2014 Forest Hills Drive
by J. Cole
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. XXL
    Dec 12, 2014
    80
    J. Cole is righfully satisfied with the end product, as will the fans.
  2. DJ Booth
    Dec 9, 2014
    80
    Forest Hills Drive has enough twists and turns to inspire an almost schizophrenic stream of reactions.
  3. Exclaim
    Dec 9, 2014
    80
    He shines without any features, standing strong in his delivery and carrying his story to the forefront of the 13-track project.
  5. HipHopDX
    Dec 9, 2014
    80
    Its narrative, the tropes, and the strategies are completely overcome by the albums terrifying integrity. It is immensely relatable because it is not afraid to be corny and cliche.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Dec 9, 2014
    75
    A deeply skilled empathizer, Cole can put you in his shoes too.
  7. RapReviews.com
    Dec 9, 2014
    75
    He's been afforded a rare amount of artistic freedom on 2014 Forest Hills Drive and there aren't even any singles, so it's great that he's more or less delivered. But whilst this definitely misses out on classic territory, that doesn't mean it isn't a bloody good album for the most part.
  8. AllMusic
    Dec 15, 2014
    70
    All these flights of fancy fly freely since the album lacks an anchor. 2014 Forest Hills Drive comes off as a great, experimental, and advancing mixtape, but it's insider to a fault, as slight as that fault might be.
  9. Pitchfork
    Dec 11, 2014
    69
    2014 Forest Hills Drive is a decent album selling itself as great. It wraps itself in the garments of a classic, but you can see that the tailoring is off.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2014
7
#7 Most Shared Album of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 613 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 532 out of 613
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 613
  3. Negative: 34 out of 613
  1. MrLahey
    Dec 16, 2014
    0
    really boring album. cole isn't interesting or entertaining. same boring beats, really bad lyrics, no engery, no charima from bole he's blandreally boring album. cole isn't interesting or entertaining. same boring beats, really bad lyrics, no engery, no charima from bole he's bland and tasteless like rice cake or a piece of bread… Full Review »
  2. ZaeDilla
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    Jermaine Cole has shown excellent growth as an artist with this brilliant LP. I'm proud to call myself a fan of his, and I'm anticipating hisJermaine Cole has shown excellent growth as an artist with this brilliant LP. I'm proud to call myself a fan of his, and I'm anticipating his next body of work. Shout Cope Fam.… Full Review »
  3. Spangle
    Dec 12, 2014
    4
    There is no rap artist out there now who I want to love more than J. Cole. He seems like a great guy who is very open, which I love in aThere is no rap artist out there now who I want to love more than J. Cole. He seems like a great guy who is very open, which I love in a rapper. For example, I love guys like Drake, 808's Kanye, and Kid Cudi. I have no problem with rappers being a bit "soft" to get stuff off their chest, but damn does he struggle when he does this. He cannot sing to save his life and whenever he has some great, personal bars, he always follows them up with something incredibly corny. For example, the track "Wet Dreamz" is very personal and I appreciate his openness on it, but it just comes off as corny and I cannot help but laugh at the thought he decided to put it on his album. The track and "St. Tropez", "Hello", and "Note to Self", are undoubtedly the worst ones here, largely thanks to the singing on those latter three. He cannot sing, yet decides to basically just sing on all three of them. Whose decision was that? Who told him he could sing? If anybody ever complimented his singing, they were lying. The beats are also just ok here. None of them are overly interesting, aside from on the four tracks that really stood out to me, "A Tale of 2 Citiez", "Fire Squad", "GOMD", and "No Role Modelz", where the beats are all very good. Otherwise, this one is a classic Cole release. Cole shows flashes of potential to drop a classic album one day, but gets bogged down in nods to legends, terrible hooks, his singing, mediocre beats, corny lyrics, and a general lullaby-type feeling. While I liked Cole World and Born Sinner when they first dropped, I eventually came to not really like either of them for the same reasons I did not enjoy this release. I was really hoping this one would be the Cole album that i would like when it drops and then continue to like for the foreseeable future, but that is sadly not the case. As I write this, the disappointment I feel is immense, as I just really want to like Cole, but I just cannot.… Full Review »
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