2014 Forest Hills Drive
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''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' is the third studio album by American rapper
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
. It was released on December 9, 2014, by ByStorm Entertainment,
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
,
Dreamville Records Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas (rapper), B ...
and
Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
. Recording sessions took place over the whole year, while the
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
on the album was primarily handled by Cole himself, along with several others such as
Illmind Ramon Ibanga, Jr. (born August 28, 1980), known professionally as Illmind (often stylized as !llmind), is an American record producer, songwriter, and educator. As of 2012, he lives in Brooklyn, New York. Illmind has co-written and produced hip ...
,
Vinylz Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". ''XXL (magazine), XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, ...
, Phonix Beats and
Willie B Willie B. (C. 1957 - February 2, 2000) was a western lowland gorilla who lived at the Zoo of Atlanta for 39 years, from 1961 until his death on February 2, 2000. He was named after the former mayor of Atlanta, William Berry Hartsfield. Willi ...
. It was announced three weeks before its release and had very little marketing, with no singles or promotion taking place prior to its release. The album was supported by four singles: "
Apparently "Apparently" is a song by North Carolina rapper J. Cole, released on December 9, 2014 as the lead single from his third studio album, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song samples "La Morte Dell'ermina" by Filippo Trecca, and was produced by J. C ...
", "
Wet Dreamz "Wet Dreamz" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on April 14, 2015 as the second single from his third studio album, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song samples "Mariya" by Family Circle and " Impeach the President" by The Honey Dr ...
", " No Role Modelz" and "
Love Yourz "Love Yourz" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on February 27, 2016 as the fourth single from his third studio album, '' 2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song was produced by Illmind, Cardiak, and CritaCal and was written by J. Cole, ...
". ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' received generally positive reviews from critics who admired its ambitious concept, production and lyrics. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 353,000 copies in its first week. As of September 2015, the album has sold one million copies in the United States. The album was certified
triple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) in May 2019. The album won Album of the Year at the
2015 BET Hip Hop Awards The 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on October 9, 2015 and will air on October 13, 2015 at Atlanta Civic Center. The nominations were announced on September 15, 2015. Snoop Dogg will be the event's host again. Canadian rapper Drake leads the no ...
, and Top Rap Album at the 2015 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. It was nominated for
Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...
at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The single "Apparently" was nominated for
Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...
at the 2016 Grammy Awards.


Background

The album's title is the address of a home in
Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...
, where Cole lived from his early youth, until 2003. Cole lived at the property with his mother, his brother and his stepfather, and was the location where Cole wrote some of his earliest songs, and decided to pursue a career as a musician. In 2014, Cole bought the house, and was the first home he had purchased. The album's title is used to recount Cole's upbringing, and the transition from leaving North Carolina to New York; it battles with the transitions that were taken in order to find his success and fame within the music industry. Cole soon put the home up for an "extremely cheap" renting price, in the hope that any struggling residents could use it to progress their lives, without having to worry about frequent moving, an experience Cole underwent due to frequent financial struggles.


Recording and production

On August 15, 2014, Cole released the song "Be Free", as a response to the shooting of Michael Brown in
Ferguson, Missouri Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 18,527. History What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B ...
. In an interview with
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
's ''Microphone Check'' radio show, Cole revealed that the song was recorded the same week he recorded the song "Intro" from ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'', but was never intended for the album. In September 2014, during an interview with ''
HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...
'', Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's manager Steve Lobel revealed
Krayzie Bone Anthony Henderson (born June 17, 1973), better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Personal life Henderson comes from a fourth generation famil ...
and Bizzy Bone recorded a track with Cole for the album, though the song never made the album's final cut. The production on the album was primarily handled by J. Cole, along with its guest productions, including
Dreamville Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas (rapper), B ...
's in-house producer Ron Gilmore,
DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendri ...
,
Illmind Ramon Ibanga, Jr. (born August 28, 1980), known professionally as Illmind (often stylized as !llmind), is an American record producer, songwriter, and educator. As of 2012, he lives in Brooklyn, New York. Illmind has co-written and produced hip ...
,
Willie B Willie B. (C. 1957 - February 2, 2000) was a western lowland gorilla who lived at the Zoo of Atlanta for 39 years, from 1961 until his death on February 2, 2000. He was named after the former mayor of Atlanta, William Berry Hartsfield. Willi ...
, Phonix Beats,
Vinylz Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". ''XXL (magazine), XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, ...
and Pop Wansel, with additional production provided by
Cardiak Carl McCormick (born June 26, 1988), professionally known as Cardiak, is an American record producer from Willingboro Township, New Jersey. He began producing music in 2008 and is known for his work with closely associated artists such as Ace Hoo ...
and CritaCal, among others.


