The Standout: J. ColeÔÇÖs ÔÇÿJermaineÔÇÖs InterludeÔÇÖ Paints A Portrait Of Sorrow, Passion And Depression

Getty Image

Listening to albums is a full time job. Every day, new bodies of work flood iTunes and your favorite mixtape sites. I love the process of giving an album a spin from start to finish. ItÔÇÖs like test driving a car: wavering back and forth between committing and seeking alternatives with every turn. After a few listens, I tend to pick out favorites I religiously quote, place on playlists and recommend to friends.

The Standout is here to highlight one record from a particular album that fits the criteria above.

Song: J. ColeÔÇÖs ÔÇ£JermaineÔÇÖs InterludeÔÇØ featuring EarthGang

Album: DJ KhaledÔÇÖs Major Key.

The 411: Do you want to hear J. Cole rap? Of course you do. ItÔÇÖs the selective process of which Cole pops up that makes people more and more eager to hear what he has to say. With ÔÇ£JermaineÔÇÖs InterludeÔÇØ being his first full song since Forest Hills Drive, we get to experience what life living inside his mind has been like. The aftermath of what happens when you go double platinum with no features. As much as this couldÔÇÖve been a celebratory track, itÔÇÖs far from the sort.

After EarthGang provides a trailer of whatÔÇÖs to come, J. Cole comes through with nights of crying and pain. Something is deeply affecting him. ÔÇ£I can see the future that weÔÇÖre heading, but I think itÔÇÖs better not to tell.ÔÇØ At this moment, the songÔÇÖs inspiration becomes clear. HeÔÇÖs speaking out about the police brutality toward the black community. Instead of raising hope and feeling like weÔÇÖre reaching a point of change, Cole understands that it has to get worse before it gets better and this weighs down the emotion in the words. We’re talking one of those moments where everything is overpowering and the end result is a genuinely concerned hook.

What Cole does well on this record is giving it multiple layers. As much as it is about the brutality, “Interlude” is also Cole displaying a personal take on his career. He raps about labels trying to get him to sell his soul, but more so speaking toward new artists. Cole shares this knowledge in a ÔÇ£been there, done thatÔÇØ fashion, and hopes to inspire the next artist to follow suit. In fact, an underlying tone in the song seems to be inspiring artists who think like him to use their voice much like he does in his music. Maybe even a call-to-action for his fellow peers.

The songÔÇÖs one verse closes with ÔÇ£said I could say, now I play with thoughts of retirement.ÔÇØ For J. Cole to be still young and at the top of the game, itÔÇÖs surprising to hear. After he said everything on the record, youÔÇÖd feel like Cole is someone needs to stick around. Again, these are merely thoughts and not anywhere near factual. You only contemplate retirement under two conditions: youÔÇÖve did it all or you canÔÇÖt do it. No matter where Cole is at in his career, both prerequisites can apply. The latter would be when the weight on his shoulders is overbearing. HeÔÇÖs one man, but Cole would be tricking himself if he didnÔÇÖt believe he had the influence to create change.

With so many young minds hanging on his words, ÔÇ£JermaineÔÇÖs InterludeÔÇØ will be a standout for J. ColeÔÇÖs 2016. Who knows if heÔÇÖll release an album before the yearÔÇÖs up. DJ Semtex says that heÔÇÖs working on one, but we were also teased that something was coming in February. ItÔÇÖs now August. ThereÔÇÖs no rush, either. J. ColeÔÇÖs appearance on DJ KhaledÔÇÖs Major Key shows that he has a lot to work with for the direction of his fourth album. Everything in ColeÔÇÖs world makes sense, nothing is random, so itÔÇÖs fair to believe that these thoughts lead into his next body of work.

Listen to “Jermaine’s Interlude” right here.

The Standout: J. ColeÔÇÖs ÔÇÿJermaineÔÇÖs InterludeÔÇÖ Paints A Portrait Of Sorrow, Passion And Depression : UPROXX