I know I know, I’m late with this. I’ve been super busy as of late but now I can finally sit down and release my thoughts on J.Cole’s most recent mixtape, Friday Night Lights. Let’s get right into it.

Intro (Not Rated)

Slow piano melody to get you in the mood for the mixtape. “What good is being the one if you the only one that knows it….”

Too Deep For Intro 10/10

Laid back beat with an Erykah Badu sample that captures the feeling nicely as he speaks to the people on various subjects from his mistakes, his grind, his philosophies, to his inspiration to the gangstas, “I got gangsta niggas lining up in Admissions office”. This is a nice joint you can ride to late at night.

The baseline sounds similar to Joe Budden’s “The Future”

Before I’m Gone 9/10

The flow and beat mesh together so well. Sounds like a track off College Dropout. You’re welcome, Puff. Ain’t too many newcomers who can explain life’s obstacles and staying true so clearly like J.Cole does. This one is a banger.

Back To The Topic Freestyle 10/10

Old joint from last year I think. This joint is nice, and that beat….woooh.

“Back to the topic, actually forgot it….hoes, money, I’m the sh*it, oh yea I’m reminded”

“Got the type of bump that make a dog wanna hump her”

You Got It ft/ Wale 5/10

Nice, smooth beat with a decent chorus. Wale could’ve came stronger. Mediocre track.

Villematic 10/10

Very relatable on the college references. Better than Kanye’s version, in my opinion. “Name a fu%$in song I ain’t threw up on…”

“The thought of losing a good women keep me from chasing”

“rappers took a vacation I came over to house sit…”

Enchanted f/ Omen 10/10

I’m loving this. The drum/congo snare/shaker pattern with that “woooh” sound go so perfect with the soft melody. The chorus is from Pac’s Hailmary and the title are both perfect for the description of this song. Omen represents once again, someone give this man his praise besides me.

“I think my foolish pride might become my suicide” -Omen

“Through these lines and quotes you gotta find some hope” -Omen

“I think I’m in the Dungeon Fam I see Lo(w) Green” -Omen

“The devil out here buying souls ni$%a no refunds”

“Still we play, like ain’t nothing wrong”

“For that robert deniro niggas reload on them kilos”

Blow Up 10/10

B$#CH IM ABOUT TO BLOW UP! Banger.

Higher 5/10

This one is okay. The beat is really happy and his flow is mediocre. Lyrically, it’s cool. Song about chicks. Nothing spectacular.

In The Morning ft/ Drake 7/10

This is one of the best Drake verses I’ve heard until he started singing. Although the song subject is pretty dumb there are some gems in the wordplay.

2Face 10/10

The beat sound like some “get ready for the winter music”. 2Face speaks on a good subject. We all have two sides, good and bad. The things and situations we are dealt with can be the cause of some of the stupid or crazy things we all do/think.

“The mind state of a young black genius conflicted….”

“I feel ashamed because the good Lord done brought all of this success to me and all I seem to focus on is the stress on me”

The Autograph 8/10

A song for the fans and haters. Dope, happy sounding but soulful beat. I like this.

“Never imagined that the kids would wanna be me, man”

Best Friend 2/10

I’m really not feeling this one. Sounds like an remake of Aaliyah’s “One In A Million”. I’m not sure who’s the singer on this.

Cost Me A Lot 8/10

Real smooth beat here with a sample that yells “It cost me a lot!”. J.Cole goes through stories of his love for material things. Although he tries not to love them, he can’t help but love the feeling that owning them bring.

“Guess we rock a lot of ice cause we got a lot of pain”

“Buying out the bar because I feel it’s sh$t I gotta prove…”

“Fast life until the gas light…”

Premeditated Murder 10/10

Another track that dropped earlier this year that’s definitely album quality.  The beat is chilling. He spits venom to all his opponents in the game. He has big plans to takeover the game. He also speaks to his girl and promises to treat her better after all that’s been going on.  “If I could gift wrap the globe I would give you the world”

“From a civic to a 7, must have died and went to heaven”

“knew I would kill the game, premeditated murder”

Home For The Holidays 7/10

This is a feel good track. Made me go make some hot chocolate and put on my Christmas sweater. The beat is kanye west-like, it’s groovy. Cole speaks on old friends, women, and missing family. Nice track.

Love Me Not 9/10

Cole talks directly to his girl being brutally honest on how he’s feeling.

“All them other couples we fu$%ed with secretly hated flash forward its been years and we the only ones who made it”

For us who are in long-term relationships, we can definitely feel this song. “If the shoe was on the other foot you would leave my ass, true dat”

“we had a deal you aint keeping up your end of the sh%t, in my mind I know she get the short end of the stick…”

The sample is Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour”, definitely fitting sample for the substance of the song.

See World 10/10

This is a deep track. I knew it would be when I heard the sample from Pac’s “Pain”. He speaks on the tragic story of Shaniya Davis, a young girl from Fayetteville who was murdered. “That girl was 5 years old that they just murdered, and did some wicked sh&t to her that was unheard of, you fu%kin’ coward” I find it good that J.Cole keeps up and speaks on the crazy things that happens in his small hometown of Fayetteville, NC.

He keeps it real throughout the entire track. Talking to the world and how’s it no good with all the ridicolous things that happens in it.

“We sippin liquor for the pain that the world brings”

Farewell 9/10

This joint sound like a graduation track “when they bury me just know that I was nothing but a man” He reflects on life, the past and future. “I was loved, I was hated, just a ni%$a with a dream”. Dope track

Looking For Trouble 5/10

G.O.O.D. Friday track that features J.Cole. Unsurprisingly, Cole murders everyone on the track. The beat uses the same sample from Cam’ron’s “Bubble Music”. It’s decent.

Conclusion: This is a very good mixtape, better than most, but I wouldn’t say it’s better than The Warm Up. A few missteps here and there but there are some gems on this tape. Lyrically, Cole is the nicest newcomer out because his pac/nas type flow. A lot of his music has substance, things we all can relate to so I naturally gravitate to it. I’m REALLY looking forward to the album now. I just hope he’s not letting his best stuff go on these mixtapes and not the album. We’ll see what makes the album and what the label releases. This guy has a bright future.

Final Rating: 8.1/10