ALBUM REVIEW – J. COLE

The Fall-Off, J. Cole’s said to be final album, has finally released after years of behind-the-scenes development. The record dropped on February 6th, 2026, spanning a whopping two discs and twenty-four songs.

The album showcases a pretty simplistic and minimal production style, this is most likely in order to attract focus towards Cole’s storytelling, which seems to be the main purpose of the record. The album is very reminiscent of “old school” hiphop and possesses a more soulful style. Most tracks are lyrically heavy and less catchy, with weaker hooks and low-key production. There definitely doesn’t seem to be much of a focus on making hits apart from maybe “Two Six” and “SAFETY”.

Nevertheless, the record dives into many meaningful themes throughout, with the majority focusing in on J. Cole’s relationship with fame and his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. He comments on his artistic and personal evolution throughout his career, battling with his sense of community and morals. There are moments where themes repeat themselves unnecessarily and bloat the album just a bit, but the lyricism and intention definitely makes up for it.

Judging as an entire body of work, I can’t help but feel the record doesn’t quite “resolve” the way it’s been expected to. Despite the final non-bonus track, “and the whole world is the Ville”, acting as a full circle moment for Cole to end the album with, it feels more like a reminisce than a resolution. However, this could be intentional too.

The Fall-Off is such a complex record, that it’s difficult to cover every aspect of it in such short period of time after release. Especially with myself not being much of a J. Cole listener either, I undoubtably cannot understand or appreciate this album the same way a fan would. But after a few thoughtful listens, this is what I can make of it.

LYRICAL INQUIRY’S RATING: 8/10

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