It is undeniable that J.Cole has been a hip-hop force to be reckoned with over the last decade.  Born Jeremiah Lamar Cole, the 34-year-old rapper has released five albums in his career, all of which are certified platinum.

His most recent project, KOD, offers a harsh depiction of lower-class life in modern America, with a focus on drug abuse among the youth.  One of the most popular tracks off the album, “1985,” reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ignited an industry-wide discussion regarding the generation gap in hip-hop.

Clearly, J. Cole has the stats behind him, but his name remains rarely mentioned in conversations about the greatest rappers of the modern generation.  Often times hidden in the shadow of Compton artist Kendrick Lamar, Cole has simply been unable to emerge as a major face of hip-hop.

However, now in 2019, Cole is finally ready to rise to the top.  To begin the year, he shared some promising snippets of an upcoming mix tape titled “Revenge of the Dreamers III,” in which he will be collaborating with a variety of young artists from Dreamville Records, a record label that Cole started in 2007.

The tape is sure to be full of exciting verses from young Dreamville artists, such as JID and Bas, in addition to other up-and-coming artists like Ski Mask the Slump God. The project is expected to release in April, and will most likely rack up significant streaming numbers considering the sheer popularity of the artists featured.

“I expect Cole to be back with another piece of excellence with Revenge of the Dreamers III, and this time he is bringing all his friends with him,” said senior Ashley Hoffman.

It appears that Cole has been focusing a bit more on Dreamville activities lately, but that does not mean that he is not also working on fresh solo material.

In late January, he dropped a new single with producer T-Minus called “Middle Child.” In it, Cole made a resounding statement regarding his plans for 2019, particularly that he is fully ready to accomplish his goals this year.

“This year is going to be different,” said Cole during a verse.

Since its release, the single has gained over 150 million streams on Spotify, and has been greeted by critical acclaim from several prevalent music critics including Anthony Fantano.  It’s no surprise that this track gained so much popularity, as its addictive trumpet beat and catchy hook grab your attention right away.

“‘Middle Child’ entices listeners with lyrics about his past and future plans to dominate the rap industry,” said junior Mike Hellerman.

Overall, Jeremiah Cole seems poised to take over the rap industry in 2019.  He is finally ready to rise to the top, and all of the artists in Dreamville are capable of helping him get there.

It will be interesting to see what Cole can do with support from the industry, and fans will surely be jamming to his new projects throughout the second half of the year.