2014 Forest Hills Drive
by J. Cole
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 613 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 532 out of 613
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 613
  3. Negative: 34 out of 613
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  1. splash_money24
    Feb 14, 2015
    10
    Don't understand why the critics gave the album such a low score. Songs like "Apparently", "No Role Modelz", and "Wet Dreamz" are songs that I think everyone can relate too. "GOMD" and "Fire Squad" and "St Tropez" were some great songs too and I love what he did with the last song on the album, "Note To Self" thanking everyone who has gotten him where he is. J. Cole is one of the bestDon't understand why the critics gave the album such a low score. Songs like "Apparently", "No Role Modelz", and "Wet Dreamz" are songs that I think everyone can relate too. "GOMD" and "Fire Squad" and "St Tropez" were some great songs too and I love what he did with the last song on the album, "Note To Self" thanking everyone who has gotten him where he is. J. Cole is one of the best story tellers in today's rap. I can listen to Forest Hills Drive everyday without getting tired of the same songs. People who actually like real hip-hop know that J. Cole has real talent. He's in my top 3 for today's rap/hip-hop artist. He's shown excellent growth since his last album Born Sinner. I think why so many people hated the album was that not all the songs were great. I love J. Cole's openness, that's something I admire about him. When I first heard the album I thought it was straight garbage, but after listening to it another time I grew to love it and become a huge fan of J. Cole. I feel like he has his head on right, not worrying about money, sex, and fame but more family, truth, and "true mohterf****** love." If I were to chose the best song on the track it would be "Apparently" Closing in on the final tracks of the project, Cole reflects on the wrong decisions he’s made in life and tries to correct them now knowing how much the people believe in him and look up to him.… Expand
  2. philosophorse
    Jun 21, 2015
    6
    J. Cole is a very good rapper and a very real one, too. 2014 Forest Hills Drive feels a bit shallow though, and it is impossible to listen to it more than twice. The last song is very self-indulgent and overly long. The album doesn't have a real story or concept too. Wet Dreamz is heinous.
  3. AbdulIb
    Mar 21, 2015
    6
    J. Cole is Staying true to his origin and takes you through an experience of appreciating Self Love and love for family not fame but by doing this in skill level of rapping on this project lacks the means of detailing how it will connect to others.
  4. kristi_b10
    Aug 5, 2015
    10
    This was the best album of 2014. J. Cole is underrated because he's not on the same page as everyone else. He does own thing and try to be as regular as possible. He stays true to himself. He does not let the media interfere in his personal life. He's very humble as well and this album shows it. I love every song on here. He put his all in it. I give it a 10/10.
  5. Mannhorse
    Sep 26, 2015
    5
    Has a lot of good tracks like Wet Dreamz, January 28th, and 03 Adolescence. However, a lot of the production is too simplistic and/or generic, and the overlong last track overstays its welcome.
  6. bilbo95
    Dec 15, 2016
    10
    Incredible album that truly expresses the story of J Cole. Give it time, multiple listens, and enjoy the art. Certainly one of my all time favorite albums
  7. frnky
    Jan 30, 2018
    9
    The first classic that J.Cole has in my opinion is definitely this album, his third. 2014 Forest Hill Drive introduced me to J.Cole as a storyteller MC. Painted vivid pictures that made me understand why people make the Nas comparison.
  8. DamonAubergine
    Oct 26, 2018
    10
    2014 Forest Hills Drive is a masterpiece from an artist that has changed the rap game. No features, no guest voculs, only vague samples. This is what makes this album so impressive, that such a young artist had the confidence in himself to deliver without any help, and he 100% did.

    From 'No Role Modelz' to 'Wet Dreams' and 'Hello' to 'A Tale of 2 Citiez', almost every track hooks you in    2014 Forest Hills Drive is a masterpiece from an artist that has changed the rap game. No features, no guest voculs, only vague samples. This is what makes this album so impressive, that such a young artist had the confidence in himself to deliver without any help, and he 100% did.

