KOD
| J. Cole
KOD
KOD (an initialism for Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons) is the fifth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on April 20, 2018 through Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records.[4] The majority of the production on the album was handled by Cole himself, along with others such as T-Minus, Mark Pelli, BLVK and Ron Gilmore. The album explores a variety of topics including drug abuse, addiction, depression, greed, African-American culture, and taxation in the United States. - WIikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
With his fifth album, the North Carolina rapper aims for righteousness but often ends up sounding self-righteous instead.
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RollingStone
‘K.O.D’ Is a Tough, Rewarding Meditation on Addiction.
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HipHop DX
“KOD” Is One Of The Most Important Rap Albums Ever.
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exclaim
Challenges very real issues in a concise and direct manner.
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XXL
‘KOD’ ALBUM TACKLES ADDICTION, BUT THERE ARE SIDE EFFECTS.
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NME
The North Carolina rapper goes from strength to strength with his powerful fifth album.
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The Guardian
A brilliantly brooding antidote to hip-hop excess.
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ConsequenceofSound - CoS
A full-length examination of addictive behavior that gets wacky but never dull.
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ALLMUSIC
The intellect required to decrypt full meaning of his verses, continues to be debated.
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SPIN
KOD Is a Commendable Examination of Addiction.
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popMATTERS
J. Cole Works on His Coping Mechanisms with 'KOD.
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The New York Times
On ‘KOD,’ J. Cole Speaks to the Generation That Spurned Him.
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sputnik music
KOD sounds like someone who is either unfamiliar with drug abuse, or is completely unsympathetic to the dynamics of drug abuse in America.
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VULTURE
KOD Is a Thoughtful Meditation on Addiction.
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DJBOOTH
Albums are for saving lives, and J. Cole is trying to save many.
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SHIFTER
This album feels and sounds like two halves of an uneven project.
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The Ringer
KOD,’ is a rebuke to the druggy concerns of a younger generation of rappers.
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COMPLEX
'KOD' is a PSA Without a Clear Audience.
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hnhh
A trip well worth taking.
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HighSnobiety
Is Filled With Heart But Is Way Out of Focus.
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The Hoya
The album merits a listen because of its intelligent and nuanced lyricism.
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The State Hornet
‘KOD’ by J. Cole is storytelling at its finest.
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NOW
The hip-hop artist's fifth album cycles through the ups and downs of addiction, throwing a few shots at trendy trap-rappers along the way.
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The Spectator
KOD should prove to be an effective antidote and a reminder that rap can still flourish in many different forms.
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The Daily Free Press
Is a rushed, fragmented composition.
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The Red&Black
J. Cole tackles subject of addiction with new album.
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the courier
Its serious tone tackles important issues and it can at times be hard to listen to, but that isn’t to say it’s not an amazing album.
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COOG Radio
While it wasn’t perfect, the message and layers of the album were exceptionally executed.
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the review
KOD is simply an average rap record propped up for cursory thoughts on topical issues from a mainstream name.
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The Young Folks
KOD is a masterpiece.
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GENIUS
It’s dope.
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STAFFSLIVE
This is one of the few J Cole albums that I’ve listened to without skipping any tracks.
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HOT99.1 FM
Each track feeds into the next narcotic odyssey .
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Hot Press
Impressive effort from rap superstar.
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The Ratings Game
Job well done, sir!
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The Statesman
“KOD” is chill and soothing.
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Z90.7FM
Cole makes a point to speak on topics such as temptation, addiction and faith while also capturing the mainstream audience.
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The DM Online
“KOD” is about addiction.
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The musical hype
Focuses on drugs, money, sex, and a variety of issues.
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SLMAG
Divisive rapper’s expert, thoughtful rhymes held back by forgettable production.
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est '97
K.O.D. is an album best experienced by listening to it, in full, and – with headphones.
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Medium
Tackles the topics of drug abuse, addiction, depression, and Black America.
