KOD Review!

On April 20, 2018, J. Cole released his fifth studio album titled, KOD. The album came rather unexpectedly, with Cole only giving fans about a week to prepare for the project. Through his Twitter account, Cole announced the album with a tweet that read:

New album. KOD 4/20

— J. Cole (@JColeNC) April 17, 2018

Around the same time, Cole announced surprise meet and greets for fans in New York and London. Each event turned out to be a listening session for the album. Wide speculation erupted regarding the meaning of the album's title, KOD. J. Cole responded to this confusion with a tweet that read:

KOD. 3 meanings.

Kids on Drugs
King Overdosed
Kill Our Demons

The rest of the album I leave to your interpretation.

— J. Cole (@JColeNC) April 19, 2018

Upon release of the tracklist, fans were shocked to see two tracks listed with features credited to an artist named kiLL edward. This came as a surprise to people who knew J. Cole for going platinum with no features on his two previous albums, 2014 Forest Hills Drive and 4 Your Eyez Only. After thorough investigation, fans found little evidence of anyone named kiLL edward. However, a single track titled "Tidal Wave (just a little reference)"  appeared on streaming services, which fans soon found out to be J. Cole's alter ego.


With everything surrounding the album, its release was highly anticipated through its few days of promotion. I for one, had no idea of what to expect from this project. We've seen Cole go in a variety of artistic directions through the years, so it was interesting to see what messages he wanted to send with KOD. Tuning in on the midnight of its release, I was ready for the thought-provoking introspective tracks that J. Cole's music often provides. The album consists of twelve tracks that deal with various themes. Some of the subjects Cole talks about include dealing with pain, drug culture, taxes, temptation, and much more. I was impressed by Cole's production throughout the album. He includes more fast-paced tracks like "KOD" and "ATM", which distinguishes this project from the laid-back vibes of his two previous albums. Lyrically, the album paints a powerful picture. Cole possesses a unique gift for storytelling and speaking for underrepresented groups. I've listened to the album several times since its initial release. Each time I find something else to digest. I feel Hip-Hop needed this cultural criticism coming from a respected figure like J. Cole. On the track "1985- Intro to "The Fall Off"", Cole rips through an unidentified young rapper whose apparently been playing around his name. Fans have their theories of who the song may be towards, but it's all speculation at this point. As the album has only been out a day, it will be exciting to see what visuals and more come from its release. The video for "ATM" was released on the day of the album, which is definitely interesting to watch.



KOD is a great listen in my opinion. Through the album, you're taken inside of Cole's experiences and given his perspective of the world. Definitely give it a listen. I'll be vibing out to this one for awhile. My favorite tracks are "Kevin's Heart" and "FRIENDS". Thanks for reading!