12 years ago J. Cole released The Warm Up. An album, which helped craft his hip hop career as we know it today. A true warm up for greatness!
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| Cover art for The Warm Up |
J. Cole's second ever album is yet to be released on Spotify. It's called The Warm Up and it released on 15 June, 2009, which is exactly 12 years ago today. The Warm Up played a huge in Cole' signing to Roc Nation.
Cole named the project The Warm Up, because he tries even harder than his debut album The Come Up. He wanted to make sure, that when he tried out for the big "teams" again, he would get picked. In an interview with Complex he said the following:
"It's based on this story from when I was in high school and I got cut from the team. A lot of people get cut from the team, but it's really about how people handle the shit. Some people quit. They get spiteful, say fuck the coach and they wont try out no more, some people will just go harder and use it for motivation to make sure that next year it's undeniable"
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| J. Cole and Jay-Z in 2009 |
Cole's first meeting with Jay-Z didn't go exactly as planned. He met Jay-Z in front of his studio and had a CD ready. With the release of this mixtape, Jay-Z listened to the 6th track "Lights Please" and decided to meet him. He then got a feature on The Blueprint 3 on the track "A Star Is Born".
J. Cole's second mixtape gathered a huge amount of attention. The huge positive reception to the mix is definitely justified and well in place, as J. Cole continues to display his talent as a lyricist while delivering memorable bars over much improved production in comparison to his first album. This can easily be considered one of the best mixtapes of the 2000's, and it sets up huge expectations for what's next for Cole. Now in 2021 we know that he without a doubt has lived up to the expectations.
The album is a really good-sounding, chill album, which produces a very pleasant vibe. It's a perfect album for the smoke shesh, which Mac Miller also mentions on his 2011 track "Another Night".
Throughout the album Cole gets to display his tremendous skills in the technicalities of rapping. He brings different rhyme schemes, wordplays and analogies on every single track. Along with creating well-thought, playful lyrics.
This is truly The Warm Up for Cole's rap career, where he gets to experience around in different genres and moods.
Rating:
Vibe - 8/10
The album is definitely a vibe. It's obtains to be consistently chill, reflected vibes. Cole's presentation makes it even better with him using a soft flow on most of the tracks.
Lyrics - 8,5/10
Cole maintains to keep it real. He says what he has on his mind, but conveys it with a different approach every track. He is really reflected throughout the album, bringing multiple well-thought, in-depth lyrics.
Flow - 8,5/10
Cole is an amazing rapper, which he shows multiple times on the album. As said before he brings different rhyme schemes, wordplays and analogies on every single track. Along with creating well-thought, playful lyrics.
Music - 6/10
It's not about the music, it's about his rapping skills and what he has on his mind. The music isn't much in it self, but it maintains to provide the right environment for Cole to rap in.
Overall - 8 Rating
A great album, where Cole starts presenting what he has to offer. It fulfills it purpose of serving as a warm up for his tremendous career to come ahead, but that's what it does. Cole has since become a far more skilled lyricist and rapper, which he has shown on his more recent albums. Overall a great listen with quality rapping and in-depth lyricism, as well as being enjoyable to listen to.
Tracklist:
Intro (The Warm Up): 7/10
The first "track" is truly a warm up for the album, where Cole shares his views on life and explains the topics he discussed in his interview with Complex, which is at the top of the review.
"That's human nature I suppose, second guessing
What life seems to take you through more down than ups
Seems like it gives you more losses than wins
But do you stand tall and be bold"
A great addition and beginning for the album, as it gives a look at what the album is going to be. The self-produced, slow and sensitive beat is what we know and love about J. Cole.
Welcome: 8/10
On "Welcome" J. Cole describes his troubles with experiencing wealth for the first time, dealing with ex's and drinking alcohol to lower the pain of his personal struggles. He also explains how he often tend to deal with his problems on his own.
"Yeah, I'm sipping liquor for the pain, pouring liquor for the slain
Nothing else can do the trick like hard liquor to the brain"
The track features a classic J. Cole beat and Cole gets to convey his emotions into music for one of the first times, displaying his phenomenal lyricism. Cole conveys the feelings of depression mixed with anxiety over thoughts of life, death and pain, which is greatly explained throughout the lyrics.
