the lab working on The Revenge of the Dreamer 3.
Days before the rapper’s 34th birthday, Fayetteville native J.Cole released his first project in 2019, the single Middle Child, on January 23. The return, surprising because the rapper normally does not use social media, alerted the hip hop community by posting some of the lyrics to his Insta- gram page: “I’m writing down names, I’m making a list. I’m checking it twice and I’m getting ‘em hit.”
He uses the metaphor of the middle child to convey his feelings towards his current position in the industry saying, “I’m dead in the middle of two generations, I’m little bro and big bro all at once. Just left the lab with 21 Savage, I’m ‘bout to go and meet Jigga [Jay Z] for lunch.” He also uses the three and a half minutes to welcome and congratulate the next class of rappers, including Kodak Black.
Throughout the song, produced by T-Minus who has worked with a star roster since 2011 including Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Frank Ocean, J. Cole finds space and opportunity to jab at his colleagues, referencing sneaker promotions and clout chasers. Could the jabs also have been directed at the ever controversial Kanye West? Maybe, maybe not. But according to the song ‘False Prophets’ we have heard the rapper talk to his big brother in anguish, not able to understand how his message changed so drastically from what he said to capture our hearts in the first place.
Some may argue that rappers such as Kendrick Lamar are better than the middle child himself, but you can’t deny that Cole is one of the best if not the best of his time. It’s admirable that he finds prominence in being both a student and rap counselor. For fans that know through storytelling albums and songs how humble the Carolina MC is, it’s rewarding to track his growth into this young poet.
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