J. Cole season is slowly approaching as the legendary rapper recently shared a snippet of a new track, titled “Might Delete Later, Vol. 1.” The supposed latest taste of his next album, The Fall Off, sees him spitting bars through a low resolution black and white filter. Coming off an epic run of guest features last year and an arena tour with Drake, J. Cole appears to be gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated seventh studio album. The production credits of “Might Delete Later, Vol. 1” are unknown, but one could assume that J. Cole created the beat given he produces the majority of his music.
While he is regarded as a top-tier lyricist, his skills as a producer should not go unnoticed. From his early mixtapes to his biggest hit singles, J. Cole created his own sound as a beat-maker. However, in the vlog that debuted “Might Delete Later Vol. 1,” he admitted that he feels a bit rusty as a producer. As we await the release of The Fall Off, here is a look at J. Cole’s best beats. Ranked from least to greatest, these selections primarily consist of J. Cole tracks and are solely self-produced without co-producers. Take a look at the list below.
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7. “Nobody’s Perfect” (2011)
The sped-up sample of Curtis Mayfield’s “Think” on “Nobody’s Perfect” instantly grabs the attention of listeners as it is looped into a spectacular instrumental. Serving as the lead melody, the beat steadily builds and excitingly drops with energetic drum programming. The loop may be simplistic, but it is effective in assisting the multiple flows in Cole’s verses, as well as the sung chorus from Missy Elliott. While the sample shapes the main backing for the track, the additional instrumentation makes the song even more dynamic as the drums start and stop between verses.
6. “Wet Dreamz” (2014)
The cinematic string section on “Wet Dreamz,” along with thumping drum breaks, create a compelling soundtrack for one of Cole’s most iconic storytelling moments. For the song’s production, J. Cole chopped the beginning of Family Circle’s “Mariya,” rearranging the strings and pitching up the vocals to produce the lead melody. The drum loop derives from “Impeach The President” by The Honey Drippers, which had previously been sampled by the likes of Nas, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and others. Following in the footsteps of numerous hip-hop greats, J. Cole flipped the drums for his own classic story. The traditional yet emotional beat puts the attention on Cole to vividly depict his first sexual experience in his bars and melodic chorus.
5. Kendrick Lamar – “HiiiPower” (2011)
J. Cole reserves the majority of his best production for his own albums, but one of his greatest beats is the one he crafted for Kendrick Lamar’s “HiiiPower.” On the first of many collaborations between the two, J. Cole sampled Jeremy Steig’s “Hang On To A Dream.” The chopped, sped-up, and looped instrumental made for a powerful closing track on Lamar’s debut album, Section.80. The stuttering flute melody and pounding drum pattern made for not just one of J. Cole’s best beats, but one of Kendrick Lamar’s greatest songs. The overall production conveys a commanding and passionate tone that demands the attention of listeners.
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4. “Villuminati” (2013)
“Villuminati” appropriately sets the tone as the opening track for J. Cole’s second studio album, Born Sinner. While the song interpolates multiple rap classics in its lyrics, the instrumental consists of two main samples. J. Cole impressively flipped R. Kelly’s “I Wish (Remix) (To The Homies That We Lost)” into a hauntingly beautiful string section. The deep orchestration is complemented by a sample of the drums from Arrested Development’s “People Everyday.” Together, the combined result is J. Cole’s greatest album intro which allows him to be both deeply personal, thoughtful, and occasionally braggadocious. The suspenseful and meditative production propels J. Cole to spit some of his most lyrically determined bars ever.
3. “Crooked Smile” (2013)
Born Sinner is a very soulful album, with live instrumentation and gospel samples riddled throughout its tracklist. One of its many self-produced standouts is “Crooked Smile” featuring TLC. Arguably the prettiest beat in J. Cole’s production discography, it is lively with its main piano melody, live bass guitar, synth leads, strings, and an organ. The layered production is centered around a prominently featured sample of Jennifer Hudson’s “No One Gonna Love You,” emulating the chipmunk soul era of the 2000s. “Crooked Smile” is not just one of J. Cole’s best overall songs, but its production showcases his musicianship. It embodies the musical themes of Born Sinner as a touching song about beauty standards and self-love.
2. “Let Nas Down” (2013)
In addition to “Wet Dreamz,” one of J. Cole’s best beats is one of his most iconic storytelling tracks in “Let Nas Down.” The production on the lyrically introspective track revolves around a sample of “Gentleman” by Fela Kuti and The Afrika 70. The saxophone and vocal are accentuated by additional instrumentation, which is layered and stripped back throughout the song. J. Cole’s production creates a sense of emotional depth that drives the impact of his lyrics, resulting in a well-executed open letter to his hip-hop idol.
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1. “G.O.M.D.” (2014)
No song in J. Cole’s discography displays his production skills quite like “G.O.M.D.” as the beat experiences various musical transformations. It starts with a chopped sample of Branford Marsalis’s “Berta, Berta,” a song about a prison inmate telling his wife to remarry. Cole adds heavy 808 kick drums alongside shimmering strings as the beat transitions into the verses. The J. Cole production is both sentimentally expressive with its sample chops and layered embellishments and bouncy with its hip-hop percussion. The final beat switch at the end sees Cole utilizing a different part of the sample with a minimal drum pattern that maintains the song’s vibrance. “G.O.M.D.” is undoubtedly J. Cole’s best production, taking listeners on a journey of masterfully crafted elements that come together to forge a breathtaking hip-hop classic.
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