    From 'No Role Modelz' to 'Wet Dreams' and 'Hello' to 'A Tale of 2 Citiez', almost every track hooks you in with its inquisitive beats and sometimes emotional lyrics. This is a non-stop listen album that should go down as one of the best Hip Hop albums of this decade.    … Expand
  9. Rengle
    Dec 9, 2014
    8
    This album is amazing in it's own right. It flip-flops between Cole's life today and his younger years, which he does rather well. While it's not going to go down in the hall of fame, it's defiantly his best album to date. Some of the more exceptional tracks include Wet Dreamz, A Tale of 2 Citiez, No Role Modelz, and Note to Self. The tracks are very original - although there are some poorThis album is amazing in it's own right. It flip-flops between Cole's life today and his younger years, which he does rather well. While it's not going to go down in the hall of fame, it's defiantly his best album to date. Some of the more exceptional tracks include Wet Dreamz, A Tale of 2 Citiez, No Role Modelz, and Note to Self. The tracks are very original - although there are some poor decisions production wise on some of the tracks - and are fairly catchy. I would defiantly recommend it to fans of Childish Gambino and Drake.… Expand
  10. coleworldohyeah
    Jan 10, 2015
    10
    Mr. Cole has progressed so much since releasing his mixtape, The Come Up, in 2007. He always finds a way to connect to listeners each project he has released. His melodies are better than ever and the production on this is easy on the ears. A must hear album for music lovers.
  11. ben_zo77
    Dec 15, 2014
    8
    First off, I'm proud of J. Cole. This album is a significant artistic departure from his past work, and that's a good thing. It's undoubtedly his best album, but it's far from a classic. His words, the vibes, and the concept all initially made me believe this was Cole's Blueprint, Illmatic, or MBDTF. Also, the transitions from childhood to Hollywood Cole to realization as to what'sFirst off, I'm proud of J. Cole. This album is a significant artistic departure from his past work, and that's a good thing. It's undoubtedly his best album, but it's far from a classic. His words, the vibes, and the concept all initially made me believe this was Cole's Blueprint, Illmatic, or MBDTF. Also, the transitions from childhood to Hollywood Cole to realization as to what's important are perfect. After repeated listens, however, many songs were just a little bit off to me. One professional reviewer commented something along the lines of: the album is dressed like a classic, but the tailoring is off. I agree. Cole made two huge, crippling mistakes: singing his own hooks and rushing the album to make it by the end of 2014. The fact he made the album he did with no features is quite remarkable, but I think he badly needed the sonic departure of using GOOD singers on the hooks. No rapper features is bold by itself and Cole could succeed in a big way by continuing to do this, but it's just naive of him to use his poor singing voice on the hooks. Regarding rushing the album, I felt throughout listening to it that it sounded slightly off and low-quality at times. J. Cole wants to be a Nas who affects people as much as Pac did. He's getting closer, but he's not there yet. DISCLAIMER: it's a complex album and I'll reevaluate my opinions in a couple months and I have my eyes on several songs that I need to figuratively digest lyrically and sonically. A couple songs could be rated higher with time (Hello?) and a couple songs could be rated lower (GOMD?) Overall, this is my first impression of 2014 Forest Hills Drive and I liked what I heard. ~ 8.2/10
    Tracks:
    "January 28th": good lyricism, couple bad production choices, pretty bad hook, nice comment at the end crowning himself the God of rap (4/5)
    "Wet Dreamz": such incredible storytelling.. this song is a showcase of Cole's technical rapping skills. Also, this hook is one of the few in the album that is exceptional simply because he goes from repeating that he's a virgin and then suddenly the hook tells you at the end that she's also a virgin. Love Yourz is my favorite to listen to, but this song is the best song on this album. (5/5)
    "03' Adolescence": again, it just felt a little off.. and the hook is sooooo bad with Cole's singing. loved the lyrics though, certain lines really hit me emotionally (4/5)
    "A Tale Of 2 Citiez": Whew, what a beat although I felt like it wasn't really suitable for Cole. I would love to hear an artist with an intense flow like ScHoolboy Q or Pac (RIP) on the instrumental. Regardless, this song is awesome and the "ugh, nice watch, run it" line combined with the production and the subsequent "hands in the air" chant is tooo hype (5/5)
