The Greatest Rapper of All Time

I’ve been a die-hard J. Cole fan since I was first introduced to hip-hop (shoutout to Meezy F Baby for changing my life). Many folks online have stated that J. Cole isn't a generational hip-hop artist. Rather than doing the mental gymnastics required to arrive at that conclusion, I’ve created a list of J. Cole’s top 10 greatest verses that unquestionably cement him as one of the best hip-hop artists of all time.

With such a massive catalog to swim through, I needed to set some rules to organize my list as objectively as possible. First and foremost, because I had started working on this list before “Might Delete Later” was released, I decided not to include any bodies of work released after March 2024. Secondly, I needed a specific set of values to analyze each verse against:

- rhyme scheme, flow, delivery, or cadence -> how interesting or unpredictable a verse is.

- word choice -> the nuance or cleverness of the words used.

- substance -> the subject matter or overall theme of a verse. This can also be considered the storytelling element.

Each of these elements contributes to the overall impact of a verse. As such, various combinations of these elements have different impacts, so this list is my subjective ordering of objective measurements. Let’s get into it. 

3 Wishes is a cult classic amongst longtime J. Cole fans because it highlights one of Cole’s greatest strengths: the ability to tell highly detailed stories while maintaining a hypnotic flow.

“3 Wishes” is a story about Cole’s upbringing alongside a close friend during their childhood and adolescent years. Cole has told countless stories of the conditions he was raised in, and while there were many difficulties, Cole often expresses his gratitude after recognizing how much worse some of his friends had it. This is mentioned early in the verse with the following bar:

“Yo mama loved me to death, she reminded me of Afeni.

Yeah, a real black queen, if I had a genie

I’d wish that she ain’t struggle no more.

Y’all wouldn’t have to go to sleep with all them roaches if she wasn’t so poor.

You told me when you came to my house

that shit was like a timeout

from reality”

A noteworthy observation is that throughout the whole verse, Cole is incredibly selfless with his wishes, using all of them to improve the conditions of those around him rather than for himself. Despite the title of the song, Cole makes a total of 4 wishes across the verse. This is tragic when the listener arrives at the end of the song to hear what Cole believes is his last wish, which unfortunately, would never be granted.

While the verse doesn’t demonstrate any particularly clever play on words or anything of the sort, the vivid imagery in his storytelling coupled with his intoxicating flow place this verse at number 10.

To be a compelling rapper, you must know yourself. It requires a deep level of self-awareness, vulnerability, and a willingness to not only ask yourself hard questions but to answer them as well. Verse 3 of 2Face is a perfect culmination of these elements. In this verse, Cole reveals the two sides of himself, his environment, and his behaviors.

“Yeah, I seen Heaven, seen Hell, the two faces of the Ville

One side dreams, the other side's real

One side schemes, the other side deals

What the pain brings, another mother cry still

Why the fuck am I here, God?

That ***** died, why the fuck am I still alive?

I feel ashamed 'cause the good Lord done brought all this success to me

And all I seem to focus on is all this stress on me

Blessed homie, we breathin', cold world got me sneezing”

The verse is like an internal dialogue that Cole has where he recognizes the sometimes cruel, wicked nature of where he was raised while reminding himself that despite the circumstances, he is blessed to be alive. He also questions the decisions he’s made regarding his relations with women he doesn’t know very well. During this self-talk with the man in the mirror, Cole faces himself and his decisions so far, a difficult task for anyone to undertake.

“I'm playing daddy to another ***** daughter

Don’t worry, even Jesus never saw his real father

It don’t bother me at all though”

While the rhyme scheme is relatively predictable, the subject matter, clever choice of words, and passionate delivery land this verse at Number 9.

This verse is a special tribute of sorts, partly because it is a collision of past, present, and future, but also because Cole was being compared to so many legends at the time of Friday Night Lights’ release.

Any (real) Cole fan will tell you that Friday Night Lights is one of the greatest mixtapes of all time given the range of instrumentals, ferocious bars, and vivid imagery that is present from start to finish, perhaps warranting some comparisons to legends like Nas; something that Cole modestly dismisses with this bar:

“A lil’ birdie on the low told me you got an 'Illmatic.'

Nobody touching Nas, ***** this more like Villematic.”

J. Cole showcases exactly who he is with this verse: a hungry, confident, and ambitious individual who works hard despite what others think (or rather, refuse to believe). This was cleverly demonstrated with the following bar:

“I guess it’s in God’s hands. I make the type of pieces that’d make Jesus say ‘God damn!’ that’s for you non-believers. I’m the truth, only time will teach ya.”

While the rhyme scheme is fairly consistent throughout the verse, there are a few moments where Cole crosses the bar line to help tell his story. Passionate delivery, witty punchlines, and a riveting subject matter place Villematic at the Number 8 spot.

