25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of The Last Decade
13. J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hill Drive
Although his first two albums, Cole World: The Sideline Story and Born Sinner, were extremely popular and helped build his fanbase, many see his third offering, 2014 Forest Hill Drive, as the album where Cole truly began to show not just how talented of a rapper he is, but how mature he was becoming too.
Despite only releasing 2014 Forest Hill Drive a year after Born Sinner, the growth between the two albums is incredible. Born Sinner certainly had its fair share of hits, but there was something introspective about Forest Hill Drive that was missing off the former album.
A perfect example of how much he'd changed in a year is on the song "January 28th." He isn't just giving us smart punchlines and memorable bars, he's also giving us some insightful and contemplative lyrics that fit more with who he would eventually become on later albums.
As one of the best modern MC's currently rapping, J. Cole needed an album that showcased his skills and where else he could and would take his music. 2014 Forest Hill Drive is the album that showed you how important he would be to the rap game.