    "Fire Squad": this song tries too hard and half of it is irrelevant lyrically.. Don't get me wrong though, it's hype and it goes well with the cocky run-up to becoming Hollywood Cole along with the concept of the album. People overreacted over him name-dropping Macklemore, JT and Eminem: it was far from a diss and was completely true. I loved the Iggy diss, though (4/5)
    "St. Tropez": nice interlude between the cocky, on-the-come-up Cole and Hollywood Cole (4/5)
    "G. O. M. D.": the best production on the album.. sonically clever and impressive, it's like 5 songs in one.. The track shows Hollywood Cole's attitude. I loved the last verse. My first impression was that I loved the song although it's a lot to digest lyrically and production-wise (5/5)
    "No Role Modelz": most likely song to get big on the radio.. loved Cole's flow on this. Also, the George W. Bush sample was hilarious (5/5)
    "Hello": Like many, this is my least-favorite track. I can't decide whether I kinda like it or hate it. It's incredibly ambitious, but it fails sonically and I didn't like the repeated hello's. I have to say, though, I found the themes of regret and accepting the past to be relatable (3/5)
    "Apparently": a great song.. lyrically and thematically sound (5/5)
    "Love Yourz": I loved the raw emotion Cole clearly put into this song. Honestly, I didn't like the hook and the production could've definitely been better with more work and fine-tuning (again, the album was rushed). This song hit me and many others deep, though and it's a perfect ending to Cole's journey from childhood to cocky Cole to Hollywood Cole and back home to 2014 Forest Hills Drive (5/5)    … Expand
  12. samyradwan
    Dec 21, 2014
    10
    AOTY Jermaine Cole has shown excellent growth as an artist with this brilliant LP. I'm proud to call myself a fan of his, and I'm anticipating his next body of work. Shout Cope Fam.
  13. TheJmsJose
    Dec 11, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Jermaine Cole brings this beautiful album to us, speaking of his rise to fame and its outcomes, current issues, and truly finding himself after all he has been through. After listening to Born Sinner, I was immediately hooked onto Cole and what he could do. He studies rap like no one else and loves what he does, so its only normal for him to make things the way he wants to, as he said in his outro, "If you are influenced by the world, then let the world be influenced by you". This is what exactly Cole attempted to do, as well as changing the state of rap and telling his story while he is at it. Throughout the first third of the album we see Jermaine thinking and reflecting his adolescence and his first time, accompanied by a beautiful intro. The story then goes one to Cole's love life and how some women cannot be saved. He mocks party songs in, "GOMD," and realized that his rise to fame has changed him. Fire Squad is a story of itself. Overall this album does not lack a thing except singles.
    That is not necessarily a bad thing either, Cole's message of happiness over money shows as he does not need influence from others to make a classic. This is a modern rap classic.
    Last but not least, a rebuttal to some of the people that rate this badly because he name checked Eminem. First of all, you must be idiotic and dumb to not see that Cole wasn't dissing Eminem, as he was simply letting out his frustrations with the game. If you look at the numbers, and even some of Eminem's own lines, you can see that J. Cole has a lot of back-up when he made his statement. It was more of a call out to rappers, to gain their hunger back, and to make classics. You can see this in the outro as well, as he talks to Drake and Kendrick through there.
    Though different, this album definitely delivers a deep message that some mainstream brainwashed ears cannot handle, and that is okay. But to call this a bad project would be a sin.    … Expand
  14. Bretro96
    Dec 17, 2014
    8
    J. Cole is helping bring back more complex rap & hip-hop, than what is common today in the world of hip hop. It is one the best hip hop albums of the year and most of the tracks are good.
  15. go_rilla84
    Dec 12, 2014
    8
    Although it doesn't reach the heights of Kendrick's "Good Kidd M.A.D.D. City" it certainly moves in a more progressive direction than J Cole's previous album "Born Sinner". Some of my favourite tracks on Forest Hills Drive include the soulful "Apparently", the relateable "Wet Dreamz" and the social satire piece "No Role Modelz".

