KOD
by J. Cole
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 248 out of 321
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 321
  3. Negative: 17 out of 321
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  1. amrit
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Amazing album. From start to ending. The lyrics, production, subject matter. I would say this is coles best album to date and has made me a bigger fan who is now closer to his music.
  2. erolsabadosh
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    I don't know how J Cole manages to be so consistently brilliant but here we go, another stellar album, and this one's pretty conceptual, very focused and quite hard-hitting with its main theme of addiction. Standout tracks abound; I wouldn't say there are any weak moments here.
  3. kanye2
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    Dope album... much better than garbage TLOP by Coonye...fck KTT though. Kanye West/Trump stans are cancer.
  4. TheFreeman148
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    What a great album. Has a serious message with a consistent tone. Easily his best
  5. ILoveRap
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    This is J. Cole’s best album lyrically. This album is well put together, the beats are on 100 and the satire he carries out is splendid. Cole fans will definitely enjoy this one. I certainly did. This will probably go down as a personal classic once it grows in me. I love how he is growing as an artist and he’s really solidified himself as a legend.
  6. saad_munir
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Not as catcy as 2014FHD but the lyrical content is so dense and relatable. Definitely one of his best albums.
  7. Connorcox1997
    Feb 23, 2019
    10
    Wow, I was not expecting, J Cole to announce the album a few days before release. J Cole Surprised me with his 5th album KOD. KOD is a dope album. I the beats are dope, the production is great. I definably like J Cole's Story telling, his Flows, and his bars are dope. KOD by not be his best album, but KOD is sure a dope album. I highly recommended it.
  8. davisreid
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Cole experiments with vocal modulation and finds a way to create a project that feels diverse and layered while once again featuring no other artists. KOD starts with records that seem to mimic today's "new-age" hip-hop, while the last 5 tracks showcase Cole at his best, storytelling and sending messages (although sometimes on the nose) that are insightful and current.
  9. realareebyrn
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    Every message is ever so relevant, the production (primarily handled by J Cole himself) is extremely smooth, and he never strays away from the topic at hand. The final track isn't a diss, it's more so a warning and a piece of guidance. Everything from digital social media love, cheating temptations, tax brackets and budgets, to drug addictions and alternatives to dealing with the pain,Every message is ever so relevant, the production (primarily handled by J Cole himself) is extremely smooth, and he never strays away from the topic at hand. The final track isn't a diss, it's more so a warning and a piece of guidance. Everything from digital social media love, cheating temptations, tax brackets and budgets, to drug addictions and alternatives to dealing with the pain, Cole really shines in subject matter.

    This album, being conscious rap with no features, no promotion (J Cole only announced it 4 days before its release), it's amazing to see it performing better than Drake's Views album on the day 1 streaming and sales performance metrics. Usually these music streaming records are won by pop music artists such as Drake, Beyonce, Adele and the like. But seeing J Cole prevail, with a lyrical and conscious project, is amazing to see.

    This is the album that every other rapper feared to make, and Cole discussed things that artists never discuss. This is his most cohesive and well-crafted project to date, and it deserves a 10.    … Expand
  10. Dawoud
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    A much needed album at this point in Hip Hop. A lot of Hip Hop nowadays is sending the wrong message, so it's good to have someone of the caliber of Cole going against the popular wave of drugs and calling it out. The production is nice. He gives you a little bit of every vibe. Might be my favourite album of J. Cole.
  11. StuckInAzkaban
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    This is a true Hiphop album, created by one of the most skilled storytellers in the game. Thank you J Cole, for this masterpiece.
  12. Realsonofisfada
    Apr 26, 2018
    10
    Easily the AOTY. The last album I heard this good was the Pulitzer winning DAMN.
    How awesome would it be that he was warming us up on 1985(Intro to the Fall Out) to a collaborative album with Kendrick?
  13. Raollow
    Apr 27, 2018
    10
    Great Album, Dope beats, amazing lyrics/themes. Get it.Great Album, Dope beats, amazing lyrics/themes. Get it.

    ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................    … Expand
  14. DamonAubergine
    Oct 26, 2018
    10
    KOD is an extremely thought-provoking and, at points, tear inducing, story telling album. Each song relates to each other in concept, and flows very well throughout the whole album. With the exception of Kevin's Heart and Brackets, the whole album is a masterpiece in song writing and delivery.

    J Cole continues to be one of the best Hip Hop artists of this generation and will continue to    KOD is an extremely thought-provoking and, at points, tear inducing, story telling album. Each song relates to each other in concept, and flows very well throughout the whole album. With the exception of Kevin's Heart and Brackets, the whole album is a masterpiece in song writing and delivery.

