7 Underrated J. Cole Songs

J. Cole first started getting recognition in 2007 with the release of his debut mixtape The Come Up. He would later come to the attention of Jay Z after he heard Cole’s song “Light’s Please”. Jay Z would go on to make J. Cole his first signing to his then newly formed record label, Roc Nation in 2009. Since then he has become one of the biggest names of the “new school” era, with the release of four platinum certified albums. With all of the projects he has made, it is easy to forget some of the classics that Cole has made. Here is a list that I compiled of 7 of the most underrated Cole songs in my opinion.

1.) " Crunch Time"

From his first of the Truly Yours EP "Crunch Time" is a classic song by Cole that simply goes overlooked. J. Cole’s touches on this song about those struggling through tough times, including close friends of his.

2.) "2 Face"

Friday Night Lights is an iconic and classic mixtape that ultimately led to J. Cole becoming the mainstream and well known artist that he is today. " 2 Face" is one those conscious songs that tends to be forgotten. This song delves into a recurring theme in Cole’s early work, his conflicting emotions and the two polarizing sides to his personality. As a young up-and-comer in the game, he admits to the many temptations he feels for material possessions, girls, and all the things fame has brought him that he was deprived of for so long.

3.) "Premeditated Murder"

Another classic from Friday Night Lights, premeditated murder reflects on Cole's life changing after getting his rap deal. Over this emotional yet epic beat, Cole shares how he spent years planning to murder the rap game and now he’s actually going to do it with life changing before his eyes.

4.) "Runaway"

Off of his second studio album "Born Sinner" Runaway is a song that talks about Cole's relationship troubles, which, underneath the moral struggles and spiritual dichotomies hinted at by the album title, is another topic he goes back to throughout the record.

5.) "Dead Presidents II"

Off J.Cole’s mixtape ‘The Warmup’, Cole drops a verse and pays homage to the legendary instrumental off of Jay-Z’s classic debut "Reasonable Doubt" More of a laid back kind of beat that a lot of artists have gone over.

6.) "Breakdown"

One of the more personal songs by J. Cole, this Cole World track talks about the desire to give up in three different situations – personal, societal, and fictional

7.) "Kenny Lofton"

Kenny Lofton is one of the better stories to have emerged from Major League Baseball. He was definitely known for his speed, which J. Cole attests to in the hook of this song. But if you dig a little deeper into the career of Lofton, you’ll know that he was frequently picked up by teams for just a one-season deal, and he always came through. He was an extremely clutch player, but was never shown true love by any organization. One could argue that the Cleveland Indians respected him the most, as he had his two lengthiest stints on any team with the Tribe.