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Earbuddy
Double Platinum. No Features. Less Taste. Great Filling.
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The Ogony
J. Cole Preaches the Woes of Addiction.
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SALUTE
J. Cole carves his own path with ‘KOD’.
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The Washington Post
J. Cole is the most divisive rapper in the world. Which side are you on?
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The Eagle Eye
Every song puts the listener in a different situation, further spreading awareness on common problems in today’s society.
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UPROXX
May Have Grand Ambitions, But It Falls Short As Commentary On Mumble Rap.
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STEREOGUM
J. Cole Wants, So Badly, To Be Rap’s Conscience.
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Immortal Reviews-IR
J. Cole proves once again that rap is more than a platform built for fame, but that it's ability to spark discussion is still alive.
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Alice Reviews Music
It is gripping, it is dark and it is honest.
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RHS|TODAY
KOD is the album we need.
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Hip-Hop Heads
Do I believe it’s an album worth listening to? Absolutely!
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Boom Bap Bible
Anybody offended by his intent should try to understand that the crux of KOD is rooted in concern, not contempt.
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The LinkUp
AN UNORTHODOX MASTERPIECE.
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The Southern Digest
Cole introduced a more diverse style than his critics previously thought him capable of.
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SPECTRUM CULTURE
J. Cole finds a clarity that few of his peers can match.
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BONG
J. Cole gets a big thumbs up for producing a solid album with no features.
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SoFloSound
J. Cole releases a spotty commentary on greed and drug use.
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According 2 Hip Hop
“KOD” is either too much of everything or not enough of anything.
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The Orion
J. Cole once again does close to nothing.
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Myriad Muzik
“KOD” is a clear example of an artist’s growth and how with each effort one can still mange to sharpen their craft.
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Riffs and Rhymes
KOD fails to reach the greatness he should have attained by now.
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stereoboard.com
If Cole really is an heir to the hip hop greats, are we not entitled to expect better?
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Blerds Online
It served it's purpose.
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We The People Sports
I can confidently say that this album will be a top-3 Cole album for a lot of listeners.
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Rap Vineyard
This album may focus on a topic of drugs and addition, but it still involves the same old Cole, which is a very good thing.
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Hip Hop Front
As a whole this album is near perfect.
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XFDR
KOD is not about being popular, instead reflecting on exposing how everyone treats that popularity.
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Hip Hop & Other Things
Pretty decent album front to back but it is forgettable in a lot of ways and that's why Cole needs features
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The Edge
KOD is not quite the eccentric and politically driven album that we've come to expect from J. Cole, but it still just about does the job.
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Golden Gate Xpress
It isn’t a bad album but it still left me yearning for more of the alluring and cerebral rapper.
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Music Plug Africa
It was an album that was built on concept, and that makes it a notable work of the arts.
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Melt Reviews
Just because you talk about “real shit,” doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to be placed amongst the greats. It doesn’t automatically make an album good.
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The DMV Daily Reviews
Mr. No feature delivers again!
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Shout N 2The Void
Cole raps about things that make sense to me like love, insecurity, news, and heartache.
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The Wooden Man
“Truthfully, J Cole is vanilla ice cream.”
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IAHHM
I knew immediately when he dropped the cover we were in for something new from him.
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Secret Meeting
KOD is just another confirmation that he is earning himself a reputation for being among the finest hip-hop artists of the modern era.
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The Millennial Introvert
You should go listen.
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VOX Magazine
King Cole is back with the best tracks that will make your hairline grow back.
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The MAEG
Cole is a legend.
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BEAT
My opinion doesn't matter.
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Legends Will Never Die
While this is definitely better than Cole’s last album, that’s not really saying much.
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Plaid Villion
KOD intended to spark a much needed conversation about the different types of addictions and how to overcome them in a healthy manner, and that’s exactly what it did.
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STGA
KOD is not a bad album, but it is not a cohesive album.
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