    J Cole continues to be one of the best Hip Hop artists of this generation and will continue to rise to the top as time goes on. KOD is an album that will propel him to even greater heights for the future.    … Expand
  15. Shenossih
    Apr 8, 2020
    10
    Honestly I'm very surprised about how the album is received. No hate on Kendrick cuz I'm his fan, but if Kendrick released the same album, y'all would've called it classic. This album is perfect and it should be a classic. Keep it going Cole. Waiting for "The Fall Off."
  16. Tribulations
    Jun 30, 2020
    9
    this album delivers a new cole style inspired by trap and anti-political insights to drug addiction and the overall outlook of coles personal decisions on his love life.
  17. walden54
    Apr 24, 2018
    9
    Kids on Drugs / King OverDos / Kill Our Demons
    Like usual J cole stands as a flip side to the hip-hop and rap scene, one of the only rappers that deliver relevant and purposeful Texts in an eloquent style that seems border intellectual. And regardless if it's performed on expensive production, experimental jazz or minimal beat the message never fails to penetrate. KOD is no exception to    Kids on Drugs / King OverDos / Kill Our Demons
    Like usual J cole stands as a flip side to the hip-hop and rap scene, one of the only rappers that deliver relevant and purposeful Texts in an eloquent style that seems border intellectual. And regardless if it's performed on expensive production, experimental jazz or minimal beat the message never fails to penetrate. KOD is no exception to the rule; This record is the antipode of rap's excess culture a culture that glorifies drugs and Material longing, and a meditation on drugs and drug abuse with a political bracket. It's also a critic of Americas Opioid crisis and the dépersonnalisation and standardization of love, pain, and feelings. We find J Cole reprimanding the misuse of medications by doctors and people with lines such as "Meditate, meditate, meditate, meditate/Don't medicate, medicate, don't medicate, medicate." or **** did you expect, you can blame it on condition/Blame it on crack, you can blame it on the system". however this critic is full of sympathy and sincerity, it feels more like a personal catharsis rather than a preach. Add to it J.Coles pristinely faultless and flawless flow restyles and remolds after each song making the message resonate deeper in you, delivered on an experimental trap that he made me connect to this sound for the first time and showing the mumble rappers how true rap is done.    … Expand
  18. EduardoMaulaz
    Apr 23, 2018
    9
    Not his best album, I think 2014 Forest Hills Drive is better. But the message of KOD is good and there are a lot of songs that we can listen many times and they have a good message. J. Cole has this ability to do conscious music with a simple language, I appreciate that. At this moment, Jermaine is one of the hottest rappers right now so I think he need to confront yourself and go out ofNot his best album, I think 2014 Forest Hills Drive is better. But the message of KOD is good and there are a lot of songs that we can listen many times and they have a good message. J. Cole has this ability to do conscious music with a simple language, I appreciate that. At this moment, Jermaine is one of the hottest rappers right now so I think he need to confront yourself and go out of your comfort zone.
    The only think I can criticize is the "no features" thing, he can do good songs with others artist and he proved that, but he still to take this meme seriously. "kILL edward", he's alter ego doesn't work on the songs "The Cut off" and "FRIENDS", I think I'll like more that songs with an other artist doing this participation, or at least Cole with his own voice.
    But overall, I think it's a good project and it'll be one of the best os the year. Just wait.    … Expand
  19. RITH15
    Apr 23, 2018
    9
    In J. Cole's fifth album, he fine-tunes his lyrics and switches his flow to that of the more modern trap style (triplets) and delivers a great conceptual album. There are many highlights on this album that makes it easy to listen to (KOD, ATM, Photograph) and at the same time, delivers a great message. J. Cole also experiments with his voice and flow more, creating an alter ego (kiLLIn J. Cole's fifth album, he fine-tunes his lyrics and switches his flow to that of the more modern trap style (triplets) and delivers a great conceptual album. There are many highlights on this album that makes it easy to listen to (KOD, ATM, Photograph) and at the same time, delivers a great message. J. Cole also experiments with his voice and flow more, creating an alter ego (kiLL Edward). Overall, great album, highly recommend!… Expand
  20. JosueZea1
    May 24, 2018
    9
