★★★★★
?????????? Born Sinner may be the strongest album of the summer, despite it still being the start of the season. J Cole simply mesmerized the rap nation with this piece of work, which is only his second album under Roc Nation. A natural storyteller, Cole captured the entire spectrum emotion from partying to mourning to infatuation and love. Well, as much as you can fit in a 16-track album...
- www.glidemagazine.com
2013-07-16
★★★★★
For his second album, J. Cole presents a self confident man who believes he's a front runner in the hip-hop game. There are a lot of new artists pushing out a lot of high caliber work, with two of the most successful being Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. For Cole it was thus important to deliver an album that cemented his position at the top. He isn't just competing with his peers, but also his elders, notably Kanye West...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-07-15
★★★★★
In the early seconds of "Villuminati," Born Sinner's opening track, J. Cole warns us listeners that "it's way darker this time." The ground trodden thus far by the North Carolina rapper has been muddy, to be sure -- rags-to-riches disillusionment, collegiate heartbreak, materialistic malaise -- but comparatively spotless, when considered alongside the conscience-crushing narratives offered up by peers like Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., and even Yelawolf...
- www.tinymixtapes.com
2013-07-09
★★★★★
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J. Cole - Born SinnerJ. Cole - Born SinnerRelease Date: June 18, 2013
Record Label: Roc Nation
In 2004, Kanye West proved that you could be a successful producer and an MC, regardless of what the conventional wisdom was at the time. Since then, there's been a steady stream of producer/rappers, though none have managed to imitate West's success...
- www.absolutepunk.net
2013-07-03
★★★★★
In 2004, Kanye West proved that you could be a successful producer and an MC, regardless of what the conventional wisdom was at the time. Since then, there's been a steady stream of producer/rappers, though none have managed to imitate West's success. The influx of artists skilled at both though means that it's largely irrelevant these days...
- absolutepunk.net
2013-07-02
★★★★★
Label: Roc Nation / Columbia Records
Production: J. Cole
Written By Kyle Renwick
"It's way darker this time" J. Cole declares as his second studio album, Born Sinner, opens to "Villuminati." Those words couldn't be truer as Cole clings to themes of moral dilemma and frustrated love affairs through most of the album...
- thesource.com
2013-06-25
★★★★★
J. Cole
Born Sinner
[Roc Nation / Columbia; 2013]
By Chase McMullen ; June 21, 2013
Purchase at: Insound (Vinyl) | Amazon (MP3 & CD) | iTunes | MOG
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J. Cole has been on the run the past year, repositioning following the awkward misstep that was his major label debut, Cole World...
- beatsperminute.com
2013-06-22
★★★★★
We're in the Garden of Eden with J. Cole . The young rapper's second LP Born Sinner references the original sin myth simply with its title. On the late-album track "Forbidden Fruit" he opens: "Me and my bitch/ took a little trip/ down to the garden/ took a little dip/ apple juice falling from her lips/ took a little sip...
- consequenceofsound.net
2013-06-22
★★★★★
Born Sinner, the heavily referential second LP for Roc Nation signee Jermaine Cole, borrows its title from the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy". By the time you've reached the record's end, you'll have seen him try on a number of familiar hats. He repurposes OutKast's "Da Art of Storytellin Pt. 1" ("Land of the Snakes") and fashions it into an anti-L.A. tirade. He duets with the remaining members of TLC ("Crooked Smile") on a song that can be read either as a breezy style mash-up or as sacrilege...
- pitchfork.com
2013-06-21