Can I Live: 7/10
Cole speaks on how it is to be an upcoming rapper with a dream, and how he sometimes has to ignore his morals in order to reach what he wants.
On the second verse Cole displays his sublime story-telling, which he shows throughout the rest of the career.
The beat is up-beat, but with peaceful piano playing, it sets the mood of the sensitive story Cole conveys into the music.
A truly powerful and meaningful track, where Cole goes into depth about what made and what he hopes to become.
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| The Lion King first came out as an animated movie in 1994 on June 15, the same date The Warm Up was released on |
Grown Simba: 7/10
On the fourth track of the album, Cole speaks about his ambition in the rap game. He uses tons of well-thought lyrics and great rhyme schemes to display, why he should be on the top.
Cole symbolizes himself with Simba from The Lion King. As he patiently waits till it's his turn to take over and become king of the rap game.
Just to Get By: 6,5/10
The instrumental is from Talib Kewli's "Get By" from 2003. Using this Cole goes on a rhyming frenzy, where he uses only one verse to display his amazing rap skills, and "warms up" for when his time of fame will come.
Cole goes hard on the track and crafts a well-thought track to listen to.
Lights Please: 9/10
One of the massive hits, which was later re-released on his 2011 album Cole World: Sideline Story.
J. Cole speaks about the general ills of the world, along with arrogant women. Some have also speculated that the women on the track symbolizes hip hop.
This is a good-sounding track with a lot of depth on it. Jay-Z also got his eyes up for Cole after listening to it.
Speaking about the track Cole has said:
"I had a show over 2 years ago - I opened up for Wale in New York - and I told the crowd, "Even if my album drops in 2011 or 2012", something that seemed so far away, "this is still gonna be on my album". I always felt like that because it really represents my style"
This track obtains to do, what Cole does best it creates two sides. On one hand you can listen to it as good-sounding, chill track. But on the other hand you can listen to what he's saying, which makes the track a sentimental track with lots of depth.
Dead Presidents II: 7/10
The track uses the instrumental from Jay-Z's debut "Reasonable Doubt". Cole talks about how someone criticized his first make of "Dead Presidents I", so he's trying to step his game up. And that's what the album is all about, Cole wanting to be the best version of himself.
The chorus speaking about, how he wants money to represent him, plays a great role in crafting another very well-thought track.
I Get Up: 6/10
A true inspirational track by Cole, where he explains why everyone should keep moving, and how everyone do something to get by.
"A Fresh Prince, but yo my city ain't no Bel-Air
The line references the sitcom called The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. Bel-Air is upper class and they have good lives, Cole uses this to illustrate that where he lives isn't as easy. Where Cole is, even though he has the talent and street smart, like Will Smith did on the show as well, he must stay on the grind and road to success in order to obtain his goal.
World Is Empty: 7,5/10
"Yeah, it's Cole, won't lie"
The opening line for the track is Cole reassuring the listener, that it's him and he won't lie. It could also be a reference to "cold" as a homonym, so he's telling the listener that the world is cold. I think it's a mix of both, the world is cold and he will tell you the truth about it.
Cole discusses multiple topics, all surrounding the raw hardness of the pursuit of glory in the rap game.
The sample of Lee Fields & The Expression's "My World Is Empty Without You" is throughout the song a main factor in creating the environment for the greatly performed, in-depth-going track.
Dreams (feat. Brandon Hines): 7/10
This is a must-needed track for the album, where Cole discusses his feelings for a girl he doesn't really know that well. With this irrational thought process, he finds himself reflecting over whether he's crazy or not, as you can see on the hook:
"The is the girl of my dreams
Yeah, and is she good as what she seems?
Or am I lyin' to myself?
Aye, should I try and get some help?
This is the girl of my dreams
Is she as good as what she seems?
Or am I lyin' to myself?
Aye, should I try and get some help?"
