Well, it's been a year I haven't listened to a great rap album ( the last one being "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy") and "Cole World: The Sideline Story" is just one of them. I've loved J. Cole since last year, when I've heard him for the first time with 'Young Simba'. I thought his flow was great. But he has changed, to better. His debut album is a great example of modern rap with a 90's twist of hip hop. It's definitely the best debut album since 'College Dropout'. Every song sounds great. I haven't skip any track. I'm blown away. The album is well put together, and my favorite one is 'Dollar And a Dream' and 'Nobody's Perfect'. Best line so far: "This is for all the fans that waited, the **** **** that hated, old hoes we dated, look mama, we made it". I love that line. J. Cole will remain the rapper I'm looking forward the most, after Struka, of course.… Expand

Cole World: The Sideline Story!
This is a really, really good debut album from J. Cole. Such a strong album, damn!
This is a really talented rapper, and his second album is probably coming next year on summer. And I am really hyped for it. His lyrics is real, not like the most rappers now these day's.
10 out of 10

This is the man who will save hip-hop. Such a strong album. All the tracks fit in with one another, and the deep tracks have that authentic Cole feel to them. And the new Dolla and A Dream is so good, did anyone else hear the Kingdom Hearts sample?

just purchased this off itunes. it's a good debut...even bigger than drake's and big sean's debut. the anticipation was long but it lived up to the hype. i hope RocNation pushed this album...Breakdown best track on the album.

JCole really impressed me this debut. Almost all the songs are great. My personal favorite is Breakdown, as I can relate alot to it. It may not be the next Illmatic, but it's still the best mainstream debut album since College Dropout.

In my opinion J Cole set the bar high for every new hip hop artist. Cole World is a well rounded album better than Thank Me Later , Man on The Moon, and Finally Famous. My personal favorite track s lost ones tells A GREAT story about abortion. i encourage people to hear this album is is hip hops best body of work following the R.E.D album

If you remove your expectations before popping your headphones in, you will be amazed by the profound lyricism and talent of J. Cole. If you came in expecting to be blown away, chances are you will also emerge in awe of Cole's skill. The more you can relate to his songs, the deeper the connection and the more profound the appreciation you will develop. I don't know what constitutes a classic, but I will definitely be playing this album 10 years from now, along with College Dropout and Late Registration. Hopefully Cole can be this generation's Kanye - without the arrogant demeanor. A+… Expand

This is album is sick! I used to think Drake and Kid Cudi were the cream of the crop, but I was wrong all along. Cole is the embodiment of pure rap. He may not have the greatest hooks for radio play, or the catchiest beats, but he makes up for that with his unparalleled rapping skills. There will always be a few people who will hate, especially given the lofty expectations placed on J. Cole; however, Cole World has shown he is ready to not only become the face of rap for this generation, bu, perhaps, one of the all-time greats. Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye, Naz and Tupac need company.… Expand

I'm sick of critics now n days. theres no way this album is anything less than great. these critics like allmusic and rollingstone think they know everything but they just dont. tha carter 4 was one of the worst albums ive ever heard and allmusic gives it a 4 out of 5, thats insanely ridiculous and now rolling stone is gonna say that this album is at best a 7? come on now, lets put all the bs aside and be realistic. j cole is a genius in the studio and while he may need a little help with producing his lyrics are off the charts real. everything cole says is completely real and relative to **** that people go through all the time. plus, how r u gonna go out and give his mixtapes great reviews and then say that his debut album isnt that good? 1/3 of this album is previous mixtapes songs and the other 2/3 is just great new songs that cole spits fire on. 9 out of 10 tho for me cus i still think the best for cole is ahead of him.… Expand

This album is what Hip Hop is supposed to be. To get it, you need to go deeper than only the production, which by the way is on point. Obviously there's the fun songs, but there's also the deep and emotional songs speaking on subjects never heard before in rap. Best songs: Lost Ones, Breakdown, Lights Please, Dollar And A Dream III, Never Told, Rise And Shine (ok, gotta stop now before I mention the whole album). We must also consider that this is a debut album. Cole has to please old fans, new fans and of course his record label. He's also young, so the following albums can only be even better. So buy this album. Ten times if you want. It's a Cole World.… Expand

When I heard this album, I was reminded of the myseducation of Lauryn Hill. That in itself warrants a great score. The album isn't perfect, but it is probably the best album I have heard this year.

Phenomenal album. Best album this year, almost on par with Watch the Throne, maybe better - I'm still debating that. Hip-hop needs a story-teller like this one. My only gripe is that his hits are poorly done. Work Out is the weakest song on the album yet he's placed it as the last song. Can't get enough is lyrically off, who says you have to drop lyricism to make a hit? Have you heard Eminem's singles? He's at his best when he displays raw emotion, or he's just going off on a lyrical rage, both of which are commonly found on the album. Cole you almost made a classic, next album you better hit the bullseye - I'll be looking forward to it.… Expand

A great debut by J Cole. He keeps a kind of ying yang balance with the album perfectly balancing his fun singles and dramatic personal tracks to create a great album.

Great album with a variety of styles. J. Cole really widens his variety of rapping on this great debut album. From his heart-warming deep songs, to club-style hits, J. Cole releases a rare great debut album. A Classic.

wasnt too sold on him before listening to this album..thought he was a bit preachy in some of his raps, not my style..That being said, I love this album. It started off a bit slow on songs 1-5 (besides Dollar & Dream)..but the second half is phenomenal.Also beats are hot, which J. Cole produced most himself. My favorite tracks, Gods Gift, Cole World, Rise & Shine & Nobody Perfect. Check this out if you like hip-hop.… Expand

This is the most complete album since Kanye's "The College Dropout." Cole World features all the necesary ingredients to become an instant classic, a masterpiece. I don't use this gently, but J. Cole fulfilled all expectations and brought the game back to its place. The album only has a mere 4 features which are all perfect. People need to stop comparing Cole to Drake. They're both great, Cole's WAY better, and Cole actually raps more than 50% of the time.

Cole = Future… Expand

For a debut album, it was a strong performance. At times, it seems like standards weren't met, but some songs truly made up for it. Ladies and gentlemen, J Cole has arrived.

Lyrically, this album is close to nothing that we've seen since Cole's last mixtape, 'Friday Night Lights.' For him to provide such insightful lyrics at the same time as maintaining such a steady and strong production from Cole is something that hardly ever occurs. THIS is what hip-hop is about.