2014 Forest Hills Drive

(Redirected from January 28th (song))

2014 Forest Hills Drive is the third studio album by American rapper J. Cole, released on December 9, 2014, by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records and Roc Nation.

2014 Forest Hills Drive
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 9, 2014 (2014-12-09)
Recorded2014
Studio
Genre
Length64:40
Label
Producer
J. Cole chronology
Born Sinner
(2013)
2014 Forest Hills Drive
(2014)
Forest Hills Drive: Live
(2016)
Singles from 2014 Forest Hills Drive
  1. "Apparently"
    Released: December 9, 2014
  2. "Wet Dreamz"
    Released: April 14, 2015
  3. "No Role Modelz"
    Released: August 4, 2015
  4. "Love Yourz"
    Released: February 27, 2016

Recording sessions took place over the whole year, while the production on the album was primarily handled by Cole himself, along with several others such as Illmind, Vinylz, Phonix Beats and Willie B. It was announced three weeks before its release and had very little marketing, with no singles or promotion taking place prior to its release. The album was supported by four singles: "Apparently", "Wet Dreamz", "No Role Modelz" and "Love Yourz".

2014 Forest Hills Drive received generally positive reviews from critics who admired its ambitious concept, production and lyrics. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 353,000 copies in its first week. As of September 2015, the album has sold one million copies in the United States. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in May 2019.

The album won Album of the Year at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards, and Top Rap Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The single "Apparently" was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

Background

edit

The album's title is the address of a home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Cole lived from his early youth, until 2003. Cole lived at the property with his mother, his brother and his stepfather, and was the location where Cole wrote some of his earliest songs, and decided to pursue a career as a musician.[2]

In 2014, Cole bought the house, and was the first home he had purchased.[3] The album's title is used to recount Cole's upbringing, and the transition from leaving North Carolina to New York; it battles with the transitions that were taken in order to find his success and fame within the music industry. Cole soon put the home up for an "extremely cheap" renting price, in the hope that any struggling residents could use it to progress their lives, without having to worry about frequent moving, an experience Cole underwent due to frequent financial struggles.[4]

Recording and production

edit

On August 15, 2014, Cole released the song "Be Free", as a response to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.[5] In an interview with NPR's Microphone Check radio show, Cole revealed that the song was recorded the same week he recorded the song "Intro" from 2014 Forest Hills Drive, but was never intended for the album.[6] In September 2014, during an interview with HipHopDX, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's manager Steve Lobel revealed Krayzie Bone and Bizzy Bone recorded a track with Cole for the album, though the song never made the album's final cut.[7] The production on the album was primarily handled by J. Cole, along with its guest productions, including Dreamville's in-house producer Ron Gilmore, DJ Dahi,[8] Illmind,[9] Willie B,[10] Phonix Beats,[11] Vinylz[12] and Pop Wansel, with additional production provided by Cardiak[13] and CritaCal,[14] among others.[15][16] During production, Cole had envisioned 2014 Forest Hills Drive to be released as a double album.[6]

Release and promotion

edit

On November 16, 2014, Cole released a video trailer, where he announced he will be releasing his third album, titled 2014 Forest Hills Drive on December 9. The video also featured footage regarding the making-of the album. Additionally, the album's name sake was revealed to be the address of Cole's childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.[17][18] Cole held a listening session at the home on 2014 Forest Hills Drive where he invited a select group of fans to hear the album.[19][20] On February 13, 2015, Cole announced he would further promote the album with a tour called Forest Hills Drive.[21] The tour was divided into three different acts. "Act 1: Hometown", "Act 2: The Journey" and "Act 3: Hollywood". Act 1 started on March 2, 2015, in Eugene, Oregon and ended on April 7, 2015, in Providence, Rhode Island, it featured Dreamville artists such as Bas, Cozz and Omen, who were also served as supporting acts on Act 2 and 3.[22] Act 2 started on April 30, 2015, in Zürich, Switzerland and ended on May 18, 2015, in London, England, it featured Jhené Aiko and Pusha T. Act 3 was the longest leg of the tour, it started on July 12, 2015, in Seattle, Washington and ended on August 29, 2015, in Cole's hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina, and featured Big Sean, YG and Jeremih.[23][24] Cole brought out Drake and Jay-Z to perform at the last show in Fayetteville, North Carolina.[25] The tour sold over 570,000 tickets worldwide and grossed $20.4 million.[26]

