J. Cole, I n t e r l u d e | Track Review

J. Cole brings the heat with “I n t e r l u d e,” a short but totally sweet advance single from his sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

“I be comin’ in peace but fuck me / Best beware of the others / This shit deep, undercovers creep / This southern heat make unbearable summers / Just last week, seen yo’ mama weep!” Woo! It is safe to say that Grammy-winning rapper J. Cole is among the most respected in the game. Every time a new album is announced, well, it’s not ‘kind of a big deal,’ IT IS A BIG F$%#ING DEAL.  Cole announced he’ll release his sixth album, The Off-Season, on May 14, 2021, and of course, there’s plenty of speculation.  The two-minute-and change track, “I n t e r l u d e”, gives us a sneak peek into what The Off-Season has to offer.

There’s plenty to like about this short but sweet single.  The production, by J. Cole, T-Minus, and Tommy Parker is fire.  The backdrop is incredibly soulful, featuring awesome drum programming.  The sound is perfect fuel for the fire for Cole, who serves up a more melodic performance.  Even with some pitch behind his rhymes, Cole remains fiery to the nth degree: he’s aggressive, rhythmic, and incredibly tough and hard-nosed.  As always, the flow and the rhymes themselves, over the course of one verse, are what make “I n t e r l u d e” so phenomenal.

“Block hot, niggas burnin’ up the street
Shots poppin’ and we heard it up the street
It’s a war, niggas runnin’ up the score
Jesus said that you should turn the other cheek
Was his niggas gettin’ murdered every week?”

WOO, WOO, WOO!

Final Thoughts  

Few people could make an ‘interlude’ pop, but J. Cole manages to do just that on “I n t e r l u d e.” All boxes are checked off with the most important being sheer fire from Cole himself.  Nothing should be the least bit ‘off’ about The Off-Season.

J. Cole • The Off-Season • Dreamville / Roc Nation • 5.14.21

[: Dreamville / Roc Nation]