J. Cole’s The Fall Off has been teased since his 2018 album KOD. Cole built up The Fall Off to be the closer to his career and something he couldn’t top. While I never have been Cole’s largest fan, I still was excited for The Fall Off. I mean, after 7 years, of course, it was very hyped up. This album sits as the end of an era for Cole, and while there might be music in the future, even another teased album, It’s a boy—The Fall Off is a good ending.
The Fall Off is a double album split into two discs titled 29 and 39 respectively. Cole clearly put a lot of thought into the structure of the album, and for the most part, it works really well. 29 and 39 are the stories of two times Cole returned to his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. At 29, Cole returned home after first blowing up and then living in New York. At 39, Cole has matured and appears to have come to peace with who he is and what his career means to those around him.
29 starts strong with a slow acoustic intro broken up by gunshots, throwing us straight into “Two Six” with its fast-paced bars and abrasive beat. Songs like “Safety” and “Run A Train” have Cole speaking on a form of survivor’s guilt he may feel, as he made it out and made it big with rapping in New York while he left all of those he loves behind in the Ville. The production is strong throughout the whole record, with songs being produced by producers like The Alchemist and T-Minus. Across 29, Cole feels this mix of nostalgia and regret for how both he and his city have changed.
I think the last song on the first half, “Lonely at the Top”, says best how Cole felt after he blew up. “And I ain’t hatin’, just more so thinkin’ ’bout complacence and the realization/That one day that’s what my fate is/Their greatest hits fill up my playlist, not so much their latest And I fuckin’ hate it” The album is named The Fall Off because he feels thats an eventual certainty for some artists, even the ones he looked up to as a kid.
Falling off is universal across all arts, and now the internet speeds it up tenfold. One week you blow up and become a meme, next week you are shilling cryptocurrency because no one will look your way. Granted, someone as big as J. Cole will always have an audience, but artists at the top of their game can always fall off and never again meet their old highs.
“39 intro” does a similar thing to what 29 does, but more effectively. Halfway through the song, the melodic intro changes into a fast-paced trap beat, but it doesn’t lose its vibe and still keeps a good bounce with Cole’s bars. Cole has sung in the past on songs, but it was never too much of a focus on his projects. Here, it works, especially in 39. On “The Villest” he puts on a good performance but gets outmatched by Erykah Badu. 39 and the album ends strong with “and the whole world is the Ville” and “Ocean Way”.
39’s best song is definitely “I Love Her Again”. Initially, the story it tells is that of a girl Cole once loved and chased so he could finally have her, but as time went on, he saw her change and realized she couldn’t be his. Cole uses this woman as a metaphor for hip-hop. He went to college in New York due to its culture, but he learned that it had grown larger in Atlanta. As time goes on, hip-hop always changes and finds a new sound, and there will be those who don’t like it and miss what it used to be.
Cole says, “The problem from the start is I was just tryna to possess her and have her for my own, didn’t wanna let her roam Mama said, “You should’ve known she was like that when you met her.” You can’t force the art to only be in your vision, it’s something that changes with the times.
What keeps the concept of the double record from working to its fullest is the contrast between many songs that follow each other. Songs like “Poor Thang” or “WHO TF IZ U” on their own are bangers, but they don’t fit their spot in the album. Cole will choose to move straight from a super heartfelt lyrical song to a fast paced trappier sound. I think some reordering would help with the tonal shock, but also, the album is incredibly long. With an 1 hour 41 minute length there are some moments which drag, and it would be a stronger project with a few songs cut.
For what was meant to be Cole’s “final album” I think he did a pretty good job. It’s definitely not his best project (that’s 4 Your Eyez Only), but he still has great lyricism and flow to make these songs interesting. What holds The Fall Off from being a great album is also what makes it unique, its structure. Songs work on their own, but together they repeat many of the same messages, and instead of creating a consistent vibe, you fall off what could have been.
Overall Rating: 8.2/10
Favorite Songs: SAFETY, Run A Train, Lonely at the top, 39 Intro, What If, I Love Her Again, and Ocean Way
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