4 Your Eyez Only
| J. Cole
4 Your Eyez Only
4 Your Eyez Only is the fourth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. Most of these recordings took place from 2015 to 2016, while the production on the album was primarily handled by Cole himself, alongside several other record producers such as Vinylz, Boi-1da, Cardiak, Ron Gilmore, Frank Dukes, Chargaux and Elite, among others. 4 Your Eyez Only was released exactly two years after Cole's previous studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
On J. Cole’s fourth album, he wrestles with the fragility of life and the importance of family ties.
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Rolling Stone
It's a well-executed meditation on love, loss, fatherhood and being black in America.
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The Guardian
The rapper and activist takes aim at mass incarceration, police brutality and toxic masculinity on his much-anticipated follow-up to Forest Hill Drive.
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Consequence of Sound
It’s a narrative that allows Cole to retain his reputation as a gifted MC while displaying his own growth and maturity as a human being at the same time.
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NY Times
It is spartan but sumptuous, emotionally acute but plain-spoken.
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Hip Hop DX
J. Cole deserves consideration for tugging at the heartstrings of listeners with raw human emotion but still leaves open the door to reach a musical zenith.
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Billboard
The rapper releases his most cryptic album yet.
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Financial Times
The artist raps about inner vulnerabilities, succeeds in linking the personal and social.
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DJ Booth
True to its title, listening to this album feels like reading a personal letter from Cole.
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Slant Magazine
At 10 tracks and 44 minutes, this largely featureless album is compact, disciplined, and low on flash.
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All Music
Told in the first person, most of its tracks trace the life trajectory of Cole's slain friend, as someone who dealt drugs, changed course after falling in love, and died at the age of 22.
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Courier Journal
He's over fakeness, and if sincerity and storytelling matter more than sensationalism, then fans will find "4 Your Eyez Only" to be solid.
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Complex
J. Cole's '4 Your Eyez Only' is both empathetic and condescending.
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Odyssey
it navigates through the topics of love, fatherhood, all the while still interpolating the topic of death.
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808s and Jazz Breaks
I can’t help but think that he has fallen short on delivering and fleshing out a conceptual album.
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The National
J Cole's latest offering is an intimate one full of frustration and desperation.
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Inverse
The message for this album is simple — we have to change what it means to be a “real nigga” in the Black community.
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DBK News
This is J. Cole at his finest.
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808s and Blues
Cole’s secret sauce is tapping into that market of the ordinary (i.e., the relatable), and drenching it in sincerity.
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Amino Apps
J.Cole is one of the best rappers of all time.
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The Courier
Listen to his pain and his frustration and his desperation.
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The Line of Best Fit
J. Cole opts for quiet revolution on his subtlest, most affecting record yet.
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Mixologi
He found his niche and feels established.
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Medium
More than beats and verses, J Cole addresses meaningful issues and explores his own fragility and vulnerability.
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Water Cooler Convos
It is a powerful, insightful, and engaging musical experience that is easily one of the best artistic triumphs of 2016
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The Bubble
It covers themes of racism, loneliness, depression, and death.
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The Herald on the Hill
Cole continues to prove why he’s one of the rappers on top of the game.
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Live in Limbo
What this album lacks, it more than makes up for in meaning, lyrical ability, and the ability to captivate the listener with an incredible tale of loss, hardships, and love and perseverance through difficult times.
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Sputnik Music
On 4 Your Eyez Only, Cole creates a focused, in-depth narrative, with a sound catered 4 Cole Fanz only.
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Ellis Music Magazine
Though the album is beautifully crafted the songs do not hold their own when taken out of the album context.
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The Boombox
From racism and civil rights to police brutality and mass incarceration, the Roc Nation artist forces his fans to think and scratch beyond the surface to tackle problems affecting various communities worldwide.
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Contact Music
This is lyrical, musical and intelligently administered, with diverse sonics and accomplished, experienced penmanship from front to back
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Positively Underground
J Cole clearly has some talents and he is addressing important issues in his community, but sonically the album is bland and the rampant twitter worthy one-liners likely won’t appeal to listeners above the age of 16.
