However, in the end, as detailed in the song “4 Your Eyez Only,” the friend is the one who is not able to make it out alive, and asks his friend, the narrator, to leave the album as a story for his daughter that is meant to be for her eyes only, as the title suggests. Cole, and the friend in the same exact way: one of contemplation to salvation through the same exact route given the same exact circumstances. The album is meant to describe the transformation of both the narrator, which is assumed to be J. However, the beautiful, hidden layer behind the entire album is that this story was written to describe his life and the life of a friend that had passed away. 2,” because of his desire to satisfy his lover by doing domestic housework and dedication to his daughter. The transformation is seen as complete with the songs “Foldin Clothes,” and “She’s Mine Pt. The transition from contemplation to one of comfort, security and happiness is subtle but powerful, and each part of this transformation has a song that is dedicated to emphasizing each given phase.įrom “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” which demonstrates the contemplative aspect, to “Déjà Vu” and “She’s Mine Pt.1,” which introduce his lover, the catalyst for his transformation, to “Immortal,” “Ville Mentality” and “Neighbors,” which underscore the pressures of his living conditions, we see a clear path that he follows from point A to point B. He finds some solace in meeting a girl, building a life together and having a child. The record then transitions from a theme of contemplation to one of rehabilitation.

These difficulties make him contemplate his life and the value thereof, which is the theme that kick-starts the album.

He creates 4 Your Eyez Only to accentuate the difficulties of living in poverty, of living in “the hood,” of dealing drugs and of being a black man in a white America. J. Cole’s ability as a storyteller is, as stated above, especially noteworthy and on display. Cole’s ability as a phenomenal storyteller, a remarkable lyricist and a sound producer. Indeed, it was powerful, profoundly executed, easy to listen to, and it underscored J. The long awaited release was well worth the wait. With that being said, 4 Your Eyez Only provided what was expected while simultaneously, in many ways, exceeding those expectations as well. But, then it dawned on me - that was exactly the point.ĭrawing on the title of the novel of the same name, 4 Your Eyez Only, at least to me, was meant to mean something different to everyone.

However, I struggled to understand exactly why this was the case and even struggled to explain the thought to a friend.

Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only for the first time. This was the first thought that came to mind after hearing J.

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