I hate that hip-hop cliché… you know the one. The one folks use when lauding an artist — established or emerging — for his or her lyrical prowess, finesse, double entendres, ferocity, an so on.
“(Insert name here) is the TRUTH.”
It’s one of those terms that is stamped into the genre’s archives, and despite its veracity, has been misused and abused. Quite trite, to say the least. But today, I’m going against my list of not-to-do’s and not-to-say’s, courtesy of that Fayetteville boy, J. Cole.
Jermaine re-entered the social space yesterday, simply tweeting, “The Cure,” after a three-month hiatus that left devoted fans — and his one million new Twitter followers — wondering just where in the world Jermaine Cole was hiding out. Apparently, the 27-year-old Roc Nation protégé was mixing up a special elixir to remedy our post-Sideline Story cravings.
“The Cure,” which premiered today on his Dreamvillain blog, samples the anthemic “Lift Off,” from boss Jay-Z and collaborator Kanye West‘s Watch The Throne. Cole’s coy-cum-confident flow reflects his lack of desire to saturate the market with weekly, weak drops; how he triumphed over the “I would be Memphis Bleek” stigma (assuring that both live comfortably, especially under the umbrella of a certain Mr. Carter); and prefers “lonely,” keeping his entourage — or lack thereof — to a bare minimum. He even shouts out super fan Jaheim, who, like Cole, is still breathing, and “here for a reason.“
Favorite line:They say ‘boy you got the belt/ Plus you better than so-and-so / I keep it modest, but inside, I already know it though.
He’s the truth. He knows it. And he wants you to know he knows, all over again.
Image courtesy of Dreamvillain.net
