Fall-Off

The Fall-Off is the seventh studio album from North Carolina rapper J. Cole, positioned as his final album and magnum opus. The lengthy double album follows a loose concept of Cole returning home at 29 (The Fall-Offs first half) and again at 39 (on the second half) to show how his ambitions and career have changed over time. The songs representing Cole’s mindset at 29 aren’t too far removed from the style of his earlier albums and mixtapes, with dramatic samples and pushy beats supporting lyrics of struggle and self-assessment. This can show up as energetic material like the forceful and exciting track “Two Six,” but more often, Cole’s performances are subdued and reflective, as with the moody piano loops of “Drum n Bass” or the mournful old-school sounds of Future collaboration “Run a Train.” The “39” portion of The Fall-Off takes more risks and sees Cole expanding his reach from the nostalgia of the album’s first half to more existential concepts. “39 Intro” sets a tone of exploration, with an instrumental that switches from spacy acoustic guitars and prog rock riffs before settling on a driving hip-hop beat, one that Cole attacks with a speedy multi-syllabic flow. Petey Pablo, Burna Boy, Morray, and Erykah Badu all make appearances, with Badu singing a hook from an early OutKast hit on “The Villest” that adds warmth and familiarity to the already great track. Elsewhere, Cole ponders the limits of reality, walking through his entire life on album standout “The Fall-Off Is Inevitable,” and going so far as to re-imagine a world where 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. squashed the beef and both lived on “What If.” The Fall-Off is another excellent chapter of J. Cole’s unique lyrical perspectives and his skill for creating dense, biographical rap songs that aren’t so weighed down with conscious messaging that they lose any fun. It’s a long journey through a track list that approaches two hours of music, but if time does indeed reveal it to be his final album, The Fall-Off is a worthy swan song. ~ TiVo Staff