    To the surprise of many people, J. Cole announced that he'd be dropping his fifth album, "KOD" 5 days before its release. This album was going to be very important in Cole's discography, being the album to solidify his spot at being at the top tier of rappers. The way I describe "KOD" as is a mix of "2014 Forest Hills Drive" and "4 Your Eyez Only", the last two albums he made. Songs likeTo the surprise of many people, J. Cole announced that he'd be dropping his fifth album, "KOD" 5 days before its release. This album was going to be very important in Cole's discography, being the album to solidify his spot at being at the top tier of rappers. The way I describe "KOD" as is a mix of "2014 Forest Hills Drive" and "4 Your Eyez Only", the last two albums he made. Songs like "ATM", "Motiv8", and "KOD" shows to many that Cole can make songs with mainstream appeal, and other tracks such as "Once an Addict", "Window Pain", and "FRIENDS", shows lyrical excellence, something J. Cole is never short of. Subtle and dark are 2 words to describe the vibe of the album. Something I appreciate J. Cole doing is handling most of the production on his albums. From songs like "BRACKETS" which addresses the topic of taxes, and "Photograph", which is about social media, the difference of topics Cole talks about is extraordinarily amazing, yet the album remains to keep its simplicity. I think that this is some of Cole's best production in an album, each song has a unique vibe. The final track, "1985" is rather strange in my opinion, as in parentheses, it says "intro to the fall off" the name of his next album. I'm not sure as to why he included a song in his next album on this one, but that doesn't take anything away from the track, as it talks about rappers in the new generation, and the lifestyle they choose to have, thinking of nothing but popularity and money, rather than focusing on things more important, like the reputation they have with the public and their impact. Though this album has a lot of high points and positives to talk about, there's two things that I have problems with. My first complaint is the pre chorus on the song "The Cut Off" I don't think it sounded so well, and in my opinion, made the song kind of awkward in a way. He tried to sing on that part, but it didn't come out as well as it could've been. A part like that is where someone else could sing, but not him. My second and final complaint is the repetitiveness some hooks had. On many tracks, he just repeated the same line over and over, and made the hook rather bland at times. Although I had minor problems with this album, that doesn't take the substance of the album away. "KOD" is truly some of J. Cole's best work to date.… Expand
  21. Brendonh93
    May 31, 2018
    9
    Cole's slapstick comments in general and on the direction of rap makes for good listening as well as making the project his own with no features on the album. Only downside is a few of the instrumentals are a little lackluster but over seen due to the wordplay and direction Cole has taken this album.
  22. simoxoxoxo
    Nov 10, 2018
    9
    Cole surprised me again. This album has so much to tell, the important thing here is to catch what the bars really mean. I found it very deep as far as lyricism is concerned, the singles are fire, the more chill songs are just as good.
    This album is not easy to forget once you listen to it a few times.
    For me, it's just history.
  23. PumpedupKicks
    Jan 6, 2019
    9
    Can't Take it When You Die, But you Can't Live Without It...
    Cole's lyricism on tracks such as Kevin's Heart and ATM are very well thought out, are very powerful and do an excellent job in conveying his message. Also, he probably intends to take a dig at the present Xanax-fueled rap industry and it all being about Money and B******. Justin Hunte, a former HipHopDX writer aptly said "KOD    Can't Take it When You Die, But you Can't Live Without It...
    Cole's lyricism on tracks such as Kevin's Heart and ATM are very well thought out, are very powerful and do an excellent job in conveying his message. Also, he probably intends to take a dig at the present Xanax-fueled rap industry and it all being about Money and B******. Justin Hunte, a former HipHopDX writer aptly said "KOD is my album of the year because it targets a generational crisis, and it’s not afraid to take an audience to therapy precisely when it needs it most. Is there anyone else in Hip-Hop willing to sacrifice their cool points to play therapist? If not J. Cole, then who?"    … Expand
  24. funkyhomosapien
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    Better than 4YEO. Good production, great rapping from Cole and good concept. Favorite tracks: KOD, 1985, Window Pain, Brackets, ATM, Friends, Once an Addict, The Cut Off.
  25. thedaywalker
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    I really like this album. It is really his most thought out album. Not his best by no means, but his most ambitious project without a doubt. First half of the album seems experiemental, like Cole is just testing the waters, but in tracks like FRIENDS, Window pain, 1985, Once an Addict, i can hear probably the best Cole i´ve ever heard.

