J. Cole - The Warm Up

So apparently light-skinneded niggas are coming back. With everyone surgically attached to Drake's nuts now, I thought it was going to be hard for any of the new acts to get any press. This man (above) is looking like he might change that sooner than anyone thought. J. Cole, out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and fresh off being Jay's first Roc Nation signee, put out his second mixtape, "The Warm Up" a few days ago, to anticipation only matched by Drake's "So Far Gone". I must say, that I feel J. Cole a little bit more. I was unfamiliar with his first offering, "The Come Up" (check that out too!!!!), so hearing him for the first time felt awkward, like I should have known about dude months ago. This mixtape sounds and feels like an album (hell, even the cover looks album-quality). Lyrically, dude is a monster. He switches up his flow on every song, so he doesn't fall into the Wale trap. His punchlines sometimes take more that three or four listens to completely understand (so no Curren$y lines here) and his content is far and above anything that heads in his class (including Drake), this 'new' breed, have to offer. Real talk, Roc Nation has two BANGERS with him and Mickey Factz headlining. J. Cole is the REAL "Great Light Hype". Drake is cool, but this man takes interracially-charged rap to a whole new level. Make sure you check the mixtape download, the tracklist (on back cover), my picks and a few more goodies below:

J. Cole - The Warm Up



Cream of the Crop:
Young Simba
Just to Get By
Lights Please
Dead Presidents II
World is Empty
Get Away
Til' Inifinity

Cream of the Crap:
Welcome
Can I Live (both of these seemed a bit weak to start the mixtape with)