Hip-Hop and rap figures often have rough and sometimes controversial upbringings and lifestyles. So, it is strange to consider the life of Jermaine Lamarr Cole, better known as J. Cole. He easily ranks as one of the most successful and influential rappers of his generation, and possibly many that will follow. But what are the Best J. Cole Songs of All Time? Let’s find out, but first…
A little history
Born on an army base in Germany, J. Cole expressed an interest in music and basketball from a very early age. He received his first sampler as a teenager and was already rapping and filling notebooks with ideas for material.
Eventually, he would receive a drum machine and begin developing his production skills and talent. Somehow, he even found time to be a first-chair violinist in an orchestra. An uncommon path to Hip-Hop fame, to say the least.
Multi-talented…
Cole was the first artist to be signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label. Since then, he’s had tremendous success as a musician and producer.
He has a habit of turning everything he touches into gold… no wait, sorry, platinum. I mean that literally, all five of his albums have been certified platinum. Oh, and he’s also found time to be a professional Basketball player.
So, now that you know his background, here are my picks for the best songs by J. Cole, starting with…
Top 50 Best J. Cole Songs of All Time
1 p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l
Album: The Off-Season
Cole was 36 years old when he laid this one down in the booth. The reasons for this one making my list are twofold.
Firstly, it’s a great example of one of J. Cole’s best and most enduring qualities as an artist and a person. His blunt and open honesty. Secondly, you can hear a masterfulness in delivery that only comes from artists having done their thing for so many years.
Knowing yourself…
There’s a vulnerability to the delivery on this one. Self-criticism and reflection are not new themes to J. Cole’s music, but this one has a flavor we’d never tasted before. He knows what he’s achieved and represents as an artist, but you can hear that he knows things are (were) changing.
Icons remain eternal, though, and he’s going to stand the test of time. Not because of his boasting, but because his music speaks for itself.
2 Crooked Smile
Album: Born Sinner
It might sound like I’m getting hung up on the same thing, but “Crooked Smile” is sort of in the same vein as my first pick. But, it comes at it from another angle.
Still, we have that trademark raw and honest delivery that is unique to Cole. For me, though, the highlight of this song is in its inherently positive message.
“So all you see is what you lackin’, not what you packin’/Take it from a man that loves what you got/And baby girl, you a star, don’t let ’em tell you you’re not.”
Grin and bear it…
Accepting one’s insecurities and faults as a fact of life rarely sets in at a young age. Yet, here we have Cole implying to the young generation not to beat themselves up. You don’t conquer demons when you grow up; you just realize they’re not real.
Crooked Smile sampled Jennifer Hudson’s “No One Gonna Love You” and peaked at #27 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100.
3 Power Trip (feat. Miguel)
Album: Born Sinner
When this monster of a track came along, J. Cole had already had a successful single. However, it was a song he’d quickly put together and therefore knew what that short-term rush felt like.
It didn’t take him long to get bored with that, though. As you can hear from the opener on his sophomore offering, it has a much more “time has been taken” sound to it.
The time and effort taken paid off…
Getting the assist from Miguel during the chorus and displaying some creative production skills helped take this song to the next level. And it turned out as the perfect lead single for the record, as well as being one of J. Cole’s most popular songs.
Also, there is a healthy dose of J. Cole’s singing voice. This foreshadows a motif to come in abundance in future offerings. Furthermore, it is one of the best J. Cole songs of all time.
4 In The Morning
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
This one proves two very important things. First, we need to hear more collaborations between Drake and Cole. Second, it proves that, even back then, Cole was good enough to roll with some of the heaviest heavyweights.
Neither Drake nor Cole had achieved close to the status they would at the time this song was made. But, when you listen to it, you can already hear that they are going nowhere but up.
It also increased their popularity among the ladies even more. Although, many have thought such a thing to be scientifically impossible.
5 Neighbors
Album: 4 Your Eyez Only
True, the album 4 Your Eyez Only got hit with a lot of slack for being mundane or a bit “vanilla.” Yet, there was no disputing the banger that was “Neighbors.” And the great story that inspired it only helped fuel its success.
Instrumentally, it has a great mix of knocking 808 drums sounds, interspersed with snappy high-end snares. There are also some reversed chords from “Forbidden Fruit.”
The Inspiration…
At the heart of this song’s appeal is the story behind it. You can go and watch the music video if you feel like doing yourself a giant favor. Neighbors of Cole had suspected him and his friends of running some kind of drug operation out of his North Carolina home.
This suspicion ended in a raid carried out by a SWAT team. There’s some great footage of this caught by the security cams in Cole’s house, and he decided to make use of it (like I said, go and watch the music video).
6 Apparently
Album: Forest Hills Drive
This song makes something very clear to us as listeners. And that is that J. Cole is a very multi-faceted artist who should not be placed in any one box. He challenges himself creatively every single time he embarks on a project.
Self-written and produced, “Apparently” was nominated for a Grammy. It’s the perfect showcase of his many talents and how they would come to serve him in the future. The long hours of work and many challenges he’s had to face along the way will pay off, and he knows it.
On to bigger and better…
This song marked a point in J. Cole’s career. It is where he transitioned from being just a rapper with tremendous skill to a serious star.
There are some great lyrics in this one, as there are in all his songs. But, a standout line would have to be, “I don’t know freedom/I want my dreams to rescue me.” It’s an underrated J. Cole song but is easily one of his best.
7 Lights Please
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
It’s probably been more than a minute since you heard this one. But you probably can remember hearing it quite a few times when it first hit. That’s because it contains something that Cole has become quite adept at imbuing his songs with – the ability to stand the test of time.