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Pop Matters
He has matured into a one of the most important figures in modern hip hop and 4 Your Eyez Only is the evidence of this.
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Crossroads
4 Your Eyez Only is a greatly written album that deals with many issues relevant in society today and in previous years.
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The Hoya
The album sees Cole reevaluating his life after fame and finding fulfillment in activism through rap.
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Play List Play
He creates some of his most personal stories yet.
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Now
J. Cole solidifies his rep as a social-realist storyteller on 4 Your Eyez Only.
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Exclaim
On this record, he's better than he's ever been.
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DHS Media
For Your Eyez Only, promises to deliver an emotional and powerful message, but mucks up the delivery with unnecessary lyrics and superfluous songs.
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12 by 6
When it shines, it shines very brightly. However, when it gets murky, it's very, very tough to get through.
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Her Campus
It is one of the most human albums to come out in 2016.
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KUMD Radio
Though somber and serious, this album contains some of the best rapping Cole has ever committed to tape.
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Bong Mine Entertainment
Overall, 4 Your Eyez Only is a good album. One that will definitely resonate with fans of hip-hop music.
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Hip Hop N More
J Cole falters for the first time in this album.
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XXL
4 Your Eyez Only is a solid, short listen that relies on J. Cole's strength and comfort zone, perhaps a little too much at times, but the underlying concepts continue to add a layer of depth to his artistry.
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Vulture
4 Your Eyez Only is his best and most mature album.
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Immortal Reviews
4 Your Eyez Only is not only lyrically genius, but it has underlying groove that allows you to enjoy the messages as they come. This is hip-hop innovation.
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The Rutgers Review
J. Cole’s ability to convey a message in the way that he does is, at times, reminiscent of old school hip-pop.
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Meet My Talent
J.Cole doesn’t shy away from political commentary in 4 Your Eyez Only, he embraces it.
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The What
I wouldn’t consider the project a flop for J. Cole, but it certainly isn’t the confirmation I needed that he’s a great rapper.
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The Hot Box
Despite the constant grumble of Cole’s boringness, the production and subject matter are real enough for anyone to relate to and not get sidetracked.
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Soul In Stereo
I wouldn’t call the album “boring” but it’s got some NyQuil tendencies for sure.
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The High End Theory
It won’t be remembered like ‘FHD‘ will most likely be but it is a testament to the talent of a rapper that very few can deny; platinum or not.
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Skiddle
The frankness is startling and, by its very essence, is a journey both musically and emotionally.
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The Royal City
Overall, 4 Your Eyez Only is definitely an album that takes multiple listens to truly soak up the message, but once it hits, it hits HARD.
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The Musical Hype
This is a personal, incredibly authentic offering that requires a couple of listens to completely sink in.
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Step Off! Magazine
4 Your Eyez Only is a decidedly quieter, much more introspective and intimate journey than its highly acclaimed predecessor.
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The Gateway
The narrative of 4 Your Eyez Only is a clear critique of the American justice system and is a very relevant topic in today’s era.
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Swag Aliens
J. Cole is building his legacy.
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Kick'n It
Since his last drop, J Cole has transitioned to a mindset of responsibility and personal growth that his contemporaries cant quite relate too.
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The Sonic Breakdown
I think this is a very good well thought mature album that covers life and death as well as legacy.
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Varsity
Where the album’s thematic content really succeeds is its weaving together of different subjects.
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Black Roses
I am a little underwhelmed and starting to accept that J. Cole albums might never get back to songs written to be hits and go mainstream.
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All That Matters In Music
He allows himself to peer at this social setting through a host of lenses, painting his text and characters in a range of hues that accentuate not only their positives or negatives, but their humanity.
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Blasting News
The North Carolina rapper moves away from commercial noise to make a conscious album.
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The Chronicle
If you are a fan of J. Cole, listen. If you are a fan of lyrics that tell a story, listen. If you are a fan of underlying messages, listen.
