By Quante Grant
Rap music has always been one of the most effective ways to make a change politically, culturally and socially, since its early days of creation. In the 1960s Jamaican DJs began speaking over the mic to toast or interact with the audience members of these parties. This eventually led to a cadence over the beats that were being played, and that cadence is what we know as rap today. However, it doesn’t take a trained ear to notice the stark differences from raps earliest stages to what we have now. From the delight of Sugarhill Gang’s debut single, or the harsh conditions of Compton in the 80s from the perspective of NWA to the mumble rap and trap music, one artist stands above all. Jermaine Cole aka J Cole. In 2018 J Cole addressed an emerging problem in the hip hop community and society through his album, Kids on Drugs (KOD). The song we will be examined in this paper is from this album called “Friends” which J Cole performed at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards. The first line in the verse “I wrote this song to talk about the word addiction” gives us a clear message on the content of this piece and the way he went about spreading the messages on this album was a perfect blend of lyrical content and popular melodies of its time. But before we examine this versus match of lyrical content and popular sounds, let’s go back to the 1970s where the start of another genre within rap began to emerge which is what we now as conscious rap and its pioneer, Curtis Mayfield.
Curtis Mayfield was an American producer singer and songwriter whose career started in 1956 when he joined the band the impressions at the ripe age of 14. He wrote many critically acclaimed songs with this band until leaving in 1970 to pursue his solo career. Mayfield’s expression of social awareness through music would see its biggest success when he wrote the soundtrack for “Super Fly”, a movie about an African American cocaine dealer who wants out the game. However, the supplier won’t let him leave. Curtis Mayfield was praised for his lyrics that addressed these issues. He criticized the engagement in activities such as dealing and even went as far as to mention the consequences of living that sort of lifestyle. Gil Scott-Heron and Curtis Mayfield are both mentioned in the book 33 Revolution per minute by Dorian Lynskey. In this book the author talks about Gil’s welcome to the revolution moment in which he was inspired by poets and Curtis Mayfield’s approach to the revolution surrounding issues of the African American experience in the events leading up to the civil rights movements and what transpired afterwards. The author says “from the start, he wanted to bring a new dimension to black music. There 360 degrees to the black experience yet the same nones kept being sung about: sex and love, love and sex” (Lynskey, 186). Gil’s main concern with the revolution was that black people (Gil used the term niggers to spark emotions in his listeners) would not be ready or educated enough when it was their time to take action. This method proved to be effective for when his song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” released. It was a huge success and is often referenced during protest today. Gil’s unorthodox and controversial communication method changed the tides for whites and blacks alike for years to come. Many conscious rappers have emerged since then such as Ice Cube from NWA, Common, and Luper Fiasco to name a few. Conscious rap is most notably explored in the subgenre of underground rap, which is known for its socially charged lyrics, but many underground rappers usually don’t ever hit a big stage as opposed to its popular counterpart that we have seen emerge in the past 20 years, Trap and Drill music
The ebbs and flows of hip throughout the years and the emergence of trap music and drill rap, hip hop came to a definitive change that shake the hip hop community till this day. Soundcloud rap. Soundcloud rap was a genre that emerged from the music streaming platform SoundCloud in which artist could upload music independently while still reaching a wide audience. This paved way for a list of very famous rappers such as Lil Peep, Juice Wrld and XXXTentacion. These rappers focused more on melody and tone accompanied by lyrics of drug usage, that had not been seen before on this scale by raps predecessors. Another rapper who goes by Lil Pump was a rapper who is cited for his carefree lyrical content heavy 808 mixes and his beef with J Cole. Which is later addressed on this same album.
