J Cole Refuses To Change & Accept His Role

J Cole’s team has convinced him to betray his dreadheaded vibed out image to participate in Django-Candyland, Negro vs Negro, Fight culture to entertain the masses. Instead of reclaiming a dormant lane of being himself and identifying with other young Black men that find their own joy, introspection, and self-acceptance in rare spaces, he’s resorting to low vibrational antics for professional attention.

J Cole could innovate a lane that was before it’s time. From Souls of Mischief to Digable Planets, there has been generational success for non “Gangsta” Rap, or those who document the scary and imperfect journey of obtaining self improvement. Despite the failed expertise of who or what is Hiphop and Rap, the industry in itself has been managed and dictated by observers curating in bad faith. So what he thinks he’s pleasing is really him seeking validation from what he thinks the industry feels a “tough guy” should project.

From depicting the duplicity of Hoteps and Fake Deep lyricists talking self development without the actual effort. To the gossip girl era of adult men practicing the petty culture they denied themselves as youth, to now practice in old age, his freestyle context is limiting him. At this point in the culture, Drake’s success won because he leaned into the try-hard behaviors many biracial and suburban Black kids experienced, when trying (and failing) at being a man in a commercialized world. It was hella cringe but, unfortunately it was a real life problem.

J Cole has to decide what being an adult man in today’s industry looks like when it doesn’t include antics and hyperbole. To be honest we don’t need the Madonna’fication of a rap star and if him being a WWE hippie is the only lazy way the industry knows how to market the image of Black(ish) men not active in drug, sex or street culture, maybe that’s the problem.

The systemic issue is that the industry is filled with simulated actors. Hood dudes trying to be intellectuals, intellectuals trying to be aloof. The irresponsible trying be business. The jealous trying to cheerleaders. False creatives trying to present as savants. The industry can no longer survive without actions of the authentic.

You can’t fake being Southern or Creative anymore. You can’t just say your a stylist or a painter cause it makes you as a “rapper” seem deep. The world is too small to not be called to task and for those who are really aren’t about that life. It’s the execution and waste of social evolution.

J Cole needs to know his role as the next phase of innovation otherwise he can no longer complain about being disrespected. He can’t be rewarded if he refuses to be himself. And the dormant lane of success without feral/bitter antics only existed because of who controlled the industry. They train Black talent to fight each other, with the idea that respect comes from attacking what is perceived as the top. Why? Because the hip hop/rap industry conditions Black men and women to fight gladiator style to prove they want it enough. And that fighting creates “improvement exhaustion,” prioritizing merely existing vs advancing.

Black artist have to prove to the non talented that their actual talent is enough for validation, and that validation is unfortunately tied to survival. All to beg and betray self understanding from those who only allow control from the middle.