J. Cole- The Warm Up

J.Cole
The Warm Up
Mixtape (so it's FREE)

Nas told me Hip Hop was dead. I was inclined to believe him. All the evidence I needed came from the R & B top 20 charts. There's an abundance of Cam Ron's, Flo Rida's (such a wonderful rap name), and Rick Ross's but there's a distinct lack of substance.

Enter the world's most overlooked next big thing in hip hop: One J. Cole and his new mixtape "The Warm Up".

The initial reaction to the name is a quizzical "who?" J. Cole is Jay-Z's monstrous new age Roc Nation's flagship artist and what rap blogs everywhere are proclaiming the next big thing. Jay-Z is easily one of the most sought after rappers, but his tenure at Def Jam as President was hardly legendary, even to the most passionate Jay-Z supporters. So, is J. Cole another potential that will go nowhere or is he the next heir to the Roc dynasty and the claim (although Jay is far from it himself) to being the best in the rap world?

"The Warm Up" seems to suggest somewhat of a middle ground as an answer to this question. Mr. Cole is the primary producer and his beats are a very different and unique approach that can't be put into one simple category, but is instantly accessible to both newcomers and the hip hop enthusiast. He does a great job of attaching a vintage sound without sounding like a throwback or a gimmick. It is a wonder that he has not been snatched up as a producer for other acts yet, although this tape will do a lot to change that in all likelihood.

Cole's flow is generally above the majority of his rap peers. He has an understanding of riding a beat that touches on his Southern (sometimes this brings his overall skill down as the South is notoriously not flow oriented) upbringing as well as his relocation to New York City. Lyrically, he is often above average, but there are moments where his rhymes and schemes seem a little elementary. This tends to be in the beginning part of the tape and gets better as it progresses. It is of note that every freestyle on the disc, including a stellar rendition of "Dead Presidents" by Jay-Z and a very solid take of Talib Kweli's "Get By". It's clear J. Cole is a rapper and not a gimmick.

Yet the savior status some are ascribing to the young man is a bit much. Sure, he can rhyme, he can produce, and he has a flow that rivals some of the best out; but there is still something that screams "only pretty good" about him. J. Cole is an incredibly talented commercial rapper with the chance for a stunning career, but he's going to need to put a little more work and effort into the mainstream before he can move into the realm of serious contenders for the future of hip hop and not just a promising rookie.

3.5 out of 5