    Top songs
    KOD, ATM, Window Pain, 1985, FRIENDS,
  26. MacsMusic
    Jun 19, 2018
    8
    It's very rare to see an emphasis on lyrics over beats in the secular rap music world. Even rarer yet, to actually have good, serious messages. "Friends" tells drug-addicts "meditate; don't medicate," "ATM" suggests that money is not the most important thing in the world, and in "Pain" J. Cole earnestly thanks his Creator for his blessings. KOD talks about pain, violence, and real issuesIt's very rare to see an emphasis on lyrics over beats in the secular rap music world. Even rarer yet, to actually have good, serious messages. "Friends" tells drug-addicts "meditate; don't medicate," "ATM" suggests that money is not the most important thing in the world, and in "Pain" J. Cole earnestly thanks his Creator for his blessings. KOD talks about pain, violence, and real issues in a mature way that is very uncommon for most rap albums. It is a rap album that actually has something to say, and it says it well.

    I personally really like the original skeletal, simple-and-subtle production; it works very well with the lyrics and J. Cole's great performance. On KOD, J. Cole raps very well, and it makes the album even better. The only song that really flops in the lyrics department is "KOD," which has fairly unoriginal "I'm awesome-and-better-than-you" lyrics.

    I love KOD's music, lyrics, and rap performance. The title track and a few other less-impressive songs keep it from a higher score.    … Expand
  27. switch_cat_mac
    Apr 26, 2018
    8
    Thank you for this album J Cole. I was totally not a J Cole fan before 4/20 but this album made me one... great album to sit back and smoke a fat blunt to.

    ... Which, ironically, is what this album is trying to get us not to do, it seems. J Cole has laced this thing with hard-hitting trap banger beats and trendy cadences that make this thing work on a purely recreational level; ATM and    Thank you for this album J Cole. I was totally not a J Cole fan before 4/20 but this album made me one... great album to sit back and smoke a fat blunt to.

    ... Which, ironically, is what this album is trying to get us not to do, it seems. J Cole has laced this thing with hard-hitting trap banger beats and trendy cadences that make this thing work on a purely recreational level; ATM and KOD are perfect turn up songs, The Cut Off is a great smoking song. And yet his lyrics are never content; he's always interrogating, always digging to the underside of what he's talking about, which seems to be drugs and addiction of all different kinds, from lean to money to sex to marijuana.

    Of course we are used to hearing such beats and such subject matter together. Just peruse the charts at any point over the last 2-3 years, and anything with a heavy kick and a bop will have the same lyrical content: rampant, glorified drug use, explicit sexual fantasies and a (un)healthy dose of myopia and nihilism. I can only thing of one other example where the instrumentation said 'it's a trap' but the lyrics said 'i'm working on it,' and that's Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.

    I think it's somewhat unfair to compare KOD to DAMN because it feels like too much of a cliche in 2018, but there are admittedly a lot of similarities. J Cole is pitching his vocals up and down to create hooks and bridges in a way that is very similar to Kendrick, see songs The Cut Off and Motiv8 for example. Lyrically, both MCs are talking in the language of the zeitgeist--drugs, sex, hedonism, depression--but using these things to critique instead of glorify. Both seem to be rapping about these things from an inhabited perspective, like an expert narrator or character actor rather than a participant.

    But he does it better than Kendrick, I think. I love this album. As someone struggling with all kinds of addictions, I think J Cole absolutely nails it. J Cole depicts drugs as the last resort for the unloved, a lover for those that have no one else. Addicts use to wipe away the pain and loneliness. And he shows how for an addict, everything becomes a drug--money, sex, relationships. The addict is fully aware of all this and yet powerless to stop any of it. And yet, J Cole doesn't judge--he doesn't ridicule or moralize. He approaches with compassion and a tenderness I haven't really seen in a mainstream rap album in... like, ever. He realizes that people only use to solve a problem, and the problem is they don't feel love.

    There is of course a whole racial element to this album, and the connection between drug use and poverty and racism. These themes become particularly apparent on the back half of the album. I don't think I'm qualified to speak on this part of the album... but Once an Addict is one of my favorite songs on the album. I really feel the pain when I listen to this song, and a specific dreariness and hopelessness that I can't quite place.

    Finally the album closer... 4/20/2018 may be the day that mumble rap died, and J Cole killed it. I don't know any kid who listens to this track and says anything other than... "yeah, fair, makes sense."

