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Yesterday (November 20), J. Cole treated fans with the re-release of his debut mixtape The Come Up Vol.1. The project was officially distributed to all major streaming platforms after 17 years, under an exclusive license to Interscope Records.
The mixtape first debuted in May 2007, featuring 17 full-length records that introduced listeners to Cole's early days as an aspiring hip-hop artist. The project is fueled by ambitious story-telling and an inspiring production that samples records from Jay-Z, Nas, and Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West).
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Deacon is the only artist to feature on the original tracklist for J. Cole's debut mixtape, with rapper Nervous Reck featuring on a bonus track titled I Do My Thing. The official tracklist for Cole's re-released mixtape has been provided below:
- Intro
- Simba
- I'm The Man
- School Daze
- Dollar And A Dream
- Quote Me
- College Boy
- Split You Up
- Plain
- The Come Up
- Dead Presidents
- Lil' Ghetto N*gga
- Homecoming
- Carolina On My Mind (feat. Deacon)
- Can't Cry
- Goin' Off
- Rags To Riches (At The Beep)
Top picks from J. Cole's debut mixtape 'The Come Up Vol.1'
The re-release of J. Cole's debut mixtape, The Come Up Vol.1, coincides with his ongoing audio series, Inevitable, which finds the rapper discussing his "come up" with manager Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad.
The series was created with the help of creative director Scott Lazar, who explained in the recently released trailer that this project has been in the works since 2022.
J. Cole's The Come Up Vol.1 seemingly introduces newer fans to his old discography, accentuating what the rapper recently stated in episode 1 of Inevitable.
He explains the early influence of Kanye West on his music, citing how album's like The College Dropout helped him process the emotions he wished to convey with his music when stating:
"My life was hella regular… It was nothing like my favorite rappers, I didn’t know how to talk about MY life. And then, f**king Kanye West happened."
Cole's debut mixtape has a complete runtime of 54 minutes and explores themes like ambition, nostalgia, memories, growth, career, struggles, excess, wealth, and success.
Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
Simba
The opening record of Cole's debut mixtape marks the first song of the "Simba trilogy". The track features impressive lyricism highlighting his hunger to become a signed and acclaimed hip-hop artist.
The track's title stems from Cole identifying himself as "Simba" from The Lion King, with lyrics that allude to him wishing for Jay-Z to sign him. Looking back, Jermaine's wishes were answered as he was later signed to Roc Nation in 2009.
"I grew up with nothin', it hurt me to see my mother poor / The only pops a n---a ever seen around was Huxtable / And so the muscle flow is something you can't get no muzzle for / Look how the buzz'll grow, ballin' 'til the buzzer blow / Man, I'm hungry, does it show? Ain't nuttin' funny, f--k a joke" - J. Cole raps on 'Simba'.
I'm The Man
J. Cole samples Nas' 2001 record You’re Da Man, on the third track titled I'm The Man, where his braggadocious bars and intense performing style captivate listeners for the entirety of its runtime.
Throughout the record, he highlights his ambition to be one of the greatest rappers of the generation, most notably on lines like:
"They say I act like I'm the man, 'cause motherf--ker I am / N----s study my style, I should be giving exams / Damn, boy, I'm so flamboyant with the ensemble / Polo jacket, polo tee, what a fine combo / And I'm the man, now understand a n---a bossin"
School Daze
One of the most praised records from Cole's early discography is School Daze, where the rapper revisits growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Jermaine spends his verses highlighting the simple life of a "school kid" when comparing the various struggles he faces chasing his dreams as a rapper.
The bouncy production is credited to Kanye West, with Cole's performance reminiscent of Ye's cadence on records off of his iconic debut studio album The College Dropout.
"I'm a little grown, but still reminisce / Close your eyes n---a, you remember this? / Friday night football game, something I'll forever miss / After parties in the gym, grinding underneath the rim / You forgot your school I.D? F--k, n---a, you ain't gettin' in / In the hallways acting like some hoodlums / See that scrap? Naw, damn I always miss the good ones" - J. Cole raps on 'School Daze'.
College Boy
On College Boy, similar to School Daze, J. Cole revisits his college days speaking on his experiences from parties to substance abuse, with bars that reminisce on memories from 2007.
Cole samples the Kanye-produced 2003 Lil Kim record Came Back For You and Irene Reid's 1971 hit Didn’t We. Fueled by nostalgic lyricism, this track opens with an introduction where he shouts out his college, St. John's University when he states:
"Shout out to the class of 2007 / St. John's University, stand up! (Fayetteville state, n---a) / I've got a bureau full of diamonds I can change four times a day if I want to / All my North Carolina A&T Aggies stand up, UNCG man / Carolina, NC State, Duke"
Dead Presidents
Cole teams up with Ski Beatz to assist with sampling Jay-Z’s iconic 1996 Dead Presidents record, for the eleventh track on The Come Up Vol.1.
J. Cole's raw lyricism displays his growing passion as an artist, highlighting to newer fans the introspective thought process and mindset behind the rapper's highly acclaimed career. Some of the most notable bars from Dead Presidents include lines like:
"Till I'm rich, ain't no reason to settle, n---a / Its greed that make a n---a wink at the devil to get that cheese / You n---as couldn't think at my level, even with trees / You couldn't get this deep with a shovel, now n---a, please / I'm chasing G's tryna throw some diamonds on them freeze / Sick s--t, sneeze on some thousand-dollar sleeves"
J. Cole's debut mixtape is a unique listening experience, given his tenured and acclaimed rap career, as on The Come Up Vol.1 the Dreamville CEO displayed the impactful raw lyricism that built the foundation for his distinct artistic identity.
