KOD is the 5th album from J. Cole, following 2017's 4 Your Eyez Only. The Dreamville rapper conceived the idea for the 12 tracker while attending a Kendrick Lamar concert, and he completed the project in about two weeks (no features, of course, other than KiLL edward ;)). He said the rhyme schemes and production, which he handled himself (other than on "Kevin's Heart"), were inspired by SoundCloud rap, and the topics associated with the genre take up a lot of room on the LP: drug abuse, addiction, depression, etc. Cole also speaks on his own struggles with money, greed, and some of the aforementioned problems, and he does so with such emotional maturity and earnestness, something rarely seen in the current hip-hop landscape. Perhaps this is where the North Carolina artist excels most in, and why he commands such a large, dedicated fan base. With that said, tracks like "ATM," which he explained is an abbreviation for "addicted to money," and "Motiv8" are introspective yet fun, complete with club-ready trap beats and catchy, repetitive staccato delivery. The same is true for "K.O.D," on which Cole airs out everything from people's comments about features on his projects to his youth and all the substance abuse that he grew up around. Also check out "The Cut Off" and "FRIENDS."

• gatefold sleeve
• music label: Interscope 2018

reviewed by coach bonzai 10/18