Release and promotion

On November 16, 2014, Cole released a video trailer, where he announced he will be releasing his third album, titled ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' on December 9. The video also featured footage regarding the
making-of In cinema, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a type of documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK (electronic press kit) vid ...
the album. Additionally, the album's name sake was revealed to be the address of Cole's childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cole held a listening session at the home on 2014 Forest Hills Drive where he invited a select group of fans to hear the album. On February 13, 2015, Cole announced he would further promote the album with a tour called Forest Hills Drive. The tour was divided into three different acts. "Act 1: Hometown", "Act 2: The Journey" and "Act 3: Hollywood". Act 1 started on March 2, 2015, in
Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
and ended on April 7, 2015, in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, it featured Dreamville artists such as
Bas Bas may refer to: People * Bas (name), a given name and a surname * Bas (rapper) (born 1987) Chemistry * Boron arsenide (BAs), a chemical compound * Barium sulfide (BAs), a chemical compound Other uses * ''bas'' (French for "low"), as in bas ...
,
Cozz Cody Rashad Osagie, (born October 1, 1994), better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album ''Cozz & Effe ...
and Omen, who were also served as supporting acts on Act 2 and 3. Act 2 started on April 30, 2015, in
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, Switzerland and ended on May 18, 2015, in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, it featured
Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American singer who embarked on her music career contributing vocals and appearing in several music videos for R&B group B2K. In an effort to promote Aiko and cultivate a following for he ...
and
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...
. Act 3 was the longest leg of the tour, it started on July 12, 2015, in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington and ended on August 29, 2015, in Cole's hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina, and featured
Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...
, YG and
Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. In 2009, he signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's commercial debut single, "Birthday Sex", ...
. Cole brought out
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
to perform at the last show in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The tour sold over 570,000 tickets worldwide and grossed $20.4 million. On December 15, 2015, Cole announced a mini-documentary
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...
titled, '' J. Cole: Road to Homecoming'' ahead of his special '' Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming'', and released episode one the same day. Episode two was released on December 23. Episode three was released on December 30,
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
, Wale, ASAP Ferg and
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
made appearances. Episode four was released on January 6, 2016. All episodes were available for free on
Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...
until January 9. ''Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming'' aired January 9, 2016, on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and
HBO Now HBO Now (formally named HBO from July 2020) was an American subscription video on demand streaming service for premium television network HBO owned by WarnerMedia subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc. Officially unveiled on March 9 and launched on ...
. On January 28, 2016, in celebration of his 31st birthday, Cole released his first live album titled, '' Forest Hills Drive: Live'' and also released the music video for the album's final single "
Love Yourz "Love Yourz" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on February 27, 2016 as the fourth single from his third studio album, '' 2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song was produced by Illmind, Cardiak, and CritaCal and was written by J. Cole, ...
". Both ''Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming'' and ''Forest Hills Drive: Live'' covered his fall 2015 show at the
Crown Coliseum The Crown Coliseum (originally the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum) is a multi-purpose arena in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that is part of the Crown Complex. The stadium broke ground in 1995 and opened in 1997, and is currently home to the Fa ...
in Fayetteville, North Carolina.


