KOD
by J. Cole
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 248 out of 321
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 321
  3. Negative: 17 out of 321
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  1. draediamond
    Apr 23, 2018
    7
    It's a good album no doubt but J Cole misses a chance to make it great. I would specifically give it a 7.5. The album is portrayed by J Cole and the interludes/samples he uses as an album with much depth but Cole's lyrics don't dig deep enough. He definitely has his moments of depth but it's not consistent. It's definitely a beautiful album but there's more than a surface and J ColeIt's a good album no doubt but J Cole misses a chance to make it great. I would specifically give it a 7.5. The album is portrayed by J Cole and the interludes/samples he uses as an album with much depth but Cole's lyrics don't dig deep enough. He definitely has his moments of depth but it's not consistent. It's definitely a beautiful album but there's more than a surface and J Cole doesn't perfect the depths as well as the surface. There are countless highlights on this album and the production is top notch.… Expand
  2. switch_cat_mac
    Apr 26, 2018
    8
    Thank you for this album J Cole. I was totally not a J Cole fan before 4/20 but this album made me one... great album to sit back and smoke a fat blunt to.

    ... Which, ironically, is what this album is trying to get us not to do, it seems. J Cole has laced this thing with hard-hitting trap banger beats and trendy cadences that make this thing work on a purely recreational level; ATM and    Thank you for this album J Cole. I was totally not a J Cole fan before 4/20 but this album made me one... great album to sit back and smoke a fat blunt to.

    ... Which, ironically, is what this album is trying to get us not to do, it seems. J Cole has laced this thing with hard-hitting trap banger beats and trendy cadences that make this thing work on a purely recreational level; ATM and KOD are perfect turn up songs, The Cut Off is a great smoking song. And yet his lyrics are never content; he's always interrogating, always digging to the underside of what he's talking about, which seems to be drugs and addiction of all different kinds, from lean to money to sex to marijuana.

    Of course we are used to hearing such beats and such subject matter together. Just peruse the charts at any point over the last 2-3 years, and anything with a heavy kick and a bop will have the same lyrical content: rampant, glorified drug use, explicit sexual fantasies and a (un)healthy dose of myopia and nihilism. I can only thing of one other example where the instrumentation said 'it's a trap' but the lyrics said 'i'm working on it,' and that's Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.

    I think it's somewhat unfair to compare KOD to DAMN because it feels like too much of a cliche in 2018, but there are admittedly a lot of similarities. J Cole is pitching his vocals up and down to create hooks and bridges in a way that is very similar to Kendrick, see songs The Cut Off and Motiv8 for example. Lyrically, both MCs are talking in the language of the zeitgeist--drugs, sex, hedonism, depression--but using these things to critique instead of glorify. Both seem to be rapping about these things from an inhabited perspective, like an expert narrator or character actor rather than a participant.

    But he does it better than Kendrick, I think. I love this album. As someone struggling with all kinds of addictions, I think J Cole absolutely nails it. J Cole depicts drugs as the last resort for the unloved, a lover for those that have no one else. Addicts use to wipe away the pain and loneliness. And he shows how for an addict, everything becomes a drug--money, sex, relationships. The addict is fully aware of all this and yet powerless to stop any of it. And yet, J Cole doesn't judge--he doesn't ridicule or moralize. He approaches with compassion and a tenderness I haven't really seen in a mainstream rap album in... like, ever. He realizes that people only use to solve a problem, and the problem is they don't feel love.

    There is of course a whole racial element to this album, and the connection between drug use and poverty and racism. These themes become particularly apparent on the back half of the album. I don't think I'm qualified to speak on this part of the album... but Once an Addict is one of my favorite songs on the album. I really feel the pain when I listen to this song, and a specific dreariness and hopelessness that I can't quite place.

    Finally the album closer... 4/20/2018 may be the day that mumble rap died, and J Cole killed it. I don't know any kid who listens to this track and says anything other than... "yeah, fair, makes sense."