On December 15, 2015, Cole announced a mini-documentary series titled, J. Cole: Road to Homecoming ahead of his special Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming, and released episode one the same day.[27] Episode two was released on December 23.[28] Episode three was released on December 30, Kendrick Lamar, Wale, ASAP Ferg and Rihanna made appearances.[29] Episode four was released on January 6, 2016.[30] All episodes were available for free on Vimeo until January 9. Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming aired January 9, 2016, on HBO and HBO Now.[31] On January 28, 2016, in celebration of his 31st birthday, Cole released his first live album titled, Forest Hills Drive: Live[32] and also released the music video for the album's final single "Love Yourz".[33] Both Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming and Forest Hills Drive: Live covered his fall 2015 show at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.[34]

Singles

edit

"Apparently" was serviced to American mainstream urban radio, as the album's first single on December 9, 2014.[35] Cole would also go on to release the music video for "Apparently" on the same day.[36] The song has since peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[37] The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards.[38] The song was also nominated for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award at the 2015 Soul Train Music Awards[39] and Impact Track at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards.[40]

The album's second single, "Wet Dreamz", was released to rhythmic contemporary radio on April 14, 2015.[41] On April 21, the music video was released for "Wet Dreamz".[42] The song has since peaked at number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[37] On June 16, 2016, "Wet Dreamz" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[43]

The album's third single, "No Role Modelz", was sent to urban and rhythmic radio stations on August 4, 2015.[44][45] The song has since peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[37] On May 2, 2016, in an interview with Larry King Now, actress Nia Long was asked about a line from the song where Cole raps, "My only regret was too young for Lisa Bonet, my only regret was too young for Nia Long, now all I'm left with is hoes from reality shows, hand her a script the bitch probably couldn't read along." She responded by saying, "He's really not too young, he just doesn't know it."[46] The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 18, 2016.[47]

Cole released the live music video for "Love Yourz" on January 28, 2016, the music video was filmed during his Forest Hills Drive Tour,[33] and on February 27, 2016, "Love Yourz" was released as the album's fourth and final single.[48] The song was included in Sprite's "Obey Your Verse" campaign in 2016 where 16 lyrics from 2Pac, Missy Eliiot and Cole were emblazoned on Sprite soda cans and bottles.[49] The song won Impact Track at the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards.[50] "Love Yourz" charted at number 34 on the US Twitter Top Tracks on February 13, 2016.[51] The song has since peaked at number 25 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.[52]

Other songs

edit

On December 5, 2014, Cole released a music video for the song "Intro".[53] On December 13, 2014, rapper Waka Flocka Flame released a freestyle over the song "Fire Squad".[54] On March 23, 2015, a music video was released for "G.O.M.D.".[55] On November 27, 2015, in celebration of Black Friday, Cole and rapper Kendrick Lamar released two separate tracks, both titled "Black Friday".[56][57] Lamar remixed Cole's "A Tale of 2 Citiez",[58] while Cole remixed Lamar's single "Alright" from his studio album To Pimp a Butterfly.[59] Rappers Styles P and Juicy J also released freestyles over "A Tale of 2 Citiez".[60][61]

Critical reception

edit
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.5/10[62]
Metacritic67/100[63]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [64]
Complex     [65]
Exclaim!8/10[66]
Los Angeles Times    [67]
The Observer     [68]
Pitchfork6.9/10[69]
Rolling Stone     [70]
Spin6/10[71]
USA Today    [72]
XXL4/5[73]

2014 Forest Hills Drive was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 67, based on 17 reviews.[63] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[62]