    I will be listening to this album for a quite a while, I think. Thanks Jermaine.    … Expand
  28. noahbrackenbury
    Apr 25, 2018
    8
    "My highest moments come from telling all the saddest stories", rapped J. Cole on 2016 single "False Prophets". On April 20th, 2018, J. Cole delivers and ascends higher in the rap sphere with KOD, a 12-track 42-minute album detailing his experiences dealing with pain and the black condition. Cole is known for his lyricism, storytelling flow, and his dedication to the craft of hip hop; he"My highest moments come from telling all the saddest stories", rapped J. Cole on 2016 single "False Prophets". On April 20th, 2018, J. Cole delivers and ascends higher in the rap sphere with KOD, a 12-track 42-minute album detailing his experiences dealing with pain and the black condition. Cole is known for his lyricism, storytelling flow, and his dedication to the craft of hip hop; he produces a large portion of his own beats and has shied away from the trend of hip hop music crossing over into mainstream pop markets. Perhaps most evident of his mastery of his craft and his seclusion from the music industry is the recurrent phrase "Double platinum, no features", referring to how J. Cole has sold several million copies of both 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) and 4 Your Eyez Only (2016) with no guest appearances, a staple of current rap albums. KOD strengthens this trend for J. Cole, with only his alter ego kiLL edward "featuring" on two tracks, and with the album completely upending the charts of streaming services in its first week. The theme of the album is succinctly stated by the recurring phrase, "Life can bring much pain. There are many ways to deal with this pain. Choose wisely."

    The title track, "KOD", appears right after the smooth jazz intro and bleeds energy, setting the scene for the uptempo, frantic, triplet-driven style that permeates half this album. Later songs like "ATM" and "Motiv8" also feature this percussion and bass-heavy staccato sound, with more aggressive and irritated verses from Cole. These verses discuss the philosophical pitfalls of excessive vices like drugs, sex, and money, a theme which is equally represented by the slower, story-driven tracks like "Kevin's Heart", "Once an Addict - Interlude", and "Friends". Cole mixes these messages with authentic commentary on the black experience in America, noting how the inequality that black people face contributes to the use of these vices and further pain results from them, referencing specifically his mother's alcoholism, the infidelity of famous celebrities, the government's misuse of tax dollars, and popular black figures promoting excessive drug usage. Cole said himself that the album's title stands for three things: Kids on Drugs (a national epidemic that Cole addresses), King Overdosed (a self-given moniker for a past version of Cole discussed in his lyrics), and Kill Our Demons (after Cole addresses these issues and vices on the album, he emphasizes the need to heal and move forward). Another highlight and buzzed-about track is the extra cut "1985 - Intro to "The Fall Off"", a half-diss/half-advice track aimed to the new age of rappers, specifically some who have dissed and questioned Cole recently.

    Cole is mature in his message and expert in his delivery. While he further establishes himself as a rap legend, he also focuses more heavily on societal issues through this project, emerging sounding like more of a father figure. This new album is missing the lighthearted cuts like "Wet Dreamz" and "Foldin Clothes" that always colored his previous projects, which makes this project more densely negative and difficult to digest, but perhaps shows Cole's focus on being his best self in the long term. The production on this album isn't astounding or groundbreaking, but is steadily fantastic throughout, and showcases a combination of hip hop flavors that is certainly unique: aggressive but carnally gorgeous like a tiger. Cole's talent as a lyricist, rapper, and producer is still wildly evident on KOD, and like he prophesized on "False Prophets", he is emerging wiser and closer to his magnum opus moment: "I hear my old **** and know I can top it."    … Expand
  29. fwtll636
    May 13, 2018
    8
    On J. Cole's fifth release 'KOD', he shows off his impressive lyrical skills and funky beats yet forgets to tie everything together. For an album about drug addiction, it has almost nothing to do with drug addiction; but he did write 12 individually impressive songs.
  30. joozzua
    May 2, 2018
    8
    It was an album full of great lyricism, rap and with good production. One of the lesser downsides from the album is the fact that there is no feature(s) on the album. It would bring better vocals on the album and a different sound, instead of the alter ego KiLL Edward. The only positive point about KiLL Edward is how the lyrics of the alter ego gets represented in the right way.
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Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Most Discussed Album of 2018
14
#14 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Exclaim
    May 29, 2018
    80
    Though it's no surprise that Cole's consciousness leads the album, his unabashed statements regarding the direction of rap music and its current megastars are gutsy.
    Read full review
  2. AllMusic
    May 7, 2018
    70
    As the value of Cole's witticisms, and the intellect required to decrypt full meaning of his verses, continues to be debated, the increased strength in his clear-cut writing evinces promise of greater work ahead.
    Read full review
  3. XXL
    May 4, 2018
    80
    While there are moments where Cole comes off more as a condescending high school principal than earnest older brother, KOD is an overall strong effort that connects of emotional trauma, mental health stigma in the Black community and the real problem of drug glorification.
    Read full review
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