    I will be listening to this album for a quite a while, I think. Thanks Jermaine.    … Expand
  3. RITH15
    Apr 23, 2018
    9
    In J. Cole's fifth album, he fine-tunes his lyrics and switches his flow to that of the more modern trap style (triplets) and delivers a great conceptual album. There are many highlights on this album that makes it easy to listen to (KOD, ATM, Photograph) and at the same time, delivers a great message. J. Cole also experiments with his voice and flow more, creating an alter ego (kiLLIn J. Cole's fifth album, he fine-tunes his lyrics and switches his flow to that of the more modern trap style (triplets) and delivers a great conceptual album. There are many highlights on this album that makes it easy to listen to (KOD, ATM, Photograph) and at the same time, delivers a great message. J. Cole also experiments with his voice and flow more, creating an alter ego (kiLL Edward). Overall, great album, highly recommend!… Expand
  4. noahbrackenbury
    Apr 25, 2018
    8
    "My highest moments come from telling all the saddest stories", rapped J. Cole on 2016 single "False Prophets". On April 20th, 2018, J. Cole delivers and ascends higher in the rap sphere with KOD, a 12-track 42-minute album detailing his experiences dealing with pain and the black condition. Cole is known for his lyricism, storytelling flow, and his dedication to the craft of hip hop; he"My highest moments come from telling all the saddest stories", rapped J. Cole on 2016 single "False Prophets". On April 20th, 2018, J. Cole delivers and ascends higher in the rap sphere with KOD, a 12-track 42-minute album detailing his experiences dealing with pain and the black condition. Cole is known for his lyricism, storytelling flow, and his dedication to the craft of hip hop; he produces a large portion of his own beats and has shied away from the trend of hip hop music crossing over into mainstream pop markets. Perhaps most evident of his mastery of his craft and his seclusion from the music industry is the recurrent phrase "Double platinum, no features", referring to how J. Cole has sold several million copies of both 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) and 4 Your Eyez Only (2016) with no guest appearances, a staple of current rap albums. KOD strengthens this trend for J. Cole, with only his alter ego kiLL edward "featuring" on two tracks, and with the album completely upending the charts of streaming services in its first week. The theme of the album is succinctly stated by the recurring phrase, "Life can bring much pain. There are many ways to deal with this pain. Choose wisely."

    The title track, "KOD", appears right after the smooth jazz intro and bleeds energy, setting the scene for the uptempo, frantic, triplet-driven style that permeates half this album. Later songs like "ATM" and "Motiv8" also feature this percussion and bass-heavy staccato sound, with more aggressive and irritated verses from Cole. These verses discuss the philosophical pitfalls of excessive vices like drugs, sex, and money, a theme which is equally represented by the slower, story-driven tracks like "Kevin's Heart", "Once an Addict - Interlude", and "Friends". Cole mixes these messages with authentic commentary on the black experience in America, noting how the inequality that black people face contributes to the use of these vices and further pain results from them, referencing specifically his mother's alcoholism, the infidelity of famous celebrities, the government's misuse of tax dollars, and popular black figures promoting excessive drug usage. Cole said himself that the album's title stands for three things: Kids on Drugs (a national epidemic that Cole addresses), King Overdosed (a self-given moniker for a past version of Cole discussed in his lyrics), and Kill Our Demons (after Cole addresses these issues and vices on the album, he emphasizes the need to heal and move forward). Another highlight and buzzed-about track is the extra cut "1985 - Intro to "The Fall Off"", a half-diss/half-advice track aimed to the new age of rappers, specifically some who have dissed and questioned Cole recently.

