"Chaining Day" is filled with an obnoxiously saccharine xylophone throughout that renders it unlistenable. There's also a notable amount of filler, unfortunately. The songs aren't particularly bad, but credit should certainly not go to Cole for producing them, and they're weaker than those he put considerable effort into. "LAnd of the Snakes" is an OutKast song with slightly different percussion, and "Forbidden Fruit" is just a louder version of A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation". A couple songs could hardly be said to have been produced by Cole, though. The outside production is great as well Elite's help with "Crooked Smile" made that song a highlight, and No I.D.'s presence on the jazzy, horn-driven "Let Nas Down" with Cole's experience of disappointing one's idols create another standout. "Rich Niggaz" speculates on the loss of morality that comes with wealth, over, of all things, a ukulele, and it surprisingly works well. "Miss America" (which, shamefully, is not included on the regular edition of the album) turns an indie-folk sample into the backbone of a rage-filled political song that rejects American ideals and instead proclaims "I'mma pass your classes, I'mma learn your craft/I'mma fuck your daughters, I'mma burn your flag". "Power Trip"'s powerful beat contrast nicely with the emotional lyrics to produce a compelling ode to both Cole's girlfriend and to hip-hop. Originality in production and subject matter is this album's greatest strength. "Crooked Smile" is catchy, sure, but even more importantly, it turns a cliched idea into something distinctive. It's slightly pandering, but Cole admits that, which gives the song charm - and then he puts the whole idea in context of American celebrity culture. "Crooked Smile" demonstrates this best, taking female self-esteem (a topic discussed in Kendrick's "No Makeup" and Drake's "Every Drake Song Ever") and putting his own spin on it. True to the title, the biggest theme of the album is immorality: the immorality of infidelity, the immorality of America's societal standards, and the immorality of creating music for mainstream success rather than artistic vision. He also repeats sociopolitical ideas unique to other rappers, most notably on "Villuminati", where he declares that a black man would never be allowed in the Illuminati - a point already raised in almost the exact same way by Kendrick Lamar.īut Cole is also capable of bringing his own personality and ideas to the table, and that's where Born Sinner shines. The imitation is not an issue that encompasses Born Sinner, but crops up enough to be noticeable, and detracts from Cole's originality. vocal sample, Cole's braggadocio, flow, and lyricism are all more emulative of Kanye.
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While opener "Villuminati" proclaims "Sometimes I brag like Hov" over a Notorious B.I.G.
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Moreover, Cole has a bad habit of lapsing into idol-worship. Fortunately, after that song, the topics diversify, but the listener has already been bludgeoned over the head with the image of Cole plowing through groupies while his loyal girlfriend sighs resignedly at home. Cole's guilt has become repetitive and detestable. By the time "She Knows" rolls around, the concept of J. Six of the sixteen tracks here have sex or women as the motif, and even more than that refer to the ideas raised by those six songs. Cole is a sex addict - either that, or is addicted to sharing his sexual exploits on record and then feeling bad about them. For instance, Born Sinner has convinced me that J. Not even close to a perfect product, really. Cole has created, if not a perfect product, at least a largely original one. (At least you tried, Curtis.) So the general consensus is that once more West will take home the gold in the all-important competition that is first-week sales, but when examining the batch of June 18th albums, it's clear that J.
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The affair is reminiscent of when 50 Cent went head-to-head with West in 2007, in a sales battle that would end with West's "victory" and the realization of gangster rap's popular decline. Cole, has stirred up something of a frenzy. In particular, the sharing of the release date between West and fellow producer/rapper/Jay-Z disciple, J. June 18th is probably going to be a memorable date for hip-hop fans, given the massive hype train that Kanye West generated via his alternative media tactics.