BY BEN FURDEK
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Rapper J. Cole’s label Dreamville dropped a collaboration album, Revenge of the Dreamers 2, starring rappers Bas, Omen, Cozz, Ari Lennox, Lute and features from Donnie Trumpet and Correy C.
J. Cole made appearances in three songs on the album. He uses this album to put the young rappers signed to his label on the map and to help get them noticed.
He accomplished this by producing it himself and having a few songs of his own to get his millions of fans to listen and get publicity to these other young rappers. These rappers are young but also extremely talented. Omen, on the song “Caged Bird,” opens up with lyrics like “used to paint a picture with a story of neglect,” and “I’m just a jazz musician trapped in a rap form.” This helps gives us a sense of his style as a rapper.
He’s not just trying to be become successful by rapping about money, drugs and women with a catchy beat, like we see so much in rap today.
Another stand out was Cozz, an L.A. based rapper with a much more violent and gangster flow than other rappers on this album.
In his song “Grow,” he raps about his struggles early in life and how he becomes more focused to grow into a better person.
J. Cole’s rapping is always impressive, but the way he really stands out on this album is his producing.
In the past, J. Cole’s beats, when produced by himself, were often repetitive and not too creative.
His beats on this album show that he’s starting to develop his own style by producing slow, dream-like beats that sound like a perfect mix between 90s rap and modern trap beats. Songs that standout production wise are “Folgers Crystals,” “Night Job” and “Still Slummin’.”
Even though this didn’t contain the star power and the hardcore raps that Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music, Cruel Summer did, it is a better album in terms of lyrics and diversity of songs.
This album goes from having a song like “Backseat,” that sounds like The Roots made it and then hitting us with a song like “Tabs,” that reminds us of
Migos with the catchy chorus and heavy trap beat.
This album secures J. Cole’s place as not only one of the game’s top rappers but also a respected producer.
It will also boost the careers of the many talented but underground rappers on this album.
