BY: Alexis Eichelberger

J. Cole is back with a brand new album, and it’s already one of the year’s hottest releases.

The Off-Season is, according to Cole, one of his last projects. But he’s making every track count as his career comes to a self-proclaimed end. This album proves he can still hang with the best and brightest new talent in rap. (He went platinum with no features for a reason, right?)

We picked our favorite tracks from the new record and listed them for you here if you missed this explosive release. Here are our five favorite tracks from J. Cole’s new album The Off-Season, ranked.

 

#5: P U N C H I N’. T H E . C L O C K 

We kick off our list with the shortest track on The Off-Season. Cole raps about his own time spent working hard over an easy-going jazzy riff. “P u n c h i n’. t h e . c l o c k” also begins with a sample from a post-game interview by NBA star Damian Lillard, a creative way of incorporating Cole’s love of basketball into his art.

 

#4: M Y . L I F E (with 21 SAVAGE and MORRAY)

Next up is “m y . l i f e,” which includes two rare feature verses. Current superstar 21 Savage complements Cole’s punchy rapping with his own smooth, rhythmic rhymes. Vocalist Morray mixes in his soulful singing to create a well-rounded blend of retro and modern hip-hip styles.

 

#3: A M A R I

At number three is the album’s second track, “a m a r i.” Here, Cole’s typical braggadocious shit-talking is at its finest. He’s proud of where he came from, the heights he has reached in his career, and what he’s created for this album.

 

#2: P R I D E . I S . T H E . D E V I L (with LIL BABY)

These days, Lil Baby is one of the most sought-after artists for feature verses. Cole’s decision to include him in “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” was right on point and made it one of our favorite tracks on the album. 

 

#1: T H E . C L I M B . B A C K

At number one on our list is “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k.” It was only fitting that we put J. Cole alone at the top. This feature-free song was the first single released from the album. When it dropped nearly a year ago (July 2020), we knew we were getting a taste of something great. We weren’t disappointed.