'Cole World: The Sideline Story' marks rapper's big entrance

After much anticipation, North Carolina native Jermaine Cole released his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story in September. Cole, known by his moniker J. Cole, had reportedly been working on perfecting the album for a long time, and the effort can definitely be seen.

While the album tends to reflect some aspects of mainstream music at times, it also reveals many flashes of the lyrical brilliance found in Cole's mixtapes. His coarse voice, combined with an eclectic mix of wordplay and punchlines, essentially makes the album. The St. John's University graduate raps in almost perfect rhythm with the beats, occasionally pausing or repeating parts of his verses for more emphasis. Furthermore, he shows the rare ability to balance a degree of cockiness and humility at the same time. The album's lyrical content is reflective of Cole's true self and never comes off as too exaggerative.

One of the several tracks that stand out is "Rise and Shine," which opens with an audio clip of Jay-Z saying that he wants to find the next big rapper and sign him. The insertion of the clip into the track is obviously Cole's attempt to suggest that he is that rapper, and Cole shows why after it ends. The track makes a slow transition from the short clip to a sample of "Arise, Shine" by Greg Dykes and then follows with a hard marching-band percussion. Cole then unleashes his lyrical talent, addressing his critics and subtly discussing his humble beginnings. At one point, he makes sure to set himself apart from the rest, claiming "Some say that rap's alive, it turns out that I'm the proof/ 'Cause the ones y'all thought would save the day can't even tie my boots."

"God's Gift," another appealing track, is more assertive in expressing Cole's confidence in the rap game. With a heavenly instrumental playing in the background, Cole becomes more and more aggressive in cementing his status as a hip-hop artist. He says, "Jigga wouldn't even take my CD when he seen me/ Two years later b*tch, we made it on, on to the Blueprint." Clearly, the rising star believes he has every right to be seen as one of the best contemporary rappers, and, from a critic's point of view, he is justified in believing so. "God's Gift" showcases his energy and is clear evidence of Cole's ambition to be one of the most successful rappers of his time.

Aside from the impressive lyrical content, what also stands out is the fact that Cole himself produced most of the tracks. Though hailing from the South, he differentiates himself from his peers by sampling several classic and obscure tracks and then providing a unique beat to complement each sample. Whereas many hip-hop tracks produced in the South are slightly similar in their percussion patterns, Cole's are unpredictable. The bass is strong yet subtle, making the listening experience enjoyable, if not addicting.

With all that being said, J. Cole's album is a must-have. Hip-hop fans who have yet to get the album definitely should. You might find yourself even listing him as one of your top five rappers dead or alive.