Music has always had a major impact on my life, most importantly hip-hop.
Ever since I was a kid, it had always been a part of my life. I can always look back and pinpoint specific moments in my life to certain songs or albums.
One album that still sticks with me today is J. Cole’s fourth album, “4 Your Eyez Only,” which was released in 2016.
The story of the album takes us along through the life of Cole’s friend that had passed away, James. Each song establishes his character, as he goes from selling drugs and starting fights to eventually falling in love and starting a family.
This album and its story have always resonated with me because by the halfway point. It’s revealed that James himself wrote the album as a story for his daughter to hear after he passes away due to gang violence.
Cole simply wanted to finish the album for his friend and have this story still told to his daughter. The final verse on the album is actually Cole talking to James’ daughter about who her father truly is. Despite all the bad things she might’ve learned, James had always loved her more than anything in the world.
“4 Your Eyez Only” will always be an album and form of storytelling that will stick with me. I consider it to be one of Cole’s best to date.
More so, it’s a story I was able to relate with closely since my family had once been through a similar situation. I had a family member pass away due to gang violence as well. With this being said, listening to this album at times would be hard, but at the same time it’s relatability was comforting.
One of my favorite songs from the album is called “Change.”
The song’s overarching message is that “the only real change comes from inside.” It’s a sentiment and message that I now apply to my life and experiences nearly every day, as I’m responsible for the change around me. There’s always potential for growth, whether it’s mental, physical, or spiritual.
Although it touches on tragic tales of gang violence, racial discrimination and mass incarceration, “4 Your Eyez Only” also tells the incredibly heart-warming love story of a man desperate for more positive change in his life, and his later ability to find that in his girlfriend and eventually newborn daughter.
This album is one that I will always hold close to my heart and I will never stop listening to it. It’s impacted me in so many ways, completely making me who I am today.
It changed my perspective on so many different aspects, from the way I approach my days when I wake up to the way I view my family and the people I love.