In a statement sent exclusively to HuffPost, Cole said the following: "There will soon come a day when people in general, and rap artists specifically, are going to have to answer for their past usage of the word 'faggot,' much like the Grandfathers who are ashamed that they used the word 'nigger' as kids. So as much as people hate, he's opening the door for someone like me to come back on the Billboard charts with 'Crooked Smile.'" Macklemore also has pro-gay marriage anthem called "Same Love." (After hearing "Villuminati," we asked Cole for comment. 1 song in the country, and there are kids who don't even listen to rap who live by him. Over a sample of Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew," which became famous on A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation," the TDE rapper lends his vocals primarily to the hook instead.Using an anti-gay slur for impact and trying to divorce it from its definition is a fumble made more jarring by the artist that Cole identifies as someone he admires.
One of the most surprising reveals was Kendrick Lamar's feature on the standout "Forbidden Fruit," which didn't include an actual verse from the Compton rapper. Cole's production shines through on grandiose tracks like "Rich N-az," tinged with electric guitar, "Villuminati" and "Trouble," which incorporates the vocals of a gospel choir with deep, pounding bass. Some of his more menacing bars can be found on "Mo Money," where Cole ends every line with "money," rapping about the "type of n-as that laugh at Hov money," and on "Rich N-az," where he admits that his "worst fear is going broke" while directing his ire towards those who have always had excess. "She Knows" broaches some similar girl issues over a more uptempo beat, with a feature from the Dirty Projectors' Amber Coffman.
On the spacey "Runaway," he delves into the difficulty of sustaining a 10-year relationship while feeling that he's too young to settle down. Throughout the album, the darkness in Cole's deeply personal verses are front and center as he reflects on struggles in the industry, in addition to his personal burdens. It goes without saying then that "Let Nas Down" is one of the most lyrically potent tracks on the album, with Cole packaging that 15-minute story into a track that entwines his idolization for Nas with the hurt he felt on lines like, "I got no one to blame/ I'm ashamed/ I let Nas down." I idolize that dude I had his raps written on the wall." "I'm getting defensive, but really, I'm just hurt as a fan. I was like, 'Damn, why he gon' say that? They ain't gon' box me in, like they box him in," Cole said of his reaction to Nas' criticism. Despite the single's success, Cole's feelings were hurt when he heard that Nas regarded the track as a big mistake in his otherwise promising career. The light at the end of that tunnel was "Work Out," sampled from Kanye West's "The New Workout Plan," which Cole anticipated would be a "slow burn" on the charts but with plenty of staying power. The next six months of my life, I was making some of the worst, most uninspired music of my life." "Going through hell, tryna make it to heaven, going through depression, trying to make it to happiness. "The next six months of my life was literally hell, which is what this album is about," he explained. Though the pain in his story was obvious, Cole had a sense of humor as he explained Jay-Z's reactions when he presented him with single options like "Who Dat," "Higher" and "Can't Get Enough" before finally getting to "Work Out." He explained having to drop Friday Night Lights to keep his buzz alive, with no single confirmed two years after his big mixtape release. I wanted one so bad," he said - he began a torturous journey to find his album's lead single, which lead him to some real career lows. Dropping an album seemed easy enough, but as Cole toured with Hov, watching him perform hits like "Big Pimpin'" - "The way that moved the crowd every night. The tale began in 2009 when he was rolling off the success of The Warm Up and celebrating his new deal with Roc Nation.