J.Cole: KOD REVIEW by Ivaylo S.


The middle child of the middle child of hip-hop, KOD is the perfect encapsulation of J. Cole’s art. Situated between his signature 2014 Forest Hills Drive and the meteoric rise of The Off-Season, this record serves as a microcosm of the North Carolina rapper’s own position in the rap game. If one was to interpret 2014 Forest Hills Drive as your Jay-Zs and Eminems, and The Off-Season as the new breed; KOD is ultimately J. Cole. With all his highs and lows.

King OverDose reigns supreme all over the first part of this record. From one of the best covers of the 2010s to the crushing, egomaniacal bravado of his own title track, this man is powerful, proud and addicted to everything on God’s green Earth. This is further developed excellently as Cole’s portrayal of these addictions, coupled with his untouchable storytelling ability, takes one on a journey through some incredibly relatable inner demons. The anxiety of love (Photograph), the betrayal of friends( The Cut Off), money and wealth(ATM and Motiv8) and the thought process of an adulterer on the album’s best track Kevin’s Heart are all masterfully brought to life while the listener is instantly hooked, craving further exploration of this flawed and twisted character.

And then it all evaporates. The album begins exploring the two other definitions of KOD, Kids On Drugs and Kill Our Demons and it falters on giving both of those very serious topics the justice they deserve. The Once An Addict interlude is brilliant but everything else surrounding this track is a bad attempt at conversion and at its worst moments, enlightened pretentiousness. There is no sign of King OverDose anymore and the concept of his character arc is completely thrown out the window. In this regard, KOD is a particularly frustrating record that leaves one wanting more, and not in a good way. Neverthless, this is not a bad album. It is brilliant at times and incredibly flawed at others but it succeeds in capturing the essence of one of the best of this generation. Warts and all.


J. Cole: KOD, 3.5/5


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