This verse is a masterclass in persistent rhyme schemes and rap cadences. For the entire verse, Cole maintains the same structure of his rap from start to finish. One might naturally think that this approach can quickly become uninteresting, or boring, and in most cases, that tends to be true. It becomes predictable. However, that’s not the case here. I believe Cole challenged his penmanship by placing this constraint on himself, and the result was undoubtedly one of the most impressive verses of his career.

“As for me, I cook so masterfully, ain't gotta pay a chef

I'm older now, but still, I'm cuttin' edge, I'm like a bayonet

From out the 'Ville, we OSHA certified, you gotta wear your vest

Too many homicides, a lotta slidin', they good at makin' decks

Thanks to God, I made it out the city, most would say I'm blessed

My greatest flex is that I made a milli', feel like I'm Bangladesh”

The verse contains plenty of bar lines being crossed, an impeccable delivery, and witty punchlines to boot. However, the subject matter feels like more of a demonstration of his writing prowess (boasting) than Cole sharing observations like what we’ve come to expect, the exceptional talent in this verse unquestionably lands a spot at Number 7.

This verse took the hip-hop world by storm and for good reason too. It singlehandedly asserted what many diehard J. Cole fans knew: there’s no better rapper alive today.

In this verse, we see the culmination of elaborate imagery, a witty play on words, a satiating rhyme scheme, and bars with enough weight to match that of a freight train all in one.

“Stretchin' the truth, know I never stress in the booth

They feel the pressure, me I feel like I just left the masseuse

Effortless, how I'm skatin' on these records is proof

I put your favorite rapper neck in a noose, never lettin' them loose”

What I love the most about this bar is that it feels like an eloquently spoken boast. Any rapper can say they’re the best, but very few will describe AND demonstrate why they’re the best. Comparing the pressure that rappers must feel to perform versus the release of pressure Cole feels when performing is evidence of his experience and confidence. Cole spent the entire verse sounding buttery-smooth over the instrumental, staying in the pocket effortlessly while he twists and turns with his words throughout the verse. Cole provided a masterclass for rappers anywhere to observe.

This verse and that of ‘Secret Recipe’ are easily the best rap verses in 2023, bar none.

We’re only halfway through, but I wrestled with which verses belonged on this list. I listened to J. Cole’s ENTIRE discography for almost 2 months total (not including Might Delete Later) and even still, there are verses I think belong on this list. I won’t dive into them, but here are the honorable mentions that easily could’ve fit anywhere on the list so far:

- Killers, Verse 1

- Can I Live, Verse 2

- Love Yourz, Verse 1

- Beautiful Bliss

- Return of Simba

- The Autograph, Verse 1

- Farewell, Verse 2

- Cost Me A Lot, Verse 2

- Applying Pressure 

- The Climb Back, Verse 1

- Change, Verse 1

- False Prophets, Verse 3

- Want You To Fly, Verse 1

- Mo Money

- Grown Simba, Verse 3

- The Badness

I could go on forever. This man has been making music since 2007 and this list doesn’t even include Might Delete Later, It’s a Boy, or The Fall Off. Talk about a crazy discography!

The next 5 verses are in their place because of the emotional substance in each verse. For me, this substance alone is enough to constitute their position.

I was a young man when I first heard Knock The Hustle, and I was blown away when Cole brilliantly described what love meant to him.

“To never try is the ultimate fail

But love is wantin' more for someone than they want for themselves, deep

I guess I love a lot, because the more

I do my thang, the more I feel the guilt and shame that my brother's not”

This lyric expanded what the concept of love could mean and all the ways it could be expressed. I simultaneously felt a sense of familiarity with the lyric when thinking about friends I believed in who maybe didn’t believe very much in themselves. And yet, despite this relevancy, I also felt that I had more work to do in ensuring that I felt the same way even when it was hard to do so, i.e. when friendships sour but you still want the best for them.

A small detail in the verse that I loved is that Cole’s emotion could be heard towards the end of the final verse.

“I take a trip back to the Ville, only corpses remain. Some of them ****** still breathing, but they dead inside. Victims of a genocide, tears fill my eyes, dawg

Cause I been out of touch, man, for way too long.”

It’s a beautiful and moving verse that should be heard by those who believe themselves to be fighters, hustlers, or hard workers. It is the kind of verse that will strengthen you.

There’s something magical about this verse and its ability to lift me when my spirits are low. I don’t depend on external resources to feel better, but when the hill is much steeper than usual, J. Cole’s “Legendary” verse seems to grant me the strength I need. 

“Perhaps I was foolish, just like the boy that prays to only see the sun

Maybe, life happens like tides

One minute you're low and feelin' shallow, then all of a sudden you rise

Just, ride the wave, I say to myself”

I can’t help but smile when I hear this bar. It represents the duality of life, the yin and yang that permeates our existence. I find solace in knowing that even the darkest moments can suddenly be illuminated by the smallest of lights. As Cole once described in “Love Yourz,” it is the beauty in the struggle and the ugliness in the success.

