Cole World: The Sideline Story

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Before Jermaine Lamarr Cole went toe-to-toe with rap great, he was a 20-year-old college student with nothing more than a dollar and a dream, perched outside of New York City’s Baseline Studio in the rain, hoping to hand his demo to idol JAŸ-Z. He wouldn’t end up meeting JAŸ-Z that day, and wouldn’t for nearly five year. But this crucial in-between period—defined by sleepless night, undying hope, and untold hours spent perfecting his skills—would end up fueling Cole’s 2011 major label debut, <i>Cole World: The Sideline Story</i>. It’s an album that doubles as a blueprint for how to successfully break into the game—the kind of record the North Carolina MC could have used when he was younger. As he says himself: “I wish somebody made guidelines/On how to get up off the sideline.” Sonically, <i>The Sideline Story</i> introduced the mainstream market to Cole’s signature sound: warm, triumphant, and nostalgic. It’s a style that had been forged on early mixtapes like <i>Friday Night Lights</i> and <i>The Warm Up</i>, both of which are represented here by a handful of track. And while previously unheard deep cuts like “Rise and Shine” give the feeling of watching your favorite sports team’s homecoming, the delicate pianos of “Sideline Story”—which are sprinkled all over the album—invite vulnerability and introspection. That kind of duality can be found throughout <i>The Sideline Story</i>, which is sometimes split between “radio” Cole and “conscious” Cole. The more commercial moments here would introduce already die-hard fans to a more lighthearted side of Cole, on such songs as “Who Dat” and “Can’t Get Enough.” But deep cuts like “Lost Ones” and “Breakdown” examine topics like abortion and abandonment with the utmost care and grace. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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