J. Cole remains one of my favorite artists because of his ability to address many political and controversial topics in his music. His 2018 album KOD communicates the societal pressures on children and the detrimental effects that these pressures lead to. Specifically, Cole’s titles one of his biggest hits on the album “1985”, the year he was born, to break down lessons about rap’s generational growth and race while speaking from a place of experience in comparison to judgement. One of the most influential lyrics in this song is when he explains that “these white kids love that you [black rappers] don’t give a f*** ’cause that’s exactly what’s expected when your skin black. They wanna see you dab, they wanna see you pop a pill. They wanna see you tatted from your face to your heels”. J. Cole makes this statement to reveal that there is definitely a discrepancy of race in the rap world, and rappers of the current generation need to be careful in their representation, as they have a major influence over their listeners. It also reveals the identity of black people is overgeneralized and restricted to a very specific set of values, which often is assumed to consist of drugs, sex, and money. This relates back to Adichie’s concept of the single story and the fact that all black people are being placed in this implicit bias that leads to many negative stereotypes for this race. J. Cole wants to emphasize the point that black male rappers do not need to follow this generational rap trend to be successful, and it is actually harmful to the reputation of all black people. Each individual person is subject to his/her own individuality, even if others in his/her preconceived “group” may behave a certain way, even if this certain way is what is being exhibited in a larger light. I believe that J. Cole would like us all to consider the effects that our own implicit bias has on the expectations that are lied out for young black people in America. This country as a whole is predisposing their futures by not giving them a chance to reveal their true individuality among others, and forcing them to assimilate to their expected behavior.