“I look at all I got like, "What's missin'?"

God is my only guess, 'cause yes, faith relieve the stress

I find peace again when I find Him and see I'm blessed”

Cole wraps up the verse ever so brilliantly with this bar. Many listeners might feel that Cole, or people like him who are rich and famous, have everything they could ever want. Ironically enough, even with all the riches in the world, one could still feel like something is missing, like that special feeling of fulfillment or happiness. It can be found in many things: their favorite childhood dish, the warm embrace of their kids, a deep connection with their partner, or the support of their friends. I see God in all of these things and I think Cole does too. So before you fall victim to thinking that more money or recognition from the world will make you happy, count your blessings first. You might see that you’re already rich beyond measure.

This verse was unexpected when I first heard it. Spitting over Drake’s “Pipe Down” instrumental, Cole delivers a passionate and vulnerable verse that lays out his perspective on his place in the rap game today, his adherence to his values, and the tribulations of being a modern-day celebrity. It’s no secret that J. Cole often embeds his philosophy in his raps, and there’s no better example of that than in the following bar:

“Like the second time I got cut from the junior varsity

Fightin' back tears, I promised to switch gears

And said to myself "Whatever you do, you won't do it partially"

From this day forward, I move with a new ferocity

Ferrari coupe velocity, a fail-proof philosophy

Success is in the effort, so if a ***** tried his hardest

I'm at peace knowing God ain't deal it in this group of cards for me”

I have such a deep admiration for this whole verse because I share many of the same values that Cole describes here. I’ve long felt that life is too short and that by extension, we should leave no stone unturned. There’s no better quest in life than to discover all that you’re capable of. If I were to have a theme song to describe this feeling, it would be ‘Heaven’s EP’.

This verse raises the hair on my arms. It is CHILLING. Cold. Dark. Ironically enough, it is unbelievable how authentic the verse feels.

The final verse on 4YEO starts differently than the first 3 in that it’s the first one where J. Cole “makes an appearance.” The first three verses are spoken from the perspective of his friend. The final verse is essentially a conversation between that friend and Cole.

“One day your daddy called me, told me he had a funny feelin'

What he'd been dealin' with lately, he wasn't tellin'

I tried to pick his brains, still, he wasn't revealin'

But I could feel the sense of panic in his voice

And it was chillin'”

The conversation continues between the two, but upon further questioning from Cole, his friend finally shares where the sense of panic was coming from:

“He said ‘Listen, I got no time to dive into descriptions, but lately I been having premonitions.

Just call it visions from the other side.

I got feeling I won’t see tomorrow.

Like the time I’m living on is borrowed.

With that said, the only thing I’m proud to say,

I was a father

Write my story down, and if I pass, go play it for my daughter when she ready.

And so I’m leaving you this record, 4 Your Eyez Only, don’t you ever scratch or disrespect it.”

If you immerse yourself as a listener, you might be able to imagine the trust that this man is placing in J. Cole, not only to listen to him during what he thinks are his final moments on Earth but also to safeguard and share his story with his daughter many years later.

After this bar, Cole switches back to himself and speaks to his friend’s daughter directly. He goes on to describe why her father was a real one. It had nothing to do with his swagger, his fearlessness, any material thing that he owned, nor his time spent in jail, many things that the youth can mistake as indicators of “a real man.” As you’d expect, Cole’s philosophy shines once more when sharing that his friend was a real man because he loved his daughter and nothing else. That his love alone was enough to make him a real one.

This album is fantastic, beautifully written and spoken, and filled with gems throughout the entire listen. For me, however, this final verse is the shining moment.

I wonder how many people even know about this verse. It is a hidden Outro that can be found at the very end of Logic’s “AfricAryan.” I call it the Acceptance verse because that’s what the verse is all about. Acceptance is closely tied to letting go, but doing so is never an easy feat, especially for those of us who may still be burrowing our pain and insecurities inside.

Am I enough? Will people accept me as I am? Am I capable of making my dreams come true? Will I find peace and happiness? What awaits me?

These are questions we have all faced, and perhaps, still face today. We try to find answers anywhere we can.

“But I done built this wall up

Acting like everything’s all good

But in reality, I’m looking for something

through bumping my favorite rappers I came up after:

Nas, Cole, and Hov

Eyes closed, I zone, till 5 or so in the morn’”

The following bar is J. Cole speaking directly to Logic, but it’s a bar that everyone should heed:

“*****, my advice, fuck the black and white shit

Be who you are, identify as a star

No one tells you you're that

It's something that you just know

The world be stealing your glow

Your mama did what she could

Her life was miles from good”

I cry when I