Complex critic Justin Charity praised it as Cole's most mature and well-edited album to date, crediting him for eschewing "much of the whiplash and false bravado" of his previous work.[65] Erin Lowers of Exclaim! said, "He shines without any features, standing strong in his delivery and carrying his story to the forefront of the 13-track project. While it may not be his Late Registration, he has definitely graduated into a class of his own."[66] Andre Grant of HipHopDX stated, "It is less artistic than it means to be, but it is truer than anything he's ever made. Its narrative, the tropes, and the strategies are completely overcome by the album's terrifying integrity.."[74] Craig Jenkins of Pitchfork said, "2014 Forest Hills Drive is a decent album selling itself as great. It wraps itself in the garments of a classic, but you can see that the tailoring is off."[69] Kellan Miller of XXL stated, "With every quality drop from the self-proclaimed "God", his ceiling will continue to grow and so will fan expectations."[73] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "2014 Forest Hills Drive comes off as a great, experimental, and advancing mixtape, but it's insider to a fault, as slight as that fault might be."[64] Jesal "Jay Soul" Padania of RapReviews said, "He been afforded a rare amount of artistic freedom on 2014 Forest Hills Drive and there aren't even any singles, so it's great that he's more or less delivered. But whilst this definitely misses out on classic territory, that doesn't mean it isn't a bloody good album for the most part."[75]

Marshall Gu of PopMatters said, "On 2014 Forest Hills Drive, we've still got the same ol' Cole, but with diminishing returns and without any friends to help him."[76] David Turner of Rolling Stone said, "He speaks some incisive truths about class, race ("Fire Squad") and relationships ("Wet Dreamz"), but those insights are too often undercut by crass humor. The production falls short, too, with dull beats to match his languid flow."[70] Jason Gubbels of Spin said, "Cole's keen sense of injustice registers throughout 2014 Forest Hills Drive, whether slagging white artists for artistic thievery or seething over national media outlets pigeonholing black genius into sports/pop either / ors.... But the absence of "Be Free" still detracts. Unless you're the type of moviegoer who sits patiently through the end titles, feel free to duck out of "Note to Self" a bit early and head over to SoundCloud."[71] Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention rating in his review for Cuepoint, naming "Wet Dreamz" and "Love Yourz" as highlights while summing the album up as being "full of the kind of good intentions the road to irrelevance is paved with".[77]

Rankings

edit
Select rankings of 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Publication List Rank Ref.
Associated Press Associated Press' top albums of 2014
2
Billboard The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2014
3
The Boombox 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2014
4
Complex The 50 Best Albums of 2014
4
Cuepoint My Favorite Hip-Hop Albums of 2014
9
HotNewHipHop Hottest Albums of 2014
2
Rolling Stone The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time
132

Industry awards

edit
Awards and nominations for 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2015 American Music Awards Best Rap/Hip Hop Album Nominated
BET Hip Hop Awards Album of the Year Won
Billboard Music Awards Top Rap Album Won
2016 Grammy Awards Best Rap Album Nominated

Commercial performance

edit

2014 Forest Hills Drive debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling a total of 371,000 copies, with 353,000 copies consisting of whole album sales and the remaining 17,000 copies determined based on individual song sales and streaming data. This is a tracking change that was implemented by Nielsen SoundScan and Billboard in December 2014.[89] 2014 Forest Hills Drive became the best first week sales of J. Cole's career at the time, outpacing the first week sales of his second album Born Sinner (2013), by 74,000 copies (297,000 copies).[90] In addition to the album's sales toppling early projections by over 100,000 copies, 2014 Forest Hills Drive also broke One Direction's record for most album streams on Spotify, being streamed over 15.7 million times in its first week, compared to One Direction's 11.5 million streams.[91] Drake later broke this record with 17.3 million streams for his mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late.[92] In its second week, the album sold 135,000 more copies.[93] Cole became one of only six rappers to reach number one with their first three full-length studio albums, others being Drake, Rick Ross, Nelly, DMX and Snoop Dogg.[94] As of December 2016, the album has sold 1,240,000 copies in the United States.[95] On May 23, 2019, 2014 Forest Hills Drive was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sale equivalents of three million units in the United States.[96]