    Although J Cole has found it somewhat difficult to rise    Although it doesn't reach the heights of Kendrick's "Good Kidd M.A.D.D. City" it certainly moves in a more progressive direction than J Cole's previous album "Born Sinner". Some of my favourite tracks on Forest Hills Drive include the soulful "Apparently", the relateable "Wet Dreamz" and the social satire piece "No Role Modelz".

    Although J Cole has found it somewhat difficult to rise above the field of talented rappers in the game, the absolute strength of his art in my view, is his production skills and relatable subject matter. Wet Dreamz for example puts you in the shoes of an adolescent teen who is about to lose his virginity. For those who recall their first moment and the faux bravado they showed to try and beat the nerves of the moment, it is a highly entertaining track and one that might draw some embarrassment for how close for comfort the subject matter is.

    Some critics have highlighted the lack of featured guests on this album, but if you understand the overall theme of this album(J Cole revising his childhood struggles and experiences) it would seem almost inappropriate to have had guests contribute to the conversation.

    This is a solid album, and although the general theme is a well-trodden path, it is a trip you won't be disappointed with.    … Expand
  16. His-Dudeness
    Dec 13, 2014
    9
    Not without its flaws Forest Hills Drive shows a Cole that has finally recovered the artistic control lacking in his previous two outings to hit us with the realest Hip Hop album of 2014.
  17. michaeljrmj
    Mar 20, 2015
    10
    This is a album of greatness matched with heart. Cole has always been true to the game, but with this one I feel he really shows what he can do when given a beat, some samples, and a few hiccups from the past, present, and future. Each songs gives a significant sound and story that resonates itself with the combination of the album.
  18. Brooklyn23
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great concept album and goes into depth about Cole's rise to fame. I expected the last 15 minutes to be a song but I can't hate on someone shouting out and thanking his peers and mentors. Real rap is back.… Expand
  19. ChefJooce
    Dec 9, 2014
    9
    finally jole came through with a classic album so he doesn't have to go back to the post office. can finally get yucky to cole CRINE. might change to a 6/10 if he doesn't sell at least 300k

    **** fiji and hov
  20. GiGiDaGroovyGod
    Dec 9, 2014
    9
    I clicked on this album with no expectations. J. Cole has continually disappointed me since his mix-tape days but that certainly was not the case here. I enjoyed this album so thoroughly I had to make a metacritic account so I had somewhere to preach how much I love this album. I loved every song on this album apart from track 10 "Hello." Cole is utterly and completely honest through thisI clicked on this album with no expectations. J. Cole has continually disappointed me since his mix-tape days but that certainly was not the case here. I enjoyed this album so thoroughly I had to make a metacritic account so I had somewhere to preach how much I love this album. I loved every song on this album apart from track 10 "Hello." Cole is utterly and completely honest through this entire LP; I feel as though I know the man after finishing this album. He blends deep storytelling with poignant lyricism. He rides boombastic instrumentals that sound beautiful in your car. He really hit his mark with this album. The only downfall of this album is that at times he is melodramatic but it isn't a bad thing because it feels like he is truly expressing Jermaine Lamarr Cole. Listen to this album!… Expand
  21. ZaeDilla
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    Jermaine Cole has shown excellent growth as an artist with this brilliant LP. I'm proud to call myself a fan of his, and I'm anticipating his next body of work. Shout Cope Fam.
  22. admir91
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    Amazing Album by far one of the best in the past few years. Cole is the new leader of the new school. The story he tells from beginning to end is as good as it gets. Only other rapper that has released anything even worth mentioning this year is Logic with under pressure which was a great album in it of itself.
  23. danhildy
    Dec 11, 2014
    10
    J Cole has definitely shown his growth as an artist on this album. He really seems to be at peace with himself by the end of the album and it is an incredible journey he takes the listener on. Every track is packed with emotion. For me, it's unlike anything I've ever heard before and not in a bad way. I've never heard so much emotion in any hip hop album. He isn't afraid to say what heJ Cole has definitely shown his growth as an artist on this album. He really seems to be at peace with himself by the end of the album and it is an incredible journey he takes the listener on. Every track is packed with emotion. For me, it's unlike anything I've ever heard before and not in a bad way. I've never heard so much emotion in any hip hop album. He isn't afraid to say what he really feels giving this album a raw, soulful vibe. Many critic ratings don't do this album justice. The thing about this album is it doesn't fit into the nice little box that we call mainstream music. People and critics that call this album "trash" or "lacking" don't understand true art. Props to J Cole for not tailoring this album for radio hits and trusting his loyal fan base to give this album the praise it deserves.… Expand
  24. HipHopCertified
    Jan 3, 2015
    6
    In my opinion there is only a very select club of artists who could release an album without any promotion or lead-up singles and still expect to sell well. I never would have guessed J. Cole would be one of those artists. Yet, here we are with Forest Hills Drive 2014. It sold 375,000 copies in its first week and also broke some records on Spotify.