He also briefly mentions her on his 2013 track "Power Trip", saying:
"Had a thing for ya, even wrote the song "Dreams" for ya"
You can really sense the thought-process Cole must have been going through to produce this heartfelt track.
Royal Flush: 6/10
Royal Flush samples Big Boi's "Royal Flush".
The track features Cole displaying multiple different flows and rhyme schemes. He shows off how talented of a technical lyricist he is.
Dollar and a Dream II: 8/10
"Dollar and a Dream II" is the follow up to his 2007 release "Dollar and a Dream".
The track talks about Cole's hopes and dreams as a young man fresh out of college with a student debt to pay off and a pursuit to take on.
The way Cole manages to convey the story is a display of his gifted skill of storytelling. The insight and reflection he provides is absolutely amazing.
Waterbreak (Interlude): 7/10
This isn't really an interlude, since it's a whole track in it self. Cole did this freestyle back in March 2009 on DJ Green Lantern's show to promote his second album, The Warm Up
The sublime technicality with multiple different rhyme schemes and different approaches sets up for a great freestyle, which Cole can still provide to this day and age. Most recently he freestyled as a warm up for his most recent release The Off-Season.
Heartache: 7,5/10
A way more arrogant Cole, than we've seen on the track so far. Cole speaks about how he's the one on top of the game, using lyrics like this:
"Im just warmin' up, I'm hot but nah, I ain't flashin'
I never gave a fuck about no high-end fashion
And maybe I was too broke, maybe I'm just too dope"
Cole still manages to provide a well crafted banger using funny and well-thought lyricism.
Get Away: 8/10
Cole raps about how life is stressing, but he still manages to keep a chill mindset and good approach towards it.
A really chill track to listen to with relatable lyrics.
Knock Knock: 8,5/10
"Knock Knock" is a remix of a track with the same title made by Monica featuring Missy Elliott. Cole's short under 2 minute long track was produced by Kanye West.
Cole provides a chill, slow track. A perfect smoke track with inventive lyrics provided by a soft flow.
Ladies (feat. Lee Field & The Expressions): 7,5/10
The track samples Lee Field & The Expressions. It's a track a fine girl with multiple different qualities Cole enjoys. Cole tries to hook up with her, but she says she got a man, which Cole responds to in the second verse, giving a clear impression on why he's the greatest.
A great addition to the album with another up-beat chill track for Cole to deliver a really descriptive story about a girl.
Til' Infinity: 6/10
The track samples the classic hip hop track "93 til infinity" by Souls of Mischief, who actually sampled their track from Billy Cobham's "Heather".
Cole delivers an arrogant view on, why he's the greatest, but still he manages to convey it in a well-thought and humorous way.
The song is about being attracted to the "dark" side of life. It draws similarities to "2Face" from his prior release Friday Night Lights.
Cole displays a genre of rap music we rarely see him doing, bringing his dark side and being more brutal. Here's an example:
"I hate the wintertime because the nights come quicker
The light make them whites think I'm a nice young n*gga
But at night they think twice and walk a little faster"
This could be Cole describing how he turns into a more scary person at night. It could also be a critic of the general view many people in America have on blacks.
Hold It Down: 7/10
On "Hold It Down" Cole reflects on his life, a friend's and his relationship with his girl. He reminisce about some of the problems both him and his friend had to face.
A meaningful, well-written track, where Cole shows his vulnerable side. These lyrics sums up the song pretty well:
"You was my n*gga from the younger days, we grew up
I went to school, you went the other way
But still my brother man, I'm sitting, reminiscing on
All of them bitches we were tripping over, kissing on"
Last Call: 7,5/10
"Last Call" is Cole's triumph track to celebrate his signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Cole tells the story about how he made it to New York and got noticed while flexing the rhyming skills that made him the first signee of Roc Nation.
At the end of the song, he uses a basketball analogy, which draws parallels to the theme of the mixtape, which is The Warm Up.
The song draws similarities to Kanye West's "Last Call" as both tracks are about the artists early careers.
The song brings Jay-Z vibes, which is a great addition to the album, since he signed him.
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