In 2015, 2014 Forest Hills Drive was ranked as the eighth most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[97]

Track listing

edit

Credits adapted from Tidal.[98]

2014 Forest Hills Drive track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"Jermaine Cole
2:09
2."January 28th"
  • Cole
  • Timothy Thomas
  • Andre Thomas
  • Yumi Arai
  • Kunihiko Murai
  • Cole
  • Nick Paradise[b]
  • Dré Charles[b]
4:02
3."Wet Dreamz"
Cole3:59
4."03' Adolescence"Willie B4:24
5."A Tale of 2 Citiez"Vinylz4:29
6."Fire Squad"
4:48
7."St. Tropez"
Cole4:17
8."G.O.M.D."Cole5:01
9."No Role Modelz"
  • Phonix Beats
  • Cole[b]
4:53
10."Hello"
3:39
11."Apparently"
Cole4:53
12."Love Yourz"Illmind3:31
13."Note to Self"
  • Cole
  • Ronald Gilmore
14:35
Total length:64:40

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "January 28th" contains additional vocals by Kaye Fox
  • "A Tale of 2 Citiez" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox, T.S. Rose Desandies, and Yolanda Renee
  • "St. Tropez" contains additional background vocals by T.S. Rose Desandies
  • "No Role Modelz" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox
  • "Hello" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox
  • "Note to Self" contains additional vocals by T.S. Rose Desandies and Yolanda Renee

Sample credits

Personnel

edit

Credits for 2014 Forest Hills Drive adapted from AllMusic.[99]

  • Jermaine Cole – primary artist, producer
  • Mark Pitts – executive producer
  • Ramon Ibanga, Jr. – producer
  • Anderson Hernandez – producer
  • William "Willie B" Brown – producer
  • Pop Wansel – producer
  • Darius Barnes – producer
  • Ronald Gilmore – additional production, bass, keyboards, producer
  • J Proof – producer
  • Juro "Mez" Davis – engineer, mixing
  • Nate Jones – bass
  • David Linaburg – guitar
  • Nate Alford – engineer
  • Travis Antoine – trumpet
  • Anthony Blasko – photography
  • Felton Brown – art direction, graphic design
  • James Casey – saxophone
  • Chargaux – strings
  • Jeremy Cimino – assistant engineer
  • Damone Coleman – sampling
  • T.S. Rose Desandies – vocals (background)
  • DJ Dahi – beats
  • Dreamville Records – executive producer
  • Kaye Fox – vocals (background)
  • Jeff Gitelman – guitar
  • Justin Thomas Kay – art direction, graphic design
  • Sean Kellett – assistant engineer
  • Raphael Lee – string engineer
  • Nuno Malo – strings
  • Jack Mason – horn engineer
  • Carl McCormick – instrumentation
  • Nervous Reck – sampling
  • Calvin Price – instrumentation
  • Yolanda Renee – vocals (background)
  • Roc Nation – executive producer
  • James Rodgers – trombone (bass)
  • Adam Rodney – creative director
  • Team Titans – additional production
  • Andre "Dré Charles" Thomas – additional production
  • Timothy "Nick Paradise" Thomas – additional production

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Certifications for 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[137] Platinum 70,000
Canada (Music Canada)[138] Gold 40,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[139] 2× Platinum 40,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[140] Platinum 300,000
United States (RIAA)[96] 5× Platinum 5,000,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