Singles

"
Apparently "Apparently" is a song by North Carolina rapper J. Cole, released on December 9, 2014 as the lead single from his third studio album, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song samples "La Morte Dell'ermina" by Filippo Trecca, and was produced by J. C ...
" was serviced to American
mainstream urban Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...
radio, as the album's first single on December 9, 2014. Cole would also go on to release the music video for "Apparently" on the same day. The song has since peaked at number 58 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was nominated for
Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...
at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The song was also nominated for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award at the 2015 Soul Train Music Awards and Impact Track at the
2015 BET Hip Hop Awards The 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on October 9, 2015 and will air on October 13, 2015 at Atlanta Civic Center. The nominations were announced on September 15, 2015. Snoop Dogg will be the event's host again. Canadian rapper Drake leads the no ...
. The album's second single, "
Wet Dreamz "Wet Dreamz" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on April 14, 2015 as the second single from his third studio album, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song samples "Mariya" by Family Circle and " Impeach the President" by The Honey Dr ...
", was released to
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
radio on April 14, 2015. On April 21, the music video was released for "Wet Dreamz". The song has since peaked at number 61 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On June 16, 2016, "Wet Dreamz" was certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The album's third single, " No Role Modelz", was sent to
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
and
rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
radio stations on August 4, 2015. The song has since peaked at number 36 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On May 2, 2016, in an interview with
Larry King Now ''Larry King Now'' was a talk show hosted by Larry King, available on Ora TV, Hulu and RT America. Launched on July 17, 2012, the series featured interviews with newsmakers, celebrities, world leaders, and Internet stars. The show was similar to ...
, actress
Nia Long Nia Talita Long (born October 30, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sit ...
was asked about a line from the song where Cole raps, "My only regret was too young for Lisa Bonet, my only regret was too young for Nia Long, now all I'm left with is hoes from reality shows, hand her a script the bitch probably couldn't read along." She responded by saying, "He's really not too young, he just doesn't know it." The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 18, 2016. Cole released the live music video for "Love Yourz" on January 28, 2016, the music video was filmed during his Forest Hills Drive Tour, and on February 27, 2016, "Love Yourz" was released as the album's fourth and final single. The song was included in Sprite's "Obey Your Verse" campaign in 2016 where 16 lyrics from
2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
, Missy Eliiot and Cole were emblazoned on Sprite soda cans and bottles. The song won Impact Track at the
2016 BET Hip Hop Awards The 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on September 17, 2016 and aired on October 4, 2016 at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The nominations were announced on August 18, 2016. For a third consecutive year, Drake heads the list ...
. "Love Yourz" charted at number 34 on the US
Twitter Top Tracks The ''Billboard'' Twitter Real-Time charts were four interactive '' Billboard'' music magazine charts debuted on May 27, 2014. The charts ranked trending songs from popular and emerging artists based on how often they are mentioned in messages cal ...
on February 13, 2016. The song has since peaked at number 25 on the US
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
.


Other songs

On December 5, 2014, Cole released a music video for the song "Intro". On December 13, 2014, rapper
Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles "O Let's ...
released a freestyle over the song " Fire Squad". On March 23, 2015, a music video was released for "
G.O.M.D. "G.O.M.D." is a song by American rapper J. Cole, from his third studio album, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive''. The song, an acronym for the statement "Get Off My Dick", interpolates " Get Low" by Lil Jon and samples "Berta, Berta" by Branford Mars ...
". On November 27, 2015, in celebration of Black Friday, Cole and rapper Kendrick Lamar released two separate tracks, both titled "Black Friday". Lamar remixed Cole's " A Tale of 2 Citiez", while Cole remixed Lamar's single "
Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...
" from his studio album ''
To Pimp a Butterfly ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...
''. Rappers
Styles P David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss. ...
and
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
also released freestyles over "A Tale of 2 Citiez".