    Cole is mature in his message and expert in his delivery. While he further establishes himself as a rap legend, he also focuses more heavily on societal issues through this project, emerging sounding like more of a father figure. This new album is missing the lighthearted cuts like "Wet Dreamz" and "Foldin Clothes" that always colored his previous projects, which makes this project more densely negative and difficult to digest, but perhaps shows Cole's focus on being his best self in the long term. The production on this album isn't astounding or groundbreaking, but is steadily fantastic throughout, and showcases a combination of hip hop flavors that is certainly unique: aggressive but carnally gorgeous like a tiger. Cole's talent as a lyricist, rapper, and producer is still wildly evident on KOD, and like he prophesized on "False Prophets", he is emerging wiser and closer to his magnum opus moment: "I hear my old **** and know I can top it."    … Expand
  5. fwtll636
    May 13, 2018
    8
    On J. Cole's fifth release 'KOD', he shows off his impressive lyrical skills and funky beats yet forgets to tie everything together. For an album about drug addiction, it has almost nothing to do with drug addiction; but he did write 12 individually impressive songs.
  6. funkyhomosapien
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    Better than 4YEO. Good production, great rapping from Cole and good concept. Favorite tracks: KOD, 1985, Window Pain, Brackets, ATM, Friends, Once an Addict, The Cut Off.
  7. ILoveRap
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    This is J. Cole’s best album lyrically. This album is well put together, the beats are on 100 and the satire he carries out is splendid. Cole fans will definitely enjoy this one. I certainly did. This will probably go down as a personal classic once it grows in me. I love how he is growing as an artist and he’s really solidified himself as a legend.
  8. walden54
    Apr 24, 2018
    9
    Kids on Drugs / King OverDos / Kill Our Demons
    Like usual J cole stands as a flip side to the hip-hop and rap scene, one of the only rappers that deliver relevant and purposeful Texts in an eloquent style that seems border intellectual. And regardless if it's performed on expensive production, experimental jazz or minimal beat the message never fails to penetrate. KOD is no exception to    Kids on Drugs / King OverDos / Kill Our Demons
    Like usual J cole stands as a flip side to the hip-hop and rap scene, one of the only rappers that deliver relevant and purposeful Texts in an eloquent style that seems border intellectual. And regardless if it's performed on expensive production, experimental jazz or minimal beat the message never fails to penetrate. KOD is no exception to the rule; This record is the antipode of rap's excess culture a culture that glorifies drugs and Material longing, and a meditation on drugs and drug abuse with a political bracket. It's also a critic of Americas Opioid crisis and the dépersonnalisation and standardization of love, pain, and feelings. We find J Cole reprimanding the misuse of medications by doctors and people with lines such as "Meditate, meditate, meditate, meditate/Don't medicate, medicate, don't medicate, medicate." or **** did you expect, you can blame it on condition/Blame it on crack, you can blame it on the system". however this critic is full of sympathy and sincerity, it feels more like a personal catharsis rather than a preach. Add to it J.Coles pristinely faultless and flawless flow restyles and remolds after each song making the message resonate deeper in you, delivered on an experimental trap that he made me connect to this sound for the first time and showing the mumble rappers how true rap is done.    … Expand
  9. Dawoud
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    A much needed album at this point in Hip Hop. A lot of Hip Hop nowadays is sending the wrong message, so it's good to have someone of the caliber of Cole going against the popular wave of drugs and calling it out. The production is nice. He gives you a little bit of every vibe. Might be my favourite album of J. Cole.
  10. saad_munir
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Not as catcy as 2014FHD but the lyrical content is so dense and relatable. Definitely one of his best albums.
  11. TheFreeman148
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    What a great album. Has a serious message with a consistent tone. Easily his best
  12. thedaywalker
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    I really like this album. It is really his most thought out album. Not his best by no means, but his most ambitious project without a doubt. First half of the album seems experiemental, like Cole is just testing the waters, but in tracks like FRIENDS, Window pain, 1985, Once an Addict, i can hear probably the best Cole i´ve ever heard.

    Top songs
    KOD, ATM, Window Pain, 1985, FRIENDS,
  13. EduardoMaulaz
    Apr 23, 2018
    9
    Not his best album, I think 2014 Forest Hills Drive is better. But the message of KOD is good and there are a lot of songs that we can listen many times and they have a good message. J. Cole has this ability to do conscious music with a simple language, I appreciate that. At this moment, Jermaine is one of the hottest rappers right now so I think he need to confront yourself and go out ofNot his best album, I think 2014 Forest Hills Drive is better. But the message of KOD is good and there are a lot of songs that we can listen many times and they have a good message. J. Cole has this ability to do conscious music with a simple language, I appreciate that. At this moment, Jermaine is one of the hottest rappers right now so I think he need to confront yourself and go out of your comfort zone.
    The only think I can criticize is the "no features" thing, he can do good songs with others artist and he proved that, but he still to take this meme seriously. "kILL edward", he's alter ego doesn't work on the songs "The Cut off" and "FRIENDS", I think I'll like more that songs with an other artist doing this participation, or at least Cole with his own voice.
    But overall, I think it's a good project and it'll be one of the best os the year. Just wait.    … Expand
  14. realareebyrn
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Every message is ever so relevant, the production (primarily handled by J Cole himself) is extremely smooth, and he never strays away from the topic at hand. The final track isn't a diss, it's more so a warning and a piece of guidance. Everything from digital social media love, cheating temptations, tax brackets and budgets, to drug addictions and alternatives to dealing with the pain,Every message is ever so relevant, the production (primarily handled by J Cole himself) is extremely smooth, and he never strays away from the topic at hand. The final track isn't a diss, it's more so a warning and a piece of guidance. Everything from digital social media love, cheating temptations, tax brackets and budgets, to drug addictions and alternatives to dealing with the pain, Cole really shines in subject matter.

