J. Cole: Hey Chris, what's good
Chris: Hello J. Cole, its such an honor to have you in here with me today
J. Cole: ah thats alright its no biggie,
Chris: Um listen J. Cole, I wanted to talk to you today about your hit album 2014 Forest Hills Drive and a song within the album, would you be okay with that?
J. Cole: fo' sure
Chris: Okay so first of all, what is the song "January 28th" about?
J. Cole: The song January 28th is about me and my community. The date is actually my birthday and the song is about my early years in Fayetteville North Carolina, U.S. On my second verse in the song, I address the issues of the black suppression in America saying that system shows no value or care on a black mans life because when a person dies, there is a toe tag attached to the big toe of the dead person in a morgue (depending on how you deal with the body). The use of the tag is for identifying the dead person, so when I check for a toe tag on the body of a dead black man, I can't find one so it really shows the value of a black man or even a black woman in the system showing that they have no value. The reason why i'm talking so much about the government in America and why they do not care about black’s is because the storage where bodies have tags on their toes are called morgues, and morgues are managed by the government. If there are no toe tags on black people, this shows that the government has no interest in them because they don’t place them inside morgues and these actions are saying as if the government don’t care about their identity and don’t value black lives.
Also, i'm talking to the black community about how they (including I) should unite and be together rather than “turn us into enemies” because of their egos fueled by the idea of who is tougher or which gang is the best in the area. The law of physics declare for a reaction to occur there has to be a collision of particles. I'm symbolizing the law of physics with the gangs “collision” of people which makes a “reaction” that turns them against each other, when really they should unite and fight against the black suppression together.
Chris: Wow, well thats really profound man. Why did you choose to portray this message through music?
J. Cole: Because the community and the people that I intend for them to hear this message generally don't read the news or even read at all. But with music, you can deliver whatever you want good message or bad message and you can make it as creative and as free as you want. Also my people and the community that i'm targeting this message towards they probably listen to music more than read the news and I don't blame them, I too prefer to listen to music so I thought it would be beneficial if i gave them this message that they needed to hear through my song and through my music.
Chris: Thats a really smart way to deliver your message, now why did you choose to make your lyrics with this type of language despite attending college? To me it really contradicts and devalues your identity from who you are
J. Cole: Because I know if I speak in another dialect or in another tone other than the tone that they hear and talk, they won't fully absorb and understand my message and what i'm trying to tell them. It's like speaking another language with a friend, you want to communicate to your friend and tell them something, but they do not understand you because they speak and use a different language than yours. I want my community and my fans and the people that listen to my music to understand this message and for them to apply it on themselves.
Chris: Do you think that your music has somehow impacted your community?
J. Cole: I hope it has. Damn i'll be sad if it didn't because i did this all for them. This song in particular. I know it has my birthday and i talk about myself but at the same time, I believe we are all one and we are in a community all together, so in my eyes i'm them and they're me. They just haven't experienced some things I have but they think the same way I do and I too think the same way they do. In this example it's bad because instead of bonding and joining together as one, we're dividing ourselves into more and more different groups and we're not doing anything good expect spreading hatred and anger amongst our community. I want to impact them to let them know about what i'm trying to tell them through my songs and about whats going on in our community and our lives. It's our community for a reason and we live in the same street, same state and same country for one reason... To unite!
Chris: Wow i'm truly amazed. Again, its such an honor having you here and thank you for your time.
Sources
- "J. Cole On Jay Z Giving Him The Roc Chain And Being An Introvert". complex.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
- "Breakfast Club Classic - J. Cole 2013 Interview". YouTube. N. p., 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
- "How Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole Rebooted Conscious Rap". Medium. N. p., 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
- "J. Cole – January 28Th". Genius. N. p., 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Song Lyrics
January 28
[Intro]
Rap tune
Can I make a million dollars off a rap tune?
Can I make a million dollars off a rap tune?
I'm tryna make a million dollars off a rap tune
Yeah
[Verse 1]
The real is back, the ville is back
Flow bananas here, peel this back
And what you'll find is, your highness
Can paint a picture that is vivid enough to cure blindness
Carolina's finest, you knew that already
And turned to the greatest, I proved that already
And if you would like, I do it twice
I just sharpen my blade for a minute became lost in my ways
This for my ****** that was tossed in the graves
Every so often I fade deep in my thoughts and then get lost in the days
We used to play before your coffin was made
Just got the call ***** got caught with a stray
Hope he's okay
Just got paid what Cochran got paid to free OJ
Just to share my life on the stage in front of strangers
Who know a ***** far too well, and that's the danger
Know me better than I know myself
I rip a page out my notebook in anger
And let these thoughts linger, singing
[Hook]
Don't give 'em too much you
Don't let 'em take control
It's one thing you do
Don't let 'em taint your soul
If you believe in God
One thing's for sure
If you ain't aim too high
Then you aim too low
[Verse 2]
What's the price for a black man life?
I check the toe tag, not one zero in sight
I turn the TV on, not one hero in sight
Unless he dribble or he fiddle with mics
Look out the window cause tonight the city lit up with lights, cameras and action
May no man alive come through and damage my faction
I brought you ****** with me cause I love you like my brothers
And your mothers' like my mother
Think we need a plan of action
The bigger we get the more likely egos collide
It's just physics, please let's put our egos aside
You my ******, and should our worst tendencies turn us into enemies
I hope that we remember these
Nights fulla Hennessey
When Hov around we switch up to that D'usse
Gotta show respect, one day we tryna stay where you stay
Cause we from where you from
Not talkin' bout the slums
I'm talkin' 'bout that mind state that keep a black ***** dumb
Keep a black ***** dyin' by a black ***** gun
And keep on listening to the frontin' *** rap ****** sun
Yeah I said 'sun'
This is New York's finest
For 11 winters straight I took on New York's climate
Like show me New York's ladder
I climb it and set the bar so high that you gotta get Obama to force the air force to find it
Never mind it, you'll never reach that
Cole is the hypnotist, control the game whenever he snap
That's every track, *****
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
I ain't serve no pies, I ain't slang no dope
I don't bring no lies, ****** sang my quotes
I don't play no games, boy I ain't no joke
Like the great Rakim, when I make my notes
You ****** might be L or you might be Kane
Or you might be Slick Rick with 19 chains
Or you might be Drizzy Drake or Kendrick Lamar
But check your birth date *****, you ain't the God
Nah you ain't the God
*****, Cole the God
January 28th
[Outro]
Make a million dollars off a rap tune
Can I make a million dollars off a rap tune
(Sound of baby laughing)
I'm tryna make a million dollars off a rap tune
I wanna make a million dollars of a rap tune
I'm gonna make a million dollars off a rap tune
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