It’s about that time. J. Cole has been a heavy topic of conversation ever since he shared the release date for The Off-Season, and following his “Interlude” single and his fire freestyle on L.A. Leakers, fans have been waiting on his latest record to hit streaming services. The 12-track project unsurprisingly hosts no features, and the usually quiet Cole shared with SLAM magazine the inspiration and theme of his anticipated project.
“The Off-Season symbolizes the work that it takes to get to the highest height. The Off-Season represents the many hours and months and years it took to get to top form,” he told the publication. “Just like in basketball, what you see him do in the court, that sh*t was worked on in the summertime. So for an athlete, if they take their career seriously and if they really got high goals and want to chase them, the off-season is where the magic really happens; where the ugly sh*t really happens, where the pain happens — the pushing yourself to uncomfortable limits.”
Producers on The Off-Season include Timbaland, Boi-1da, T-Minus, Tommy Parker, Jake One, DJ Dahi, and many more. J. Cole has also spoken about making peace with retiring and it has been reported that he’s set to play basketball for the Rwanda Patriots in the Africa League. Stream The Off-Season and let us know what you think.
Tracklist
1. 95 South
2. Amari
3. My Life
4. Applying Pressure
5. Punchin’ The Clock
6. 100 Mil’
7. Pride is the Devil
8. Let Go My Hand
9. Interlude
10. The Climb Back
11. Close
12. Hunger On Hillside
[via]