User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 410 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 308 out of 410
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Mixed: 44 out of 410
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Negative: 58 out of 410
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Feb 18, 2014
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Jun 18, 2013
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Nov 12, 2013EVERYTHING about this album is a big and huge step up from his last album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. Lots of songs on here are really good. Be sure to buy this album if you like the songs!
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Jun 17, 2013Great album. Really surprised me of how much Cole has evolved in such little time, he crafted this album almost perfectly. It's good to hear and album with more than just one or two good songs, minimum fillers makes a big difference.
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Jun 21, 2013
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Jul 22, 2013In this album, J. Cole demonstrates his skill as a rapper and producer. Despite Born Sinner is a respectable album, this album is a step backwards compared to Cole World: The Sideline Story.
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Nov 20, 2013Born Sinner is this decade's Late Registration, its themes styles and production methodology are a strikingly poetic ode to Kanye's second album. it is one of the finest rap albums of the year and will be a big contender for the Rap Album Grammy.
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jul 1, 2013Amazing album by J. Cole. His production matched with his lyrical potency is amazing. So far, the best Hip Hop album of this year. Future of Hip-Hop is found in Cole
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 17, 2013This album is a big step forward from cole world. What I appreciate about cole is that he puts an equal or even more emphasis on producing his own songs. And he has turned out to be a damn good producer. His bars and rhymes also deserve equal acclaim. Best tracks; Rich N***z, She Knows, Power Trip, Let Nas Down
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Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013J Cole's new album is a very mellow one. I thought it would be boring, but this is a mellow album done right! Lyrically, Born Sinner is even better than Yeezus and Watching Tv With the Sound Off, but for the production Yeezus AND Watching Tv were better.
Production: 7/10
Lyrics: 9/10
Final: 8/10 -
Feb 10, 2014
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Jul 6, 2013Overall, a solid album. Songs like "Rich nigg*z" & "Let Nas Down" give it that raw appeal. Even singles like "Power Trip" & "Crooked Smile" push it to the limit. But when hearing his first mixtape, "Warm Up", you can't help but think he has more potential than this. Although I have to admit, he matured well from his debut.
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Jun 24, 2013It's a good album, it has it's highs and lows. Most tracks seem to be well thought out and produced well, I do have to say that the top songs we're Power Trip, Born Sinner and Miss America. Is it worth it buying it? Yea, go buy it, it's an album that you will enjoy.
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Jun 22, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013Great solid album. J.Cole has shown great production skills and has even emerged to be one of the best contenders of the rap game lyrically too. This is the album that J.Cole should be making and this gives Yeezus stiff competition. There is not one bad song on the entire album and even the deluxe edition songs are great.
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Jun 17, 2013Cole goes IN and his production game is on point, best album i've heard in quite a while, every song blends production, flow, and lyrics so perfectly it's hard to think of any way to make this album better
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Jun 17, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
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Jun 17, 2013Production was topnotch. Storytelling was incredible. Cole's flow and bars were very impressive. Nice to have an album you can play through the end and not want to skip songs. major improvement from Cole World. Cole really delivers.
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Jun 17, 2013Amazing album. Huge step up from his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story, production and lyric wise. Best HIP HOP album dropping on June 18th. Support the man!
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 17, 2013A great album in which you see a huge step forward in production. J. Cole is a great artist and this improvement in his production is what makes Born Sinner so great.
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 17, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013King Cole, Cole World No Blanket. Need a few listens to see how great the lyrics really. Production is on point and he Definitely has grown as an artist and this album is flawless. 10/10 AOTY #newlegends
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Jun 20, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013This album is a giant step up from Coleworld and the theme of heaven & hell comes across great. Standouts on the album are 'forbidden fruit' 'she knows' and 'villuminati'
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Jun 18, 2013A vast improvement from his inconsistent, lukewarm debut. Cole starts off with vengeance with a spit-fire flow on Villuminati. The album covers the topics of lust, corruption, temptation, how deceitful/shady people can be, and staying true to yourself with new found fame and money. The production is definitely top notch throughout the album.
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Jun 18, 2013Album is incredible. Not one bad song on it and the production is out of this world. Only downside is that the lyrics aren't up to par with previous projects however, some lyrics made me rewind and think OH
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Jun 18, 2013Born Sinner is Amazing. Much better than Yeezus or mac millers album. Cole>Kanye>Mac Miller. Also Cole Haters and Kanye Stans suck. Lol. Can't accept the fact Cole made a better album.
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Jun 18, 2013J. Cole preaches his personal life and battle between good and evil with excellent lyricism, and excellent production. Cole shows his evolution as a rapper, producer, and most importantly as an artist. This is the best rap album since good kid, m.A.A.d city, and will likely be the best album we see this year
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Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013JCN, stand up!
Hug improvement from his first album. Upgraded flow, production and hooks. Cole World!