J Cole is often noted as the big 3 in the rap game. He has won numerous awards. Some that only Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson have managed to do and practice what he preaches in his music. He lives a very private life, once stating in an interview about the album that it’s the reason he downloaded Instagram. He is often seen riding his bike around in very humble clothing or helping his community as well as others in his hometown in North Carolina. Born in Germany to an African American father and German mother J Cole has managed to weave lyrical content with immaculate melodies and flows which as we’ve learned is an important part of hip-hop. Lil Pump and a few other rappers at the time disagreed with the messages that J Cole was trying to send. The consensus of this style of hip-hop was that it was just for fun and that people shouldn’t read so deeply into their music and while it was a big topic for discussion, the societal impact of this music was taking its toll on the youth. Just as music influenced positive changes, we would see that it could influence negative ones too. Rappers such as Juice Wrld cited rappers before him and how their drug usage in music encouraged him to do so as well. Someone had to do something about this phenomenon in our youth and J Cole got the job done to simply put it.The song friends starts off with J Cole repeating “Cop another bag of smoke today” followed by a deep distorted voice giving us a perspective of a user of what is presumed to be cannabis that says:
I got thoughts, can’t control
Got me down, got me low
Rest my mind, rest my soul
When I blow, when I blow
Am I wrong, let them know
Feels so right to let things go
Don’t think twice, this is me
This is how I should be
J Cole then comes back as a rebuttal to this saying:
But I’m aggravated without it
My saddest days are without it
My Saturdays are the loudest
I’m blowing strong
Some niggas graduated with powder
I dabble later, I doubt it
My database of narcotics
It’s growing long
This chorus is followed by very insightful lyrics that revolve around casual drug usage, politics, race and ultimately what J Cole wants for the people who struggle with the issues he stated in the song:
There’s all sorts of trauma from drama that children see
Type of shit that normally would call for therapy
But you know just how it go in our community
Keep that shit inside it don’t matter how hard it be
Fast forward, them kids is grown and they blowing trees
And popping pills due to chronic anxiety
I been saw the problem but stay silent ’cause I ain’t Jesus
This ain’t no trial if you desire go higher please
But fuck that now I’m older I love you ’cause you my friend
Without the drugs I want you be comfortable in your skin
I know you so I know you still keep a lot of shit in
You running from yourself and you buying product again
I know you say it helps and no I’m not trying to offend
But I know depression and drug addiction don’t blend
Reality distorts and then you get lost in the wind
And I done seen the combo take niggas off the deep end
One thing about your demons they bound to catch up one day
I’d rather see you stand up and face them than run away
I understand this message is not the coolest to say
But if you down to try it I know of a better way
Meditate
J. Cole’s performance at the BET awards was a powerful and introspective moment. Cole sat on a stool, dressed casually, which embodied the raw emotions of his lyrics. The performance featured Daniel Caesar, who added a smooth and soulful touch with his vocals, enhancing the gravity of the message. Throughout the song, J. Cole’s delivery was calm yet emotionally charged, which filled the dark room. Behind him, a group of kids sat in a circle, representing the struggles of addiction and emotional trauma. The visual storytelling, combined with the raw nature of his lyrics, made for an unforgettable moment. His performance was a stark contrast to the high energy acts of the night, offering a moment of reflection and awareness on issues often ignored in mainstream rap. His ability to use music as a tool for change reinforces why he’s considered one of the most thought-provoking artists of this generation.
J Cole’s messages and impact put him up there with the greatest rappers of all time and for good reasons. When compared to other social movements throughout hip-hop, J Cole has arguably had some of the best successes. As I mentioned earlier, most conscious rappers who get this level of fame are far from famous. They never really fit the narrative of what a “rapper” is, and their music is not something you throw on in the club to have a good time. J Cole has consistently broken that mold. He is not a flashy guy which is usually a staple of hip hop. We all know rappers to rock the freshest gear and the iciest chain, but J Cole doesn’t believe that to be of any importance and it shows in his life and his music. It’s an excellent and effective way to communicate with the audience he intends his messages to be for. In contrast to other forms of protest songs J Cole takes the cake when it comes to the form and the function revolves around protest songs. In the book “Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution” the author talks about how lyrics are often lost in most listeners stating, “Several researchers have established that many listeners do not pay close attention to the lyrics of songs and often misunderstand their meanings” (Weissman, 128). He then goes on to talk about how the 1984 song “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen and how it was seen as this super patriotic song towards America when it was really the exact opposite. The Reagan administration even tried to use it as a campaign song, but this idea was shot down. J Cole doesn’t seem to have this problem with his music. He is direct and yet poetic at crafting his message in a way that leave no room for interpretation but is still digestible enough to almost any listener who wants to hear something with substance. Another reason why J Cole has had much success in his influences is that he has been right in his assessment of our culture and how harmful it can. Soundcloud rap eventually died out and it remaining artist either stopped making music all together or branched out into other genres that have not proved much success. Unfortunately, those who lived the lifestyle that they spoke of in their music proved to have deadly consequences. Lil Peep and Juice Wrld both passed away from overdose at the age of 21 and XXXTentacion passed away due to gun violence which was something he also frequently talked about in his music. Lil Pump and others from the Soundcloud era who have found success since then are just simply not as big as they used to be.
When you look at the facts J Cole’s ability to influence social change through his music is undeniable. Being involved in every modern movement musically from the killing of Michael Brown to other notable songs on the KOD album such as “1985” and “Once an Addict”, J Cole proves that their issues in this world that are deeper than music. His advocation for the issues he cares about and his demeanor that shows it are what should be a standard to artist today — especially in hip-hop because it has always been a way to keep the people informed about issues that goes on in these African American communities and a way to life the voices of those that have been silenced throughout the years. It takes no expert to see that this is not just entertainment to him but a tool to spark change. Can music truly be harmful to society? Is it up to other musicians to stop it if so? These are the questions that we must think about to continue to grow as a society. Yes, it is fine to want to enjoy music that may not touch on this year’s election but when does constant consumption of that sort of media become a problem?
References
AllMusic is being updated.: Music Search, recommendations, videos and reviews. AllMusic. (n.d.). https://www.allmusic.com/artist/curtis-mayfield-mn0000144458#biography
Bandini. (2018, June 25). J. Cole’s passionate performance calls for meditation instead of medication (video). Ambrosia For Heads. https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2018/06/jcole-friends-wale-video/
Lynskey, D. (2011). 33 revolutions per minute: A history of protest songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day. Ecco.
Weissman, D. (2010). Talkin’ ’bout a revolution: Music and social change in America. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.