Yes that’s right, we’ve got Cole World: The Sideline Story, and after extensive listens and re-listens, I’m going to tell you why you should go cop the homie J. Cole’s debut album. With 19 tracks spanning topics from women, struggles, hope, the good life, and more; this piece of work definitely lived up to what we expected it to be. By this point, most people who were hardcore fans like myself had given up on Cole due to the release of a few less than great singles and what seemed to be his shift from MC to mainstream puppet. This album will also silence those people, as Cole’s armor piercing lyrics are as tough as ever. The entire project was formulated as a “This is what I can do” style, incorporated multiple styles and a variety of features in order to let the world know that J. Cole wants everyone’s respect, whether under or above ground.

The intro begins with a clip of what sounds like J Cole telling his friends the story of his getting signed, from there we get sent into the first real song, Dollar and a Dream 3, which is just as good, if not better, than the previous 2 versions. He continues to tell you why he’s better than you, and by the end of the song, you would be wise to bow down if you didn’t initially agree.

The interlude tells a hilariously ironic story about how our homie was pulled over and thrown in jail just seconds after finding out that he was going to be signed by Jay-Z. He spends what he refers to as “The easiest night in jail.” The interlude’s sample of “The World is a Place” continues on into the next track “Sideline Story,” which ended becoming my personal favorite track.

The production on the album exceeded my expectations. If you know me then you know that a J. Cole production is not something I’d run to click on, but none of the songs had sub-par production, even with him in charge of the vast majority of production work.

Cole World: The Sideline Story drops September 27th and can be pre-ordered on iTunes here. Make sure you check it out and even if you do cop the leak, support the new generation of rappers and shell out the couple bucks. In the words of Cole himself, “This food for thought costs the same as two #3′s.”