POSTMUSTBE150CHARACTERSBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH -
Jun 18, 2013Best i ever heard, Cole is like a god, he shows the path in life, genius like a penius u know crazy wordplay yeaaaaa dip sip lip hahahahahahaahahahah
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Jun 18, 2013This is a great album, dope lyrics and production with a cohesive concept behind the whole project. What I'm trying to figure out is how people on here are saying this is a solid album but didn't live up to the hype then rate it a 0/10.... TFOH. Dont let the Kanye stans turn you away, this album is worth buying especially with the type of music being released these days.
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Jun 18, 2013Born Sinner is a solid album overall, plenty of replay value, especially from tracks that don't necessarily stand out. I've never heard anything like 'Let Nas Down' before, and it's testament to Cole's sincerity, most rappers won't open themselfs up like that. It's the one track that really blew my mind on BS.
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Jun 20, 2013This is a big step up from his first album. This really grew on me after 5 more listens. Best songs are power trip, rich runaway, chaining day, let nas down, and born sinner.
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Jun 18, 2013Great production, lyrics with substance, and a cohesive theme that runs from start to finish. Plenty of stand-out tracks like 'Let Nas Down', 'Trouble', 'She Knows', and of course both singles; 'Power Trip' and 'Crooked Smile'.
A great album all-round. -
Jun 18, 2013JCN IN DIS BISH
KTT SOME FAKKETS
BORN SINNER, BEST ALBUM ON JUNE 18th
YEEBUS IS TRASH
COLE OUT SELLING ALL YA'LL FAVORITE ARTIST
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Jun 18, 2013Production is immaculate. Lyrics on-point as usually. Every track is there for a reason, which accounts for its cohesion. Overall, i'd say its a masterpiece.
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Jun 18, 2013J. Cole showcases growth both as a rapper and producer in his sophomore album....
Full review of J. Cole's 'Born Sinner' here: http://highbrowhiphop.com/j-coles-born-sinner-review/ -
Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013This is the best album of the year. The production is good and the lyricism is awesome. This is what a hip hop album should sound like. good job cole.
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Jun 19, 2013he actually stepped up his production his lyrics are good but his flow is similar in all songs...........................................................
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Jun 18, 2013Amazing album. Unlike what others say I don't think the production is boring, and Cole switches up his flow more often than not, so it was a great listen. Honestly I would give this album a 9, because I don't really like She Knows and Ain't That Some but I have to cancel out the Yeezus trolls, who are blindly giving this album negative reviews.
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Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 18, 2013Born Sinner is a well rounded package from an artist who has fought tooth and nail to achieve his position in Rap. It’s about time someone has received what they’ve earned. INCREDIBLE body of work. Congrats to J. Cole. Album in stores now! Buy a few. Support real music.
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Jun 18, 2013This album is dope! I can definitely see where Cole is coming from, when he said this album is like a trip through hell. The first half is noticeably darker than the other half.
Not only did J Cole improve lyrically from his debut, but his production is also much improved. Great listen. My favorite songs are Trouble, Runaway, Rich and Let Nas Down. -
Jun 18, 2013Nice album. I really don't understand why some people think J. Cole is boring, or some critics think he
lacks charisma. J Cole did mention that it was going to be a darker album, and for me the production and lyrics are on point.
EVERYONE SUPPORT J COLE BY BUYING HIS ALBUM!! LETS TRY TO HELP HIM OUTSELL YEEZUS (Another great album by the way)! -
Jun 19, 2013Listened to the album back to front decent album highlights are land of the snakes rich runaway ant that some interlude cooked smile and sparks will fly
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Jun 18, 2013Didn't think he would beat his first album bet he did. The lyrics were deep, the beat was dope. Not a song on the album that you can't listen to. 21 songs for 13.99 is crazy good value.
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Jun 18, 2013Huge improvement from his debut! Though some people think all J Cole is talking about is girls, there is a deeper meaning that I was able to grasp. Besides the lyricism in Yeezus was much worse. I thought it was very cohesive, and there were no duds except maybe She Knows). 10/10.
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Jun 18, 2013Album is a HUGE step up from his debut, one would wonder where the hunger went there. Shows great improvement as a producer as well. Album is a 10/10 to me.
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Jun 18, 2013Born Sinner Was An Absolute Testament To J.Cole's Growth, He Has Managed To Stay Himself Throughout His Mix tapes & This Album Is No Exception. He Is Relatable Yet Lyrical. It Was Worth Every Penny.
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Jun 18, 2013
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Jun 19, 2013This album is a lot different then his first album CWTSS he doesn't seem to try to appeal to radio. I feel like this album is more of that old J Cole. The production and substance on the album is amazing.
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Jun 19, 2013Best album ive heard all year. Good beats and lyrics. This is leaps and bounds better than yeezus. This is real hip hop not an experiment gone horribly wrong.
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Jun 20, 2013In all honesty I felt that this album was a great effort by Mr. Cole musically. Itay not be new from his earlier work, but you can't deny the measage he is spilling out. Yes, people may disagree with the productiom, but I felt it was in the right step from his earlier project. Lyrics were inspiring, while the subject matter was interesting. Good work Mr. Cole.
