Dropping DAMN after TPAB was the smartest career move he could’ve done

100%

damn

The biggest meme on ktt1 baxk in 2012-14

Was how hov had NO pictures with the nigga so it make sense

J. Cole talks about this himself on his audio series Inevitable. Jay Z begged Drake publicly to give J. Cole a hit in the middle of NBA All Star Weekend in front of a crowd of people. Never was the best relationship

niggas always tryna re-write history on here lol niggas forget Kendrick wasnt hot out the gate like the other two

nigga Kendrick’s debut was Section 80, it wasnt GKMC. Section 80 was released in 2011 and it was always treated like an album, Overly Dedicated was the last mixtape he released

just say you weren’t there

jay z hates j cole

Cole should have pitched a casino in the hood

Or crypto for the hood

That would have got his attention

Rised

exactly lol. Cole and Drake been hot since <2010…Dot was still Jay Rock opener at the time haha, Kendrick just had the later but similar quick rise to them and ability to sustain

Lmao man cmon

The only way Hov outsells Cole right now is if he gives away a million albums to T-Mobile Customers for free first week

Well that’s not fair hov had to hold jay’s hand so he could finally f***ing release something

I stand corrected
I was definitely there.
had to look it up, this was pre-interscope
I remember it feeling like a mixtape during that blog/tumblr era. so yea my bad

also shut yo b**** ass up

Ima just stop reading this thread at page 3 or otherwise ima have to correct too many posts itt

Everything that wasn’t on a major felt like a mixtape to me but S.80 was an album. Amazing one at that

according to Ali, OD is an album too just titled as a commercial mixtape. makes sense since that’s what all them niggas was doing back then lol

Jay been scared of losing his top spot, From Drake/Cole to Wheezy/Ye lol

Kenny was struggling with Dre up until Cole/Drake got involved but Dre has always let Top/Kenny do they thing

Hov deadass made Cole fumble his Debut which was still pretty huge

Breakdown
Can’t get enough
In the morning
Lights please
Nobody’s Perfect
Work Out
Cole World
Sideline Story
Lost Ones
Gods Gift
Never Told
Rise and Shine
Daddy’s Little Girl

All vary from good to great anti Cole World SS propaganda has been running amok for far too long

Ehhhhh that aint completely true. Although the creation of good kid maad city seem to be pretty organic and a lot of the collabs seemed to be made off the strength of TDE connections they had made along the way lets not act like Dre wasn't putting his name and face next to kendrick for the co-sign to push him. Magazine covers, Beats commericals, coachella performances. Dre was doing a lot more than jay was doing for cole in that sense.

Its worth noting Jay hasn't really put his face next to someone since who? Teairra Marí? At least not in the way he would have done for rocafella artists back in the day. Before Forest Hill Drive you couldn't find a photo of jay and cole together lol. It was clear Hov wanted to play the background at this point. Cole was never gonna get the "this is next guy" press run he probably needed at the time.

Think jay's attitude from roc nation and rocafella was a lot different and it seemed to have done cole a lot of good in the end. The jay co-sign seemed to have not done too well for some of the previous rocafella artists. If we did get the hov press run, features, live apperences would cole have been a able to get a solo hit or would he have just fallen off as just another roc artist that people claim jay destroyed from the inside to be the best?

BP3 hate? c’mon gramps

A Star Is Born is one of my fav Cole verses tbh lol

The out fart me line on the first song almost tanked the album but I agree the debut isn't as bad a people make it out to be

line so iconic that ice spice reheated his nachos

still a great song

well, define "out the gate" because they all were in different cycles at different times early on each playing catch up year after year.

in 2010 drake debuted and was certainly hot as fish grease #1 solo album, top 5 solo single (find your love), featured on a #1 single (whats my name) and already headlining arenas 70+ dates $8million gross. while cole was at peak in his mixtape era also xxl freshman, cracked the charts for the first time (who dat and all i want is you) and headlined a college tour. at this same time kendrick was just extending his reach outside of california/westcoast for the first time with his mixtapes.

In 2011 it was Cole's turn, he saw his first taste of high commercial success along with his mildly recieved but #1 charting debut album. work out went charted at 15 and he had a few solos as well as features circulating urban radio as well while also opening in arenas for Rihanna and headlining his first world tour. While Kendrick was now xxl freshman, peaking and having his run as king of the underground with section80 and also touring with Drake. Drake was garnering massive acclaim and began dominating with Take Care.

In 2012 Kendrick debuted with a #2 album and while he is the only of the three to NOT debut at #1 he did outsell Coles debut first week and received far more critical acclaim than cole did the previous year as well as drake in 2010. Also seeing plenty commercial success and mainstream breakthrough having his own top 20 debut single (swimming pools) and appearing as a feature on a top 10 single (fuckin problems) while also charting in urban radio through solos and features.

So if we were to rank the three respective debut album years of the three (2010,2011,2012) based upon overall successful output, critical reception, sales, charting, and let's say impact no doubt i would say it has to go

1. Drake(2010)
2. Kendrick(2012)
3. J. Cole(2011)