Critical reception

''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' was met with generally positive reviews. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 67, based on 17 reviews. Aggregator
AnyDecentMusic? AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates album reviews from magazines, websites, and newspapers. Primarily focused on popular music – covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots, hip-hop, R&B, and rap – albums are adjudg ...
gave it 6.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' critic Justin Charity praised it as Cole's most mature and well-edited album to date, crediting him for eschewing "much of the whiplash and false bravado" of his previous work. Erin Lowers of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' said, "He shines without any features, standing strong in his delivery and carrying his story to the forefront of the 13-track project. While it may not be his ''
Late Registration ''Late Registration'' is the second studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions ...
'', he has definitely graduated into a class of his own." Andre Grant of ''HipHopDX'' stated, "It is less artistic than it means to be, but it is truer than anything he's ever made. Its narrative, the tropes, and the strategies are completely overcome by the album's terrifying integrity.." Craig Jenkins of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' said, "''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' is a decent album selling itself as great. It wraps itself in the garments of a classic, but you can see that the tailoring is off." Kellan Miller of '' XXL'' stated, "With every quality drop from the self-proclaimed "God", his ceiling will continue to grow and so will fan expectations." David Jeffries of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said, "''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' comes off as a great, experimental, and advancing mixtape, but it's insider to a fault, as slight as that fault might be." Jesal "Jay Soul" Padania of ''RapReviews'' said, "He been afforded a rare amount of artistic freedom on ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' and there aren't even any singles, so it's great that he's more or less delivered. But whilst this definitely misses out on classic territory, that doesn't mean it isn't a bloody good album for the most part." Marshall Gu of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' said, "On ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'', we've still got the same ol' Cole, but with diminishing returns and without any friends to help him." David Turner of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' said, "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." Jason Gubbels of '' Spin'' said, "Cole's keen sense of injustice registers throughout ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'', whether slagging white artists for artistic thievery or seething over national media outlets pigeonholing black genius into sports/pop either / ors.... But the absence of "Be Free" still detracts. Unless you're the type of moviegoer who sits patiently through the end titles, feel free to duck out of "Note to Self" a bit early and head over to
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
."
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
gave the album a one-star honorable mention rating in his review for ''
Cuepoint Medium is an American online publishing platform developed by Evan Williams and launched in August 2012. It is owned by A Medium Corporation. The platform is an example of social journalism, having a hybrid collection of amateur and professio ...
'', naming "Wet Dreamz" and "Love Yourz" as highlights while summing the album up as being "full of the kind of good intentions the road to irrelevance is paved with".


Rankings


Industry awards


Commercial performance

''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling a total of 371,000 copies, with 353,000 copies consisting of whole album sales and the remaining 17,000 copies determined based on individual song sales and streaming data. This is a tracking change that was implemented by
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
and ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' in December 2014. ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' became the best first week sales of J. Cole's career at the time, outpacing the first week sales of his second album ''
Born Sinner ''Born Sinner'' is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer J. Cole. It was released on June 18, 2013, by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. The album serves as the follow-up to his ...
'' (2013), by 74,000 copies (297,000 copies). In addition to the album's sales toppling early projections by over 100,000 copies, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' also broke
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...
's record for most album streams on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
, being streamed over 15.7 million times in its first week, compared to One Direction's 11.5 million streams. Drake later broke this record with 17.3 million streams for his mixtape ''
If You're Reading This It's Too Late ''If You're Reading This It's Too Late'' is a commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on February 13, 2015, without prior announcement, by OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Th ...
''. In its second week, the album sold 135,000 more copies. Cole became one of only six rappers to reach number one with their first three full-length studio albums, others being Drake,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
,
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
, DMX and
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
. As of December 2016, the album has sold 1,240,000 copies in the United States. On May 23, 2019, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sale equivalents of three million units in the United States. In 2015, ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' was ranked as the eighth most popular album of the year on the ''Billboard'' 200.


