
2014 Forest Hills Drive is J. Cole's most intimate album.
The title is very significant; it represents the address where J. Cole grew up.
Not surprisingly, it is a concept album in which Cole narrates his life.
The project is not intricate; the artist is.
Cole is willing to confront himself and reveal his weaknesses and concerns.
He is not afraid of external judgment, and therefore, does not need to conceal his persona, even if it means to shed light on his contradictions.
In this album, he is trying to let us understand, even if with a bit of confusion, how he is dealing with a very complicated game (LIFE).
The confusion is due precisely to the fact that Cole, himself, is often torn about how to approach the game.
Inside the album, the different facets of Cole's personality, before and after Hollywood, are described.
The listener can reconstruct Cole's development path.
Only after all those years and experiences Cole can develop a more sophisticated thought process and understand which values are meaningful to living a great life.