    This album, being conscious rap with no features, no promotion (J Cole only announced it 4 days before its release), it's amazing to see it performing better than Drake's Views album on the day 1 streaming and sales performance metrics. Usually these music streaming records are won by pop music artists such as Drake, Beyonce, Adele and the like. But seeing J Cole prevail, with a lyrical and conscious project, is amazing to see.

    This is the album that every other rapper feared to make, and Cole discussed things that artists never discuss. This is his most cohesive and well-crafted project to date, and it deserves a 10.    … Expand
  15. amrit
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Amazing album. From start to ending. The lyrics, production, subject matter. I would say this is coles best album to date and has made me a bigger fan who is now closer to his music.
  16. davisreid
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Cole experiments with vocal modulation and finds a way to create a project that feels diverse and layered while once again featuring no other artists. KOD starts with records that seem to mimic today's "new-age" hip-hop, while the last 5 tracks showcase Cole at his best, storytelling and sending messages (although sometimes on the nose) that are insightful and current.
  17. Realsonofisfada
    Apr 26, 2018
    10
    Easily the AOTY. The last album I heard this good was the Pulitzer winning DAMN.
    How awesome would it be that he was warming us up on 1985(Intro to the Fall Out) to a collaborative album with Kendrick?
  18. TimW001
    Apr 24, 2018
    7
    Very strong lyrically, and great concepts. Contrasting much of modern hip hop trends. Great songs are: 1985, Kevin's Heart, KOD, and Once and Addict. This album doesn't have anything risky or daring. It is a strait rap album.
  19. erolsabadosh
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    I don't know how J Cole manages to be so consistently brilliant but here we go, another stellar album, and this one's pretty conceptual, very focused and quite hard-hitting with its main theme of addiction. Standout tracks abound; I wouldn't say there are any weak moments here.
  20. kanye2
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    Dope album... much better than garbage TLOP by Coonye...fck KTT though. Kanye West/Trump stans are cancer.
  21. NeutralMilkH
    Apr 26, 2018
    7
    I wrote this whole track-by-track analysis as to what I liked about this album and what I didn't, and I used up all 5000 characters, but since Metacritic sucks, it didn't submit correctly, so here are the tracks that scored a 7 and above and below
    7 or higher: ATM, Brackets, Once an Addict, Friends, Window Pain, 1985
    6.5 or lower: Intro, KOD, Photograph, The Cut Off, Motiv8, Kevin's    I wrote this whole track-by-track analysis as to what I liked about this album and what I didn't, and I used up all 5000 characters, but since Metacritic sucks, it didn't submit correctly, so here are the tracks that scored a 7 and above and below
    7 or higher: ATM, Brackets, Once an Addict, Friends, Window Pain, 1985
    6.5 or lower: Intro, KOD, Photograph, The Cut Off, Motiv8, Kevin's Heart

    Originally, I scored this album a 6, because the average was 6.45, but since Metacritic is pissing me off today, I'll round it up to a 7, since the last 5 tracks really are that redeeming. To be fair, when I originally rated it a 6 a couple of days ago, I didn't listen to the whole thing... anyway, let it be known that this album will either make you feel indifferent or you'll like it a lot... personally, I'm in the middle. As a person who isn't a fan of J. Cole, I'm excited to hear what he has to come up with in the future.