Track listing

Credits adapted from
Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...
. Notes * signifies a co-producer * signifies an additional producer * "January 28th" contains additional vocals by Kaye Fox * "A Tale of 2 Citiez" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox, T.S. Rose Desandies, and Yolanda Renee * "St. Tropez" contains additional background vocals by T.S. Rose Desandies * "No Role Modelz" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox * "Hello" contains additional background vocals by Kaye Fox * "Note to Self" contains additional vocals by T.S. Rose Desandies and Yolanda Renee Sample credits * "January 28th" contains a sample of "Sky Restaurant", written by Yumi Arai and Kunihiko Murai, and performed by Hi-Fi Set. * "Wet Dreamz" contains a sample of "Mariya", written by Charles Simmons and performed by Family Circle; and a sample of "Impeach the President", written by Roy Hammond and performed by The Honey Drippers. * "03' Adolescence" contains a sample of "
Here's That Rainy Day "Here's That Rainy Day" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke that was published in 1953. It was introduced by Dolores Gray in the Broadway musical '' Carnival in Flanders''. Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra ...
", written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heuse, and performed by Sonia Rosa and Yuji Ono. * "Fire Squad" contains a sample of "Heart Breaker", written by Mark Farner and performed by Aguaturbia. * "St. Tropez" contains a sample of "That's All Right With Me", written by Mayfield Small and performed by
Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...
; and a sample of "Sister Sanctified", performed by
Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...
and
Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...
; and contains an interpolation of "Hollywood", written by Andre Fischer and Dave Wolinski, and performed by
Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...
and
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
. * "G.O.M.D." embodies a portion of " Get Low", written by Deongelo Holmes,
Eric Jackson Eric Jackson may refer to: *Eric Jackson (journalist) (born 1952), Panamanian politician, journalist, and radio talk show host *Eric Jackson (kayaker) (born 1964), freestyle kayaker, kayak designer, and founder of Jackson Kayak * Eric M. Jackson, ...
and Jonathan Smith, and performed by
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cru ...
featuring
Ying Yang Twins The Ying Yang Twins are an American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine (born Eric Jackson on December 16, 1978) and D-Roc (born Deongelo/D'Angelo Holmes on February 13, 1979). They are not twin brothers. They did the windows to the walls song. The ...
; and a sample of "Berta, Berta", written by Delroy Andrews and performed by
Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...
. * "No Role Modelz" contains a sample of "Don't Save Her", written by Marvin Whitemon, Paul Beauregard, Jordan Houston, Tenina Stevens, Earl Stevens, Dannell Stevens and Brandt Jones, and performed by
Project Pat Patrick Earl Houston (born February 8, 1973), better known by his stage name Project Pat, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, the co-founder of Three 6 Mafia. Houston was formerly a member of hip h ...
. * "Apparently" contains a sample of "La Morte Dell'ermina", written and performed by Filippo Trecca; and a sample of "CB#5", written and performed by Carlos Bess.


Personnel

Credits for ''2014 Forest Hills Drive'' adapted from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. * Jermaine Cole – primary artist, producer * Mark Pitts – executive producer * Ramon Ibanga, Jr. – producer * Anderson Hernandez – producer * William "Willie B" Brown – producer * Pop Wansel – producer * Darius Barnes – producer * Ronald Gilmore – additional production, bass, keyboards, producer * J Proof – producer * Juro "Mez" Davis – engineer, mixing * Nate Jones – bass * David Linaburg – guitar * Nate Alford – engineer * Travis Antoine – trumpet * Anthony Blasko – photography * Felton Brown – art direction, graphic design * James Casey – saxophone * Chargaux – strings * Jeremy Cimino – assistant engineer * Damone Coleman – sampling * T.S. Rose Desandies – vocals (background) *
DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendri ...
– beats * Dreamville Records – executive producer * Kaye Fox – vocals (background) *
Jeff Gitelman Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman (born February 5, 1982) is a Grammy-nominated record producer, musician and songwriter from Chișinău, Moldova. He is known for his work with the band The Stepkids, which formed in 2010. He is also known for his compositi ...
– guitar * Justin Thomas Kay – art direction, graphic design * Sean Kellett – assistant engineer * Raphael Lee – string engineer * Nuno Malo – strings * Jack Mason – horn engineer * Carl McCormick – instrumentation * Nervous Reck – sampling * Calvin Price – instrumentation * Yolanda Renee – vocals (background) * Roc Nation – executive producer * James Rodgers – trombone (bass) * Adam Rodney – creative director * Team Titans – additional production * Andre "Dré Charles" Thomas – additional production * Timothy "Nick Paradise" Thomas – additional production


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* '' J. Cole: Road to Homecoming'' * '' Forest Hills Drive: Live'' * 2014 in hip hop music * List of ''Billboard'' 200 number-one albums of 2014 * List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2014


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Authority control J. Cole albums 2014 albums Roc Nation albums Columbia Records albums Albums produced by J. Cole Albums produced by Illmind Albums produced by Vinylz Albums produced by Willie B Dreamville Records albums Hip hop albums by American artists