Exploration Six: Sierra Shamhart

The artist I chose is Jermaine Cole who is known as J. Cole. J. Cole is a rapper and producer who signed on with Jay Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and has produced for artists like Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson. Since signing to Jay Z's Roc Nation, he has toured worldwide, sold huge amounts of records, produced for Kendrick Lamar and even come to the attention of Barack Obama. Along with establishing his own nonprofit foundation, Dreamville Foundation, a non-profit Cole established in his hometown. Set up to “bridge the gap between the worlds of opportunity and the urban youth of Fayetteville, NC,” it runs a series of events and programs, including a reading club and essay contests.

J Cole, is a rapper who dabbles in R&B as well, most of his songs are more talking with melody rather than singing but you find yourself singing his words anyways. His style of rap is more slow to medium tempo rather than super fast and hype.

 J. Cole has a large impact on me I turn to his songs for every mood i'm in if i'm upset I can listen to him, if I am happy I can find joy in his songs. J. Cole's audience is definitely teens and young adults.
 His songs address growing up and getting through our teenage years and into young adult life. His newest album is called "Kids On Drugs" wish is about how our my generation turns to drugs, alcohol, and sex to avoid feeling our pain. He sings about how it is important for us to be in the moment that we need to feel our feelings to get past them. I think that is one of the reasons J. Cole influences me so much.

I recommend J. Cole to my peers because he is a rapper which is one of the most popular genres of music in my generation but, he raps about real things that every one of us go through on a daily basis. His content is real and the beat is catchy too. For example another rapper that is popular right now is Tekashi 69. He raps about his money, his jewelry, his fancy cars, and the women he has around. His songs are catchy but they don't have much meaning to them. It's not the type of music you could listen too to help your mood. It is mostly party music, etc.

The song that has the biggest impact on me is Love Yourz. It is about how your life is the best life. It tells you not to compare your life and your things to others because "There is no such thing as a life that's better than yours." It is easily one of his most popular songs. It makes listeners feel at ease in their lives, it helps them realize they need to be grateful for their life.
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Love Yourz Song

Lyrics From Love Yourz