J. Cole What Dreams May Comes Tour Trailer

I've seen him live for his Dollar and a Dream show in NYC for his first album and he is great live.  I also saw him as an opening act for a Jay-Z Blueprint III tour and Drake's Club Paradise tour and while a lot of people have seen him as an opening act, he can definitely carry he own show.  Wale is great live too.  I saw him on his college tour with Big Sean and the Clipse in 2010 and he was great live.  Energy never diminished.  Tour dates for What Dream May Come Tour are here.

J. Cole Featuring Wale What Dreams May Come Tour Dates

 

Sept. 10 – Miami, FL – James L. Knight Center

Sept. 12 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live

Sept. 13 – Tampa, FL – David A. Straz Performing Arts Center

Sept. 14 – Jacksonville, FL – Moran Theater

Sept. 15 – Augusta, GA – William B. Bell Auditorium

Sept. 17 – Charlotte, NC – Halton Arena @ UNC Charlotte

Sept. 19 – St. Louis, MO – Fabulous Fox Theatre

Sept. 21 – Chicago, IL – Arie Crown Theatre

Sept. 24 – Boston, MA – Agganis Arena @ Boston University

Sept. 25 – Philadelphia, PA – The MANN

Sept. 27 – Cleveland, OH – State Theatre

Sept. 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE

Oct. 2 – Norfolk, VA – Chrysler Hall

Oct. 4 – Atlanta, GA – The Fox Theatre Atlanta

Oct. 8 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall

Oct. 10 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple Theatre

Oct. 12 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom

Oct. 13 – St. Paul, MN – Myth

Oct. 15 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland by AMC

Oct. 17 – New Orleans, LA – Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena

Oct. 18 – Houston, TX – Reliant Arena

Oct. 19 – Austin, TX – Austin Music Hall

Oct. 20 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

Oct. 22 – Broomfield, CO – 1st Bank Center

Oct. 25 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

Oct. 27 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre

Oct. 30 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre

J. Cole's Born Sinner becomes number 1 album during its 3rd week of release

When I first heard that J. Cole was moving up his release date to the same day as Kanye, I thought it

was a suicidal move.  We all know what happen when 50 Cent tried to do that in 2007 when Kanye released "Graduation" and 50 Cent released...does anyone even remember the name of that album?  Exactly.  All the coverage, not just the hip hop or music coverage of that week and the weeks leading up to it, would be focused on Kanye.  Why sacrifice a number 1 album, like he had with his debut album "Cole World: The Sideline Story?"
After thinking it through a bit more, releasing the album the same day as Kanye might be a better move then releasing it a week later like originally planned.  By releasing it the same day, people will be already be buying that genre of music and would see J. Cole and Kanye's album.  Also, it wouldn't be living in the shadows of of Kanye's record and be forgotten in the following week.  J. Cole addressed why he was releasing the song the same day as Kanye the same day in the song "Forbidden Fruit"

I'mma drop the album same day as Kanye
Just to show the boyz I'm the man now like Wanyá
And I don't mean no disrespect, I praise legends
But this what's next, the boy sick, can't disinfect

The Wanyá reference is a Boyz II Men reference, one of the singers from the group.  By dropping the day that same album as Kanye he is showing that he is an man and is ready for what is next.

When "Born Sinner" was released, it premiered behind Kanye and had the number 2 spot.  The following week it beat Kanye, who was number 3 but the newest release, Wale's "The Gifted" was number one.  This week, the third release of the album, J. Cole is number 1.  Albums usually debut at number 1 because that's when biggest sales tend to be.  However, J. Cole being number one its 3rd week reflects the strength of the album.  Word of mouth is the best advertising so people were obviously not disappointed in the album.  Also, by having the number one album in the country, it will lead to even more sales because of the prestige.  The hype will lead others to look into the album.

[Album Review] Born Sinner-J. Cole

J. Cole starts off the album letting us know "it's way darker this time,"  referring to the lighter fare of his debut album "Cole World: The Sideline Story."  Its a bit eerie, because "Cole World" had its dark moments, with subject like abortion, abandonment, and adultery.  How much darker can he get?
Well, he gets dark.  Pretty much pitch black. "Born Sinner" is the exploration of the sinners of the world, including himself.  One of the topics he focuses on is what he gave up to be successful.  Many of the songs focus on him making a deal with the devil to be successful and wanting his soul back.  For instance, he feels that he was a sellout by giving in to the pressure of making more radio friendly music, such as his single "Work Out." This especially hurt him when he found out that his idol, Nas, hated the song, which he discusses in "Let Nas Down." Other themes Cole explores is the temptation of cheating, with songs like "She Knows" and "Runaway," and materialism on "Chaining Day."
While the album is quite dark, a bright spot on the album is "Crooked Smile" featuring TLC, which talks about inner beauty and loving yourself.  Despite the dark tone, he is optimistic, with the song "Born Sinner" declarying in the chorus with James Fauntleroy that "I'm a born sinner, but I die better than that."
In the album opening track, "Villumanti" J. Cole announces:
"Sometimes I brag like Hov
Sometimes I'm real like Pac  
Sometimes I focus on the flow to show the skills I got
Sometimes I focus on the dough
Look at these bills I got  
This is a message for some rappers trying to steal my spot"

He does all of this on the album, while showing that all the time, he is real like Cole.

If you are a fan of J. Cole's mixtapes, you will like his return to his original style and message.  Its very reminiscent of "The Warm Up" but goes deeper.  If you also liked "Cole World: The Sideline Story" you will also love this album.  Its the best rap album since "good kid, m.A.A.d city." and will be a stand out album of the year.

Stand Out Tracks:
Villumanati, She Knows, Rich N*ggaz

[Lyric Limelight] J. Cole - Born Sinner - LAnd of The Snakes

"Now if you only had one wish is it devious?
Cause you already know who your genie is
Can't get a cover now your mag on my penis
Like damn he turned out to be a genius"

"LAnd of the Snakes," the 3rd Track on J. Cole's "Born Sinner" is about him experiencing the celebrity life in LA and encountering people with bad intentions.  It goes along with his self exploration of being a sinner by the story of running into a girl that he played in college.  The above bars stand out to me not only on this track, but also on the entire album because the rhyming scheme is ingenious and really shows his lyrical and delivery skills.