    When J Cole dropped his first album I    In my opinion there is only a very select club of artists who could release an album without any promotion or lead-up singles and still expect to sell well. I never would have guessed J. Cole would be one of those artists. Yet, here we are with Forest Hills Drive 2014. It sold 375,000 copies in its first week and also broke some records on Spotify.

    When J Cole dropped his first album I thought he did a pretty good job of launching himself into the scene. It looked like he had it figured out who he wanted to be on that first album. I was curious about how he would develop as an artist. Perhaps Born Sinner didn’t really bring that much of a development (though I did like the album).

    Though I admit that J. Cole as a conflicted individual remains interesting. Forest Hills Drive doesn’t bring any change unfortunately. On the album J Cole is just doing more of that which he had already been doing. Just not as good. I just don’t really feel the passion of Cole here. The minor changes that are here, aren’t ones that I like.

    Cole singing his hooks shouldn’t be, because he really can’t sing. Then there is also the name dropping. Cole already had a penchant for it on his previous releases, but he takes it up a notch on this one. This way he starts to turn into the new Game. J. Cole has shown some real potential in the past, but I really feel Forest Hills Drive is a step back for him as an emcee. Mostly because doesn’t seem to be able to make any step forward.

    Forest Hills Drive is for the most part produced by J. Cole himself, though he did get some outside help for some of the tracks as well. When I listened to the album the first time I thought it started pretty good with some nice beats. Slow and atmospheric. It doesn’t take long before a lot of the production starts to sound the same though. Along the way there are even some really uninspired beats. I couldn’t find any beats that I really thought were great. Perhaps if I would listen to it as a standalone track, but as an album there is just too much that sounds the same.

    Too be honest I find Forest Hills Drive 2014 to be an uninspiring affair. It sounds for weird as Cole’s drive was what made him good on Cole World and Born Sinner. That drive seems to be gone though. This isn’t a bad album, but there isn’t anything that really stands out to me for good reasons and J Cole should be capable of more.