edit
Release formats for 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Region Date Label(s) Format(s) Ref.
Australia December 9, 2014 [141]
Canada [142]
Germany [143]
Ireland [144]
Japan [145]
New Zealand [146]
United Kingdom [147]
United States [148]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Pizzo, Mike (April 6, 2015). "How Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole Rebooted Conscious Rap". Cuepoint. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "Take A Tour Of J. Cole's Room Where He Wrote Early Raps". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Scott, Damien. "MAN OF THE HOUSE". Complex. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "J. Cole Gives Tour of Childhood Home, Covers Complex". The Boombox. November 25, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  5. ^ Sisario, Ben (August 15, 2014). "A Song Born When Pain Is Still Fresh, J. Cole Releases an Impassioned Song About Michael Brown, 'Be Free'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Ali Shaheed Muhammad; Frannie Kelley (December 12, 2014). "J. Cole: 'Ain't Enough Of Us Trying'". NPR. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  7. ^ Lyons, Patrick (September 4, 2014). "Krayzie And Bizzy Bone Will Be On J. Cole's New Album". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  8. ^ "J. Cole & DJ Dahi In The Studio". The Source. March 4, 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  9. ^ Illmind (January 29, 2016). "J Cole Releases Video For !llmind Produced "Love Yourz"". Illmind Producer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  10. ^ "Willie B. on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  11. ^ "Making of NO ROLE MODELZ for J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2016 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Vinylz (August 8, 2014). "My bro @JColeNC is one of the greats ! #NEWMUSICCOMINGSOON". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  13. ^ "Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  14. ^ "Critacal on Instagram". Instagram. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  15. ^ Edwin Ortiz. "Interview: J. Cole's Producer Elite Discusses "Born Sinner" and Meeting L.A. Reid". Complex. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  16. ^ "Ron Gilmore – Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  17. ^ "Rap-Up.com – J. Cole Announces New Album '2014 Forest Hills Drive'". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  18. ^ "J. Cole". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  19. ^ Tinsley, Justin (November 18, 2014). "J. Cole's Inviting A Few Fans To His House For New Album Listening Session". Uproxx. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  20. ^ Garvey, Meaghan (November 29, 2014). "J. Cole Invited Fans To His Childhood Home To Hear His New Album". Complex. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  21. ^ "J. Cole Announces 'Forest Hills Drive Tour'". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  22. ^ "J. Cole Announces 'Forest Hills Drive' Tour Dates". Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  23. ^ Lewis, Brittany (February 23, 2015). "J. Cole Announces "Forest Hills Drive Tour" Act 2 & 3 With Jhene Aiko, Pusha T, Big Sean, YG, & More". Global Grind. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  24. ^ "J. Cole Announces 'Forest Hills Drive Tour' with Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Pusha T, & YG". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  25. ^ Mora, Maria (August 30, 2015). "The Finale: Drake & Jay Z Hit The Stage For J. Cole's Last "Forest Hills Drive" Tour Stop". Global Grind. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  26. ^ "J. Cole Closes Forest Hills Drive Tour Making History In The Ville". Farrinheit 411. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  27. ^ Augustin, Camille (December 16, 2015). "J. Cole Releases Part One Of Mini-Documentary Series Ahead Of HBO Special". Vibe. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  28. ^ Schwartz, Danny. "J. Cole's HBO Documentary "Road To Homecoming" (Episode 2)". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  29. ^ Augustin, Camille. "Wale, Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna Join J. Cole In Episode 3 Of 'Road To Homecoming' Series". Vibe. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  30. ^ Danny Schwartz (January 6, 2016). "J. Cole's HBO Documentary "Road To Homecoming" (Episode 4)". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  31. ^ J. Cole (December 15, 2015). "Read this. Then watch this. New episode every Wednesday leading up to concert film on..." Twitter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  32. ^ Philip Lewis (January 28, 2016). "J. Cole Releases 'Forest Hills Drive: Live' – Here's What You Need to Know". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  33. ^ a b Big Homie (January 29, 2016). "NEW VIDEO: J.COLE "LOVE YOURZ (LIVE)"". Rap Radar. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  34. ^ Boehrer, Kat (January 28, 2016). "J. Cole Plans to Release Live Album on His Birthday". Complex. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  35. ^ "FreezePage". Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  36. ^ "J. Cole Gets Introspective In His "Apparently" Video: Watch – Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com". Idolator. December 9, 2014. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  37. ^ a b c "J. Cole – Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  38. ^ Thompson, Avery. "Grammy Nominations 2016: Taylor Swift & More – Full List". Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  39. ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (October 16, 2015). "2015 Soul Train Awards Nominees Include The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Beyonce & More". The Boombox. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  40. ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (September 15, 2015). "2015 BET Hip Hop Awards Nominees Include Drake, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj & More". The Boombox. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  41. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  42. ^ "Watch J. Cole's New Video, "Wet Dreamz"". The Source. April 21, 2015. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  43. ^ Smith, Trevor (June 21, 2016). "J. Cole, ScHoolboy Q & Rae Sremmurd Earn Platinum Singles & Albums". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  44. ^ "Going for Adds – Urban". Radio & Records. VNU Media. August 4, 2015. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  45. ^ "Going for Adds – Rhythmic". Radio & Records. VNU Media. August 4, 2015. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  46. ^ Madden, Sidney (May 6, 2016). "Nia Long Assures J. Cole He Isn't Too Young for Her". XXL. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  47. ^ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  48. ^ "J. Cole Picks Next Single From '2014 Forest Hills Drive'". February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  49. ^ Hernandez, Victoria (June 15, 2016). "Sprite Revamps 'Obey Your Verse' With Tupac, Missy Elliott & J. Cole". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  50. ^ Renshaw, David (October 5, 2016). "Here Are All The Winners From The 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  51. ^ "Twitter Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  52. ^ "J. Cole – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  53. ^ Carter, Caitlin (December 5, 2014). "J. Cole Contemplates Success On A Late Night Bike Ride In '2014 Forest Hills Drive (Intro)' Video [WATCH]". Music Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  54. ^ Smith, Trevor (December 13, 2014). "Waka Flocka – Fire Squad (Freestyle) [New Song]". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  55. ^ Harris, Christopher (March 26, 2015). "J. Cole Reflects On Slave-Centered "G.O.M.D." Music Video". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  56. ^ Kendrick Lamar (November 27, 2015). "Black Friday. gift from @JColeNC". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  57. ^ J. Cole (November 27, 2015). "Black Friday. gift from @kendricklamar". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  58. ^ Lilah, Rose (November 27, 2015). "Kendrick Lamar – Black Friday (A Tale Of 2 Citiez Remix) [New Song]". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  59. ^ Schwartz, Danny (November 27, 2015). "J. Cole – Black Friday (Alright Remix) [New Song]". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  60. ^ 2DOPEBOYZ (May 8, 2015). "Styles P. – A Tale of Ghost Citiez". audiomack. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  61. ^ Goddard, Kevin (January 28, 2015). "Juicy J – A Tale Of 2 Citiez (Freestyle) [New Song]". hotnewhiphop. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  62. ^ a b "2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  63. ^ a b "Reviews for 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  64. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "2014 Forest Hills Drive – J. Cole". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  65. ^ a b Charity, Justin (December 9, 2014). "'14 Adolescence: J. Cole Grows a Notch Taller on "2014 Forest Hills Drive"". Complex. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  66. ^ a b Lowers, Erin (December 9, 2014). "J. Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  67. ^ Wood, Mikael (December 9, 2014). "J. Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive' hits authentic notes". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  68. ^ Fox, Killian (December 14, 2014). "J Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive review – the entertaining braggart on getting lucky". The Observer. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  69. ^ a b Jenkins, Craig (December 11, 2014). "J. Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  70. ^ a b Turner, David (December 30, 2014). "2014 Forest Hills Drive". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  71. ^ a b Gubbels, Jason (December 9, 2014). "Review: J. Cole Goes DIY on the Reflective '2014 Forest Hills Drive'". Spin. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  72. ^ Caballero, Martín (December 7, 2014). "Review: J. Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive'". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  73. ^ a b Miller, Kellan (December 11, 2014). "J. Cole '2014 Forest Hill Drive' Review". XXL. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  74. ^ Grant, Andre (December 8, 2014). "J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  75. ^ Jesal "Jay Soul" Padania (December 9, 2014). "J. Cole :: 2014 Forest Hills Drive :: Dreamville/Columbia/Roc Nation". RapReviews. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  76. ^ Gu, Marshall (December 12, 2014). "J. Cole: 2014 Forest Hills Drive". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  77. ^ Christgau, Robert (April 3, 2015). "Expert Witness". Cuepoint. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  78. ^ MESFIN FEKADU (December 20, 2014). "Year's top album is Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour'". Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016 – via Associated Press.