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Jun 21, 2013Though the album doesn't compare to classics like "The Warm Up" or "Friday Night Lights," "Born Sinner" is a solid step up from "Cole World: The Sideline Story" both lyrically and production-wise. While the album can lull at times, the overall lyricism is on-point, making "Born Sinner" a worthwhile, enjoyable listen.
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Jun 23, 2013I'm as big of a J. Cole fan as there is and after a few listens to this album I can't help but feel that some of the magic was lost from the original/past mix tapes. He seems to be in a dark place right now and while in some songs it translated well, others it didn't. Listen to this if you enjoy real hip-hop because there are some classics on this album you don't want to miss.
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Jun 23, 2013
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Jun 22, 2013First album I've purchased in a long time....I smell album of the year and tons of grammys! I can't remember when I was able to listen to an album beginning to end with such flow and continuity! Cole is amazing creatively and lyrically. This album is a must have!
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Jun 24, 2013Quality release from a quality artist. I am a little disappointed due to my super high expectations but overall I thought this project was good. His production is definitely evolved but I still prefer The Come Up, The Warm Up, & Friday Night Lights over his studio releases.
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Jul 24, 2013
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Jul 4, 2013In a world of mediocre hip hop and similar-sounding, simple lyrics, J Cole's "Born Sinner" is a refreshing glass of spiked ice tea. He's still growing and it's apparent, but this album was clearly centered around his passion and emotions. His dark side is intriguing and makes the listener anxious for more, eager to experience his continued growth.
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Jul 10, 2013
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Apr 19, 2017
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Jul 11, 2013
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Jul 15, 2013This is one of my favorite albums so far in 2013. Some of the beats where wack, but lyrics just made up for that. I have to say this is a big step up from Cole World.
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Jul 21, 2013Hey...this is also a very good album! He may truly be hip-hop's savior! I can listen to this album all the way through from beginning to end. Now that's a good album!
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Aug 28, 2013J. Cole takes a step up with Born Sinner. Leading up to it with the Truly Yours series he sets the stage for a thematically organized and poignant album that illuminates Jermaine Cole's journey in the rap industry and showcases his ability as a lyricist.
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Sep 21, 2013A solid album by J. Cole. Most people hate on him because he went up against Kanye and has outsold him to this point. In due time Born Sinner will get it's proper recognition as an important album from an important artist. The impact it had with Nas, and Cole's boldness and bravado definitely make this his most interesting and inviting album. Multiple gems on this album.
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Mar 19, 2014I was not a fan of Cole's first release and I was rather skeptical going into this album. After giving it a few listens, i was addicted. This album shows what he can truly do as not just a rapper, but as a great producer. While the mainstream singles are catchy, songs such as "Runaway" and "Rich **** show his true potential. NAS comparisons galore. Enough said.
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Dec 18, 2013
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Jan 16, 2014Great step up, my favorite track is Let Nas Down. He does a great job with his storytelling, proves he is Jay's secret weapon at the Roc. I liked it just as much as Yeezus
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Apr 25, 2014
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Mar 22, 20157.9/10................................................................................................................................................
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Dec 8, 2014
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Dec 20, 2014
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Mar 10, 2015A lot of people are saying this album is "boring" or "dull" but honestly if you think that, you can't admire the artistry in this album. Personally, I believe this album is amazing and the stories told in it are impeccable and something most rappers can't do. Cole deserves to be at the top of the charts with this masterpiece.
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Mar 11, 2015
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Apr 24, 2018easily the best album he has done. I love damn near every song up here Channing day is really good and stays on repeat. I love born sinner as well but its a little short. all in all i hope he gets back to doing albums like this
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Jan 16, 2020Born Sinner is really good. It is a honest, thoughtful and witty account on several issues by Cole and it has a lot of really cool production on it as well. There's a lot of versatility on here - a radio pop rap banger like Power Trip, the soulful Chaining Day, the politically charged New York Times, or a track like Born Sinner... it's just a really, really good album.
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Jul 17, 2017Good album...........................................................................................................................................................................
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Feb 23, 2019
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Dec 3, 2018Born Sinner is an interesting album. The highs are high, and the lows are low.
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Jan 23, 2020This album got me through a rough patch in my life, Whether it was me relating to the bars or the uplifting messages across the project. Either way in my opinion this is Cole's best album.
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Dec 3, 2021Timeless project one of coles many albums that show he is one of this generations best
Awards & Rankings
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Jul 15, 2013He’s certainly impressed with his flow, delivery and production, and while he hasn’t released the next golden hip hop album he’s coming close.
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Jul 9, 2013There are some solid points buried deep down in the wreckage of Cole’s seven-bar pileup, but you’ll have to sift through a great, big, ambivalent pile of solecisms in order to get to them. As it turns out, that holds true for the vast majority of Born Sinner.
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Jul 2, 2013Three years after his album should have put the "sideline" comments to rest, Cole’s still studying the traditional playbook from the bench, preferring to follow Nas’ bible than strike out on his own.