J. Cole shared insights into the artwork for his upcoming double album “The Fall-Off”, along with confirmation of its expanded concept. The project features two distinct covers, each symbolic of pivotal moments in his life and creative journey.
On January 29, Cole unveiled an alternate CD cover showcasing an updated portrait of himself in a casual, reflective pose. This contrasts with the main album cover, revealed earlier this month, which depicts a grainy photo of his very first beat-making setup in his childhood home in North Carolina.
In his own words, he explained the significance of the original cover.
“’The Fall-Off’ cover that is currently circulating is a picture I took on a disposable camera when I was 15 years old. My very first set up. My first beats were made in that spot, surrounded by my mother’s CD collection that I would comb through looking for samples,” he wrote.
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Cole recalled how pivotal that creative spot was to his beginnings.
“The first full song that I ever made came to life in that very chair you see in that picture. I sat for hours, in a zone I had never experienced before, until I was done writing a track that I titled ‘The Storm.’ I probably rapped it out loud 50 times back-to-back, my young mind blown that I had actually wrote something ‘this great.’ I called Nervous Reck immediately to ask if I could come over to The Sheltuh to record it.”
He further reflected on the mental state he entered during that process.
“The mental space I entered writing that joint was a feeling I will attempt to explain, but I doubt I will do it justice. It was the strongest possible combination of creativity (the imagination at work), focus (in search of the next line), faith (belief that the next line will come) and excitement (in knowing this thing being written is truly something special) that I imagine one can’t understand until they’ve been in it.”
“It’s like God letting you into Heaven for a few hours. Then, even after it’s time to leave, there is a lasting glow, a high and a fulfilment that stays with you for days… and now every time you sit down to write, you’ll close your eyes, cross your fingers, and hope he’ll open the gates for you again.”
Cole also shared how his controversial 2024 apology to Kendrick Lamar — and the endless public discourse around its impact on hip-hop’s “Big Three” — led him to expand “The Fall-Off” into a double-disc release. These events reignited his creative drive and prompted him to reimagine the album’s vision.
“The picture of where it all started for me felt fitting for an album that I made with the ending in mind. It has been the cover of The Fall-Off for about the past 7 years. Perfect in my mind. However, 2 years ago, after the events that still feed the algorithm til this day, I became incredibly re-inspired, and the album slowly blossomed into a double disc as the concept expanded,” he revealed.
He elaborated on the decision behind the alternate cover.
“I felt there should be an additional cover that represented that. Something just as strong as the first, with my face on it, so that when I look back in 20 years, I can see an image of who I was at the time I released the project I worked on for so long. This is that cover.”
Scheduled for release on February 6, “The Fall-Off” will mark J. Cole’s seventh and final studio album, bringing closure to one of hip-hop’s most celebrated careers in the modern era.
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