The identity of the narrator is also revealed as JermaineвЂ™s friend James, who died at 22 years old from reasons previously explained in вЂњVille Mentality.вЂќ One canвЂ™t help but ponder the irony, as another black man was taken victim by the streets and will probably be remembered with a mentality of negativity, even as he tried to change his ways toward the end of his life. вЂњThe only real change comes from inside.вЂќ Maybe the hook explains the change in tone the best: However, with all of the unapologetic nature of the first verse, the second verse sees ColeвЂ™s character making an attempt to live life through more sustainable means, trading his gun in for a basketball and beginning to make an attempt to discard his old demons. He claims that God, if there is such a thing, will understand his intentions, and that his reason for his sinning isnвЂ™t for the sake of fulfilling his vices, but with the intention of creating a better life for the people who now depend on him.Дoing dirt, hoping to God he knows my intentions/

Cole raps over an upbeat, yet still sleepy beat, as he narrates a renewal of hope, but also acknowledges the fact that mistakes will still be made, as is the nature of humanity. Immediately, this next track contrasts the last, not so much in tone, but in tempo. However, the speaker also explains that the same factors that have caused him to operate with his previously discussed mentality are now making it hard to open up to the subject of the song and fully accept her love in all of his vulnerability. Once again, Cole sings over a sleepy beat about вЂњhisвЂќ first time falling in love, saying that вЂњheвЂќ doesnвЂ™t want to die anymore, presumably because of the reason to live вЂњsheвЂќ represents. At this point, itвЂ™s safe to say that this personвЂ™s is the perspective from which J. The second half of the song feature a little girl narrating her fatherвЂ™s death as she understands it, with him falling victim to the вЂњVille MentalityвЂќ being set up by his friend in the pursuit of illegal activities. HeвЂ™ll change later.Д¬oleвЂ™s singing voice isnвЂ™t great, but as usual, if fits song well, with his painful vocals being a perfect compliment to the instruments and subject matter of the song.

However, lack of a way out encourages him to continue in his current actions and mentality, even to his detriment. He also exhibits thoughts of ambition, wanting to move to a different location where he can be more productive, and a generally better person. Over the jazzy piano and bass, Cole, aided by his usual multiple layers of background vocals, sings about another existential crisis, wondering how long he can survive with his mentality. This album is definitely meant to be played in its entirety during the car ride on a gloomy day. Cole (or whoever his persona is for this album) seems to be narrating a story in which he tries to get next to a girl that isnвЂ™t single, claiming that heвЂ™s more suited for her because he has вЂњbigger dreams.вЂќ And just like вЂњExchange,вЂќ this song seems like banger, not because of a lack of depth, but because of the simple flow, head-knocking beat and hook, and heavy base. Oh, snap, this is over the Bryson Tiller вЂњExchangeвЂќ beat (which is actually just a slowed-down loop from whatever sample used in like the only song Charles Hamilton ever dropped).

Have you ever seen a mothaf*ckinвЂ™ ribbon in the sky?ДЄlso, Cole touches on the subject of whether itвЂ™s more meaningful to burn bright and die young, or to live a long, unfulfilled life, drawing parallels with many of the late great rappers whom never got the recognition they deserved until after the fact. Have you ever seen your brother go to prison as you cry? Producing no singles and having no features, the album, which would go on to be certified double Platinum, presented Cole from a drastically different perspective than the narratives of his previous projects, addressing themes such as the dynamics of leaving home to follow oneвЂ™s dreams, blind to the struggles of those left behind, returning home to see the drought in juxtaposition to oneвЂ™s success, and the general status of being famous, in all of its gilded nature.

While Born Sinner was a concise project that solidified ColeвЂ™s place among the pantheon of new-age rappers within the Hip-hop community, it wasnвЂ™t until 2014 Forest Hills Drive that Cole received the props heвЂ™d always deserved from the general public. Much more self-contained than the first Born Sinner more easily fell into the category of a concept album, addressing a few different themes throughout the entirety of the album, including duality, loss of faith, both in oneself and in institutions, and the effects of money on the psyche of both society and the individual. While the song structure and lyricism on the first album was a good start, Born Sinner easily surpassed it, both sonically, and with its content.

J cole immortal live