J Cole's Poetry Style

With poetry coming in many different styles today, writing comes easy for some. One way that poetry is written today is in the form of rap. The artist known as "J Cole" is one of the best rappers of the 21st century. J Cole went double platinum with top hits such as "Wet Dreamz" and "Love Yourz". In both of these songs Cole connects the listener's with relatable stories and scenarios. Both of these songs are forms of poetry somehow.

J Cole released the song "Wet Dreamz" as a part of his album "2014 Forest Hills Drive". On this album J Cole connected his listeners with his life problems growing up at 2014 Forest Hills Drive. In the song "Wet Dreamz", J Cole raps about his affection and love for a girl. Cole starts his song by using repetition,

rhyme, and setting an image for the listener.
Wasn't nothin' like that
Man, it wasn't nothin' like that first time
She was in my math class
Long hair, brown skin with a fat ass
Sat beside me, used to laugh, had mad jokes
The teacher always got mad so we passed notes
Cole uses repetition by saying "nothin' like that" in his first two lines. He then follows up with multiple rhymes at the end of each stanza. In the final two lines of this sample, Cole uses the repeated soft "a" sound in both "laugh" and "mad". He also uses "ass", "class", "jokes", and "notes" to rhyme and have similar sound effects. J Cole continues his first verse by saying the following:
It started off so innocent
She had a vibe and a nigga started diggin' it
I was a youngin, straight crushin', tryna play the shit cool
But a nigga couldn't wait to get to school
Cause when I seen 'em thighs on her
And them hips on her and them lips on her
Got me daydreaming, man, what
I'm thinkin' how she rides on it, if she sits on it, if she licks on it
Make it hard for me to stand up
As time goes by, attractions getting deep, and
Wet dreaming, thinkin' that I'm smashin', but I'm sleepin'
I want it bad, and I ain't never been obsessed before
She wrote a note that said "You ever had sex before?"
Damn…
Notice that Cole uses groups rhymes every two stanzas.

The first line ending with "innocent" and the next line with "it". The same also happens in the next four lines, and last two of his verse. As Cole continues his song he uses more repetition and rhyme. In the first few lines the listener will hear multiple uses of the sound "in" and followed up by a series of rhymes. Using repetition again Cole says "on her" in the middle part of this verse. As Cole finishes his first verse he uses "in" again to rhyme his words and give the listener an image of what his emotions are.

I see poetry not only in the word use and rhyming, but also in the story behind the lyrics. Cole is giving the listener an image of what is going on in his mind and how he feels about the girl. Through the first verse Cole shows that he has feelings for this girl and expresses his thoughts through his lyrics. The song continues with the same style with continuous use of repetition and rhyme scheme. I believe this song can qualify as a piece of poetry because Cole is expressing his feelings and desires through a lyrical

aspect.
Unlike the last song I chose, "Love Yourz" connects with more of a sad and realistic view on life.

While the initial feeling of the song can be glum, the true message behind the song is happiness. In the song Cole raps about the life he once lived while growing up in poverty. Cole connects with the listeners by referring to when he was growing up, and the hardships he would face. I see poetry through this because this provides an emotional message about how life was growing up in poverty and dealing with the difficulties of life. Cole starts his first verse by saying the following:

No such thing as a life that's better than yours

No such thing as a life that's better than yours

No such thing as a life that's better than yours

No such thing, no such thing

Heart beatin' fast, let a nigga know that he alive

Fake niggas mad, snakes

Snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive

Don't be sleepin' on your level cause its beauty in the struggle nigga

Goes for all y'all

It's beauty in the struggle nigga

(Let me explain)

It's beauty in the struggle , ugliness in the success

Hear my words or listen to my signal of distress

I grew up in the city and though sometimes we had less

Compared to some of my niggas down the block man we were

blessed
And life can't be no fairytale, no once upon a time
But I be God damned if a nigga don't be tryin'
So tell me mama please why you be drinking all the time?
Does all the pain he brought you still linger in your mind?
Cause pain still lingers on mine
On the road to riches listen this is what you'll find
The good news is nigga you came a long way
The bad news is nigga you went the wrong way
Think being broke was better
Cole begins the song by repeating the same phrase four times. That phrase, "No such thing as a life that's better than yours". The first four lines of the verse consist of repetition, rhyme and symbolism. Cole refers to his enemies as "snakes in the grass", and uses a series of rhymes throughout these lines. At the end of lines 1 and 3 Cole rhymes "alive" with "arrive". Then follows up on line 4 by using the consonant "L" at the end of a several words. As the verse continues J Cole begins to get a rhythm for his rhyme scheme. After a pause for a moment, Cole begins to link together his rhymes and emotions. Cole ends four consecutive lines with the sound effect of "ess". By doing this Cole puts together a group of rhymes while catching the listener's attention. Cole is expressing the hardships in which he had faced while still staying optimistic. Then the next five stanzas end with similar sounds and words. He rhymes "time", "tryin'", "time", "mind", and "mine". Four these words ending with the hard "e" sound and are only one syllable. Finishing his first verse with a bit of repetition by saying the same line twice, but only switching two words.
Besides the lyrical poetry through rhyming, repetition, and symbolism, a message still lies inside. I believe as the progresses, Cole relates his struggles with things some people deal with every day. Cole refers to his mother drinking in the first verse to cope with her problems, as well as the struggles he would see in his friends. As the song continues the emotional message stays the same, and Cole expresses that in many ways.
As shown by The Bowen Street Journal, there are certain times in which rap is poetry. The same article explains how the different ways of connecting to the audience makes the comparisons between poetry and rap. "The use of imagery in poetry engages us in the same way as it does in rap music" ("Is Rap Music Poetry"). Poetry can have a very strong emotional and literal meaning, yet so can music. Only showing two verses by J Cole's most popular hits shows how music can connect to the listener in many ways. Both songs qualify as poetry to me, and deliver a strong message to the listening audience.