Once again, we have a song that attests to Cole’s skills as a producer. Something for which he doesn’t get nearly enough credit, I would say. The style in which he chose to deliver this somewhat somber message also put this track off to the side a bit. But in the best possible way.
It’s a somber and soulful critique of some of the unsavory characters Cole has come across in his career. Furthermore, it was one of J. Cole’s biggest hits that helped jump-start his career.
8 Love Yourz
Album: Forest Hills Drive
I was first introduced to this song by a friend who called it a “three-minute therapy session to get you off your ass.” Indeed, that describes it accurately.
Over a simple beat, Cole reminds us that we are prone to think the grass is greener everywhere else. Also, we never stop to imagine that everyone probably feels this way. That begs the question, “Where is the grass really greener?”
It never is greener…
If we take some time to realize how good we’ve got it at the moment, and how bad it has been in the past, we are likely to find more reasons to be happy than to be sad. “There’s no such thing as a better life than yours.”
As with all his material. We have an honest and sincere delivery of a very simple and true message:
“Always gon’ be a whip that’s better than the one you got/Always gon’ be some clothes that’s fresher than the ones you rock/Always gon’ be a b–ch that’s badder out there on the tours/But you ain’t never gon’ be happy ’til you love yours.”
9 4 Your Eyez Only
Album: 4 Your Eyez Only
In the world of Hip-Hop, releasing tracks that top three minutes is kind of risky. Modern audiences don’t have time for long tracks anymore. Yet, we have J. Cole dropping a whopping nine-minute monster as the closer to his album.
This song was a homage to a slain friend from J. Cole’s neighborhood. He ended up dedicating the entire album, and specifically this track, to his late friend and the daughter who survives him. For me, this is J. Cole’s storytelling ability at his very best.
A Powerful Track…
This song speaks of thousands of people across the world trying to raise families in hard circumstances, whether they be social, financial, or just tragic, like the case of Cole’s friend.
While he might be telling the story of a specific person, the lyrics can easily apply to situations across the world. That’s what gives it its power. And, if you’re going to make a nine-minute song, better make it about something important.
Good thing he did just that. As a result, it’s one of the most successful J. Cole songs ever.
10 Dollar and a Dream II
Album: The Come Up
This one contains a lot of social commentaries, specifically about the music industry. Cole takes notice of how much praise he receives from people who are essentially strangers. He is heralded by some as the future of the genre because he stays true to the roots of Rap.
Do you wanna be in the business?
There is the business of music, and then there’s the music business. Cole makes it very clear that you need to know where the lines are if you are to make it in this world.
Many choose to view the relationship between labels and artists as black and white. But, Cole chooses to acknowledge the hard truth. It’s all just varying shades of grey that come and go like the tides of popularity ebb and flow.
Once again, we have a brutally honest delivery of intelligent and relevant lyrics. As well as great social commentary that makes this a song to listen to instead of just hearing. All told, it is one of the best J. Cole songs of all time.
11 False Prophets
Album: False Prophets
There was a long silence after J. Cole had huge success with “No Role Modelz.” This deafening silence was only pierced by small collaborations here and there with the likes of Janet Jackson and Jeremih.
Many have speculated as to whom the rapper means when he says “false prophets.” Although, I’m quite sure he’s written this one in such a way as to apply to as many people as possible. After all, that is what good lyrics need to do.
Aside from that…
There are some direct references to the genre and the world of music in general. Cole unashamedly shares his thoughts and feelings, and considering his position in the industry, they carry some weight. It’s one of J. Cole’s most influential songs and a must-listen if you’re a fan.
This one cruises over a great beat which doesn’t have a normal feel to it. If you analyze the technique and production of this track, you will also get a good idea of how impeccably talented and skilled a musician J. Cole is.
12Wet Dreamz
13ATM
14Can’t Get Enough (feat. Trey Songz)
15Nobody’s Perfect (feat. Missy Elliott)
16She Knows (feat. Amber Coffman)
17Forbidden Fruit (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
18Power Trip (feat. Miguel)
19Love Yourz
20Kevin’s Heart
21A Tale of 2 Citiez
22Change
234 Your Eyez Only
24Interlude
251985 (Intro to “The Fall Off”)
26St. Tropez
27The London (feat. Young Thug and Travis Scott)
28January 28th
29Crooked Smile
30Neighbors
31She’s Mine, Pt. 1
32The Climb Back
3303′ Adolescence
34No Role Modelz
35Dollar and a Dream II
36Can I Holla at Ya
37Lost Ones
38Immortal
39Work Out
40KOD
41Born Sinner
42False Prophets
43Land of the Snakes
44Cole World
45Deja Vu
46Let Nas Down
47Tale of 2 Citiez
48Be Free
49Lights Please
50Apparently
Want To Find More Awesome Songs?
We can help with that. Take a look at our detailed articles on the Best Lil Wayne Songs of All Time, the Best Drake Songs of All Time, the Best Kanye West Songs of All Time, the Best John Legend Songs of All Time, and the Best Ja Rule Songs Of All Time for more great song selections.
Best J. Cole Songs of All Time – Conclusion
Whether he’s on the court with teammates or blasting through verses without backup in the studio, J. Cole is one of the most prolific, talented, and influential rappers of his age.
Despite having been mislabeled and misunderstood at first, he’s proven himself a skilled lyricist, producer, and wise human being. Never boasting about his feats, he lets them speak for themselves. And, throughout it all, he’s done the most important thing. He stayed honest and true to himself.
Until next time, happy listening.
