J. Cole shifts to his highest gear in “The Off-Season.”

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STREAM

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TOP 5

5. t h e . c l i m b . b a c k

There are a bunch of outstanding instrumentals on this glorious album, but not many pierce the soul like “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k.” It has the kind of sound a true music connoisseur is supposed to appreciate.

As for J. Cole, I love how he approaches the track with calculated, controlled aggression, demanding respect every step of the way. It’s almost like he’s doing the most rugged tango imaginable with the beat, tearing it apart whenever it steps on his feet.

These are the kinds of joints that remind you Cole is a professional rapper. No, he ain’t no Tubi rapper.

4. 9 5 . s o u t h

As a Diplomats fan, I can honestly say I damn near teared up hearing Cam’ron open up “9 5 . s o u t h,” the intro to the album.

How refreshing was it to hear J. Cole start off The-Offseason going crazy? Gassed up by Cam’ron and Lil Jon’s The East Side Boyz (Remember them?), Cole drops killer bars using tamed deliveries, explosive deliveries, steady flows, and punchlines that will go over your head like a halo (That Luigi’s brother line was sick as f**k). At the end of the day, the best part of the song is how, lyrically, Cole demands respect from his competition in every single way.

3. a m a r i

If they ever decided to remake Lassie, I could see the instrumental that drives “a m a r i” being the perfect backdrop for the theme song. The Adventures of Trap Lassie.

J. Cole meets the urgency of the dramatic production perfectly, switching between an outside voice and a more subdued tone while spitting his bars with the kind of speed that reminds me of when I used to get a whole message off before they started charging for collect calls back in the day. OK, I’m aging myself.

There’s just something special and striking about this track.

2. p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l (Ft. Lil Baby)

Simply based on mathematics, “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” is not supposed to work. A lyrical miracle rapper and Lil Baby are not supposed to sound so fluent on a record together. Somehow, it works. Why? Because J. Cole enters Baby’s world, delivering something emotional and melody-heavy. He also gets a chance to spit gritty bars that remind you nothing is sweet with his pen.

As for Baby, his slurry, slick style fits the production so damn well. By the way, the production is arguably the track’s hottest part. It has this elegant, extra smooth feel that works perfectly. What a damn gem.

1. m y . l i f e (Ft. Morray & 21 Savage)

Of course, 21 Savage had to pay J. Cole back for the verse that the North Carolina rapper gave him on “a lot.” In “m y . l i f e,” 21 hits us with one of his most gassed-up, most poised, most vulnerable, and most impressive verses to date.

Of course, Morray had to pay J. Cole back for signing him. In “m y . l i f e,” he makes sure to bless us with a hook that is as emotional as an episode of ROC.

While I love what both 21 Savage and Morray were able to provide us with in this song, at the end of the day, Cole sounds way too hungry, too rabid, too focused, too dynamic, and too confrontational to be given third place.

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SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. 9 5 . s o u t h (4.5/5)

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RGM GRADE

(87%)

I have to collect myself after listening to this album (Give me a second, please).

OK, I’m back! So why do I think that The-Offseason is the album of the year so far? Here’s why:

You get a version of Cole that we’ve been waiting for. Throughout his career, I feel like he toyed with all sorts of gears, never really shifting to his top gear. In The-Offseason, Cole shifts to his highest gear, breaking the goddamn clutch in the process.

Not only does he hit us with flows that I literally was stunned by, but he also hits us with unbelievable punchlines, super competitive lyrics, great stories, crazy wordplay, tons of energy, and deliveries that will make you think that he is rap’s version of the dude from Bar Rescue. In other words, you get a version of Cole that holds zero back in the album.

You also get a good mix of old-school, soulful, and riveting instrumentals, some surprising features, and epic titles. My only beef with the album is that the titles have so many f**king spaces in them (Do you know how hard it was writing them out?)!

After listening to The Offseason, I am proud to announce that J. Cole has officially clinched a spot as one of my top 5 rappers of all time.

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