  79. ^ Eric Rosenthal; Jeff Rosenthal (December 11, 2014). "The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2014". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 21, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  80. ^ Weinstein, Max (January 5, 2015). "10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2014". The Boombox. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  81. ^ Angel Diaz (December 18, 2014). "The 50 Best Albums of 2014". Complex. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  82. ^ Pierznik, Christopher (December 16, 2017). "My Favorite Hip-Hop Albums of 2014". Cuepoint. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  83. ^ Smith, Trevor (December 30, 2014). "Hottest Albums of 2014". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  84. ^ Reeves, Mosi (June 7, 2022). "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  85. ^ Park, Jannet (October 13, 2015). "American Music Awards 2015 Nominees: The Complete List". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  86. ^ Fleischer, Adam (October 13, 2015). "Here's The Full List Of 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Winners". MTV. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  87. ^ Variety (May 17, 2015). "Billboard Music Awards Winners 2015: Full List". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  88. ^ Los Angeles Times Staff (December 7, 2015). "2016 Grammy Awards: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  89. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 19, 2014). "Billboard, Changing the Charts, Will Count Streaming Services". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  90. ^ Jay Balfour (December 17, 2014). "Hip Hop Album Sales: J. Cole, Eminem, PRhyme". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014.
  91. ^ "J. Cole's Big Week: A #1 Album, Huge Sales And Beating One Direction". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  92. ^ "Drake's Surprise Album Sets Spotify Records". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015 – via Associated Press.
  93. ^ Ryan Middleton (December 24, 2014). "J. Cole '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Goes Gold in Second Week". Music Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  94. ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: J. Cole's Trio of No. 1 Albums Puts Him in Elite Hip-Hop Company". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  95. ^ Diep, Eric (December 21, 2016). "From Hometown Hero to Superstar Status: How High Can J. Cole Climb?". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  96. ^ a b "American album certifications – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  97. ^ a b "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year End 2015". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  98. ^ "Credits / 2014 Forest Hills Drive / J. Cole". Tidal. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  99. ^ "2014 Forest Hills Drive – Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  100. ^ "Australiancharts.com – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  101. ^ "Ultratop.be – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  102. ^ "Ultratop.be – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive" (in French). Hung Medien.
  103. ^ "J Cole Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  104. ^ "Charts.nz – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  105. ^ "Swisscharts.com – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Hung Medien.
  106. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  107. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  108. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  109. ^ "J Cole Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  110. ^ "J Cole Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  111. ^ "2021 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 21, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  112. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  113. ^ "Top 100 Urban Albums 2015". ARIA Charts. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  114. ^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  115. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  116. ^ "Album Top-100 2016" (in Danish). Hitlisten.NU. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  117. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year End 2016". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 8, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  118. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  119. ^ "Album Top-100 2017". Hitlisten. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  120. ^ "Årslista Album – År 2017" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  121. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  122. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  123. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  124. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  125. ^ "Digitālās Mūzikas Tops 2019" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  126. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  127. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  128. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  129. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  130. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  131. ^ "2022 metų klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  132. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  133. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  134. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  135. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  136. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  137. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  138. ^ "Canadian album certifications – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". Music Canada.
  139. ^ "Danish album certifications – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  140. ^ "British album certifications – J Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  141. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  142. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  143. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  144. ^ "iTunes – Musik – 2014 Forest Hills Drive von J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  145. ^ "iTunes – ミュージック – J Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  146. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  147. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  148. ^ "iTunes – Music – 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J Cole". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.

Further reading

edit
edit