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The Roundup
The further the record goes on, the more hope is filled throughout each song.
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Green and Gold News
is new album is bigger than the previous album because he talks more about the struggles black people face in America and how the system wants him to sell his soul to the music industry.
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The Star
This effort is definitely one of his best efforts.
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The Early Registration
Jermaine Lamarr Cole is a once in a decade type of artist.
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The Blog About Nothing
This feels like for the first time he’s truly made an album for himself.
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Independent
Not a dry eye, perhaps, but not all that exciting, either – which is part of the point, of course.
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The Daily Dot
J. Cole made another wildly popular, OK rap album—and for now, that’s fine.
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The Zephyr
This album is the greatest example of how mature J. Cole has become and that he is able to talk about sensitive subjects like death and having to deal with taking care of a deceased friend’s daughter for many years.
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The Little Hawk
J. Cole mixes anger, love, and sadness into a beautiful composition.
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GRM Daily
The album had its purpose and feels like something Cole HAD to do, I can't imagine he had too much fun making it to be honest.
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Spinditty
It is too personal, three-dimensional and multifaceted to simply pick up and enjoy, investment is required
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Transverso
4 Your Eyez Only acknowledges the fact that J. Cole connects best with fans on a personal level.
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Huffington Post
We find an artist who has finally matured.
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Odd Verbs
This album is J. Cole doing his thing, which is fine.
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Focus Hip Hop
It’s just a really underwhelming project.
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The Roar
J. Cole once again amazed the music industry.
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Baeble Music
J. Cole proved himself to not just be a great rapper, but a masterful storyteller.
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Exposed
He shows how to put together a beat and track that is more than just your standard club banger.
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El Estudiante
The only critique I have of 4 Your Eyez Only is that it wasn’t long enough.
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Beatroute
Cole is unrelenting in letting his listeners know that he is one of the greats, but saying it does not make it true; the music has to speak to the claim too, something Cole has clearly forgotten with his latest release.
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Haus of Ky
After listening to the album a number of times, I’m stuck waiting and wanting more.
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International Business Times
Unfortunately for Cole, many of the songs come off as a chore to listen to.
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Head Sessions
The musical composition of the album with live instruments and complex sound structures almost places it in a separate Hip Hop sub genre.
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Vlad TV
It features some of Cole's finest work to date.
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Panther Pride
Every line of each song had so much heart and soul poured into it, showing just how hard J.Cole worked.
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AmaruDynasty
I really enjoyed this album. It might’ve taken three listens to get there but I got there and that’s all that matters.
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Love This Track
Cole showed the world that there’s more to hip-hop than just constant misunderstood rapping, he showed us that there is still hope for real music.
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The Fresh Committee
But for the third album in a row, his backing music underwhelms, putting his out-of-tune singing on center stage.
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Music News Lifestyle
For those who are looking for a new rapper to listen to that evokes feelings, talks about reality, and is socially conscious, 4 Your Eyez Only is a good jumping off point.
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Syrup Jams
Be prepared for some major feels.
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LA Music Blog
The Dreamville rapper came right on time to give his fans what they have been waiting for for almost two years.
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Titan Times
Cole couldn’t have put the social standards and expectations of the black community in better words.
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Live Wire
His third album went double platinum with no features and with his fourth album Cole could possibly do it again.
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Only Jay Raw
Being disappointed is an understatement for me, we got nothing but slow tunes to put us to sleep.
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Spectrum Pulse
The problem is that those good intentions are seriously muddied by the execution, both lyrical and thematic, in delivery and production, and overall the payoff is not really all that satisfying or anything we haven't heard before in hip-hop.
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Kimolee Eryn
Nothing less than expected from Cole but I'd personally like to see what else Jermaine has to offer us, sonically.
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The Mellowship
Cole wants to be legendary but his problem is that he first needs to be great.
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Homerton Press
A good album but not nearly hitting the standard that 2014 Forest Hills Drive did.
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