2014 Forest Hills Drive

It was 2007 when J Cole released his debut mixtape. He released two more phenomenally successful mixtapes before he was signed by Jay Z to his Roc Nation label in 2009. When J Cole released his debut album “Cole World: The Sideline Story” in 2011, it entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #1. This was an amazing accomplishment for this young and new rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. Yes, J Cole can do it all!

He released one more album, “Born Sinner” in 2013, that also topped the charts. But it was his third studio album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive” that earned him not only another chart-topping release but also a Grammy nomination in 2015 for Best Rap Album.

The name “2014 Forest Hills Drive” came from…

…the address of his home where he first started writing and rapping at the age of twelve. After achieving some success, J Cole also bought this home back from foreclosure. It took him an entire year to finish this album. He was also the primary producer for this amazing release. This album was quietly released at a time when most rappers released albums after many months of strong promotion. Most rappers were also commonly known to have other popular rappers featured on their albums,

but J Cole stood alone on this release.

“2014 Forest Hills Drive” was released only three weeks after it’s completion. There were no huge hit singles driving the release, in fact there was not much marketing at all. Yet the album managed to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

This thirteen-track album had many critics praising J Cole but it was his fans that spoke up in a BIG way by purchasing over three million copies and pushing it to triple platinum status in 2019. The album also won several other awards to include “Album of the Year” at the BET Awards and “Top Rap Album” at the Billboard Awards in 2015.

This album is worthy of all the awards, accolades and attention it has received over the years. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is also worthy of being included in every  serious or casual hip hop fan’s collection.

DeepDiscount.com helps sponsor this blog. It’s a great place to find hip-hop and rap music on CD or vinyl. Here is where you can add J Cole’s music to your own collection: Get 2014 Forest Hills Drive on CD here, or the LP here.