    3/5

    Hiphopcertified.com    … Expand
  25. Turtlejump
    Jan 7, 2015
    10
    Honestly one of the most heart warming and beautiful rap albums out there. Songs such as "Wet Dreamz", "No Role Models" and "Fire Squad" talk about classic hip hop topics such as sex, relationships and the competition in the rap game. But treats the topic in a different way, a more humble way talking about it in a true sense without boasting or turning the topic into satire.
    I don't think    Honestly one of the most heart warming and beautiful rap albums out there. Songs such as "Wet Dreamz", "No Role Models" and "Fire Squad" talk about classic hip hop topics such as sex, relationships and the competition in the rap game. But treats the topic in a different way, a more humble way talking about it in a true sense without boasting or turning the topic into satire.
    I don't think this album will let Nas down.    … Expand
  26. CristianBernal
    Mar 23, 2015
    7
    J Cole's theme was a calm narrative based on his life which gave this album a varying opinion from track to track. It could start off with J Cole narrating political movements and transition to him talking about women. The lyricism on this album can go anywhere from great, to mediocre between tracks. Eventually the simple and smooth beats all began to blend after just a few listens.
    This    J Cole's theme was a calm narrative based on his life which gave this album a varying opinion from track to track. It could start off with J Cole narrating political movements and transition to him talking about women. The lyricism on this album can go anywhere from great, to mediocre between tracks. Eventually the simple and smooth beats all began to blend after just a few listens.
    This album was an easy listen and one which you're not quite finished with after just one listen. Many of these songs can be radio singles, but they all mostly seem to be in some kind of midway point in which they're too "conscious rap" for the radio but too pop to be "conscious rap."
    Overall a good album, but not one of those albums which is a complete standout from any other.
    7/10    … Expand
  27. shaangsingh
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Easily the best album of all time. I refuse to give anything else close to this project. From now on, I base my albums from 1 to 10, where the only way it can be a 10 is if it somehow beats this album. Cole is the greatest of all time. Hands down
  28. Higashi
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    Greaet album from top to bottom. Very cohesive, very foretelling, and very fun in a lot of parts. However the lack of features from his Dreamville cohorts Bas and Omen was felt. Cole's no Bas, but this will do
  29. Spangle
    Dec 12, 2014
    4
    There is no rap artist out there now who I want to love more than J. Cole. He seems like a great guy who is very open, which I love in a rapper. For example, I love guys like Drake, 808's Kanye, and Kid Cudi. I have no problem with rappers being a bit "soft" to get stuff off their chest, but damn does he struggle when he does this. He cannot sing to save his life and whenever he has someThere is no rap artist out there now who I want to love more than J. Cole. He seems like a great guy who is very open, which I love in a rapper. For example, I love guys like Drake, 808's Kanye, and Kid Cudi. I have no problem with rappers being a bit "soft" to get stuff off their chest, but damn does he struggle when he does this. He cannot sing to save his life and whenever he has some great, personal bars, he always follows them up with something incredibly corny. For example, the track "Wet Dreamz" is very personal and I appreciate his openness on it, but it just comes off as corny and I cannot help but laugh at the thought he decided to put it on his album. The track and "St. Tropez", "Hello", and "Note to Self", are undoubtedly the worst ones here, largely thanks to the singing on those latter three. He cannot sing, yet decides to basically just sing on all three of them. Whose decision was that? Who told him he could sing? If anybody ever complimented his singing, they were lying. The beats are also just ok here. None of them are overly interesting, aside from on the four tracks that really stood out to me, "A Tale of 2 Citiez", "Fire Squad", "GOMD", and "No Role Modelz", where the beats are all very good. Otherwise, this one is a classic Cole release. Cole shows flashes of potential to drop a classic album one day, but gets bogged down in nods to legends, terrible hooks, his singing, mediocre beats, corny lyrics, and a general lullaby-type feeling. While I liked Cole World and Born Sinner when they first dropped, I eventually came to not really like either of them for the same reasons I did not enjoy this release. I was really hoping this one would be the Cole album that i would like when it drops and then continue to like for the foreseeable future, but that is sadly not the case. As I write this, the disappointment I feel is immense, as I just really want to like Cole, but I just cannot.… Expand
  30. gobinadesh
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    Do you wanna, do you wanna...be happy? Whole album feels directly from the heart. J. Cole put together an amazing blend of tracks. Please release this on vinyl!!
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2014
7
#7 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Uncut
    Feb 3, 2015
    60
    You long for a bit more of the ardour of "Fine Squad." [Mar 2015, p.73]
  2. Rolling Stone
    Jan 5, 2015
    60
    He speaks some incisive truths about class, race ("Fire Squad") and relationships ("Wet Dreamz"), but those insights are too often undercut by crass humor. The production falls short, too, with dull beats to match his languid flow.
    Read full review
  3. NOW Magazine
    Dec 18, 2014
    60
    Consistent, yes, but not the king yet.
    Read full review
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