    Takeaway points of this review:
    1. KOD is fine, (It's not a masterpiece, don't get over dramatic)
    --Favorites: Once an Addict, ATM, 1985 (in that order)
    --Can we just all agree that The Cut Off is the worst track on this album?
    2. Not the best introduction for new J. Cole fans, but not too bad.
    3. Lyrics are mostly good, instrumentation gets better over the course of the album, as do the vocal performances
    4. Inconsistent, but highs are certainly great (but not worthy of being considered classics)
    5. Metacritic doesn't work for ****    … Expand
  22. Connorcox1997
    Feb 23, 2019
    10
    Wow, I was not expecting, J Cole to announce the album a few days before release. J Cole Surprised me with his 5th album KOD. KOD is a dope album. I the beats are dope, the production is great. I definably like J Cole's Story telling, his Flows, and his bars are dope. KOD by not be his best album, but KOD is sure a dope album. I highly recommended it.
  23. Hendo250
    Apr 6, 2021
    8
    this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8
  24. Tribulations
    Jun 30, 2020
    9
    this album delivers a new cole style inspired by trap and anti-political insights to drug addiction and the overall outlook of coles personal decisions on his love life.
  25. LispectorLTX
    May 5, 2018
    7
    One of the best 2018 projects til now. Even tho J. Cole tried to make something on the same level as Kendrick Lamar and failed, he still got beats for the streets and something that everybody can enjoy it. "KOD" is the album that we can listen to for more than a week repeatedly. Crazy, magnificent and classic, but at the same time confusing and too much commercial; anyway, in the future,One of the best 2018 projects til now. Even tho J. Cole tried to make something on the same level as Kendrick Lamar and failed, he still got beats for the streets and something that everybody can enjoy it. "KOD" is the album that we can listen to for more than a week repeatedly. Crazy, magnificent and classic, but at the same time confusing and too much commercial; anyway, in the future, we will look back and recognize that this will be a classic album.… Expand
  26. MerylRedmayne
    Jun 29, 2018
    7
    J. Cole almost achieves greatness with this for the first time in his career. Almost.
  27. fifi3
    Jul 28, 2019
    7
    The album is a really easy listen - fast paced with great lyrical ability showcased. My main issue with this album is Cole trying to stick to a pretty ambitious, complicated concept (K.O.D.) while kind of only dancing around the surface of it - only mentioning a solution briefly on a "meditation verse." On 4YEO, the lack of polish around a concept was more excusable given it was a newThe album is a really easy listen - fast paced with great lyrical ability showcased. My main issue with this album is Cole trying to stick to a pretty ambitious, complicated concept (K.O.D.) while kind of only dancing around the surface of it - only mentioning a solution briefly on a "meditation verse." On 4YEO, the lack of polish around a concept was more excusable given it was a new creative direction, but here I just felt Cole should have just went into his lane again that he is more comfortable in. Still, it was a solid album with a meaningful message.… Expand
  28. MacsMusic
    Jun 19, 2018
    8
    It's very rare to see an emphasis on lyrics over beats in the secular rap music world. Even rarer yet, to actually have good, serious messages. "Friends" tells drug-addicts "meditate; don't medicate," "ATM" suggests that money is not the most important thing in the world, and in "Pain" J. Cole earnestly thanks his Creator for his blessings. KOD talks about pain, violence, and real issuesIt's very rare to see an emphasis on lyrics over beats in the secular rap music world. Even rarer yet, to actually have good, serious messages. "Friends" tells drug-addicts "meditate; don't medicate," "ATM" suggests that money is not the most important thing in the world, and in "Pain" J. Cole earnestly thanks his Creator for his blessings. KOD talks about pain, violence, and real issues in a mature way that is very uncommon for most rap albums. It is a rap album that actually has something to say, and it says it well.

    I personally really like the original skeletal, simple-and-subtle production; it works very well with the lyrics and J. Cole's great performance. On KOD, J. Cole raps very well, and it makes the album even better. The only song that really flops in the lyrics department is "KOD," which has fairly unoriginal "I'm awesome-and-better-than-you" lyrics.

    I love KOD's music, lyrics, and rap performance. The title track and a few other less-impressive songs keep it from a higher score.    … Expand
  29. StuckInAzkaban
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    This is a true Hiphop album, created by one of the most skilled storytellers in the game. Thank you J Cole, for this masterpiece.
  30. Raollow
    Apr 27, 2018
    10
    Great Album, Dope beats, amazing lyrics/themes. Get it.Great Album, Dope beats, amazing lyrics/themes. Get it.

    ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Most Discussed Album of 2018
14
#14 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Exclaim
    May 29, 2018
    80
    Though it's no surprise that Cole's consciousness leads the album, his unabashed statements regarding the direction of rap music and its current megastars are gutsy.
    Read full review
  2. AllMusic
    May 7, 2018
    70
    As the value of Cole's witticisms, and the intellect required to decrypt full meaning of his verses, continues to be debated, the increased strength in his clear-cut writing evinces promise of greater work ahead.
    Read full review
  3. XXL
    May 4, 2018
    80
    While there are moments where Cole comes off more as a condescending high school principal than earnest older brother, KOD is an overall strong effort that connects of emotional trauma, mental health stigma in the Black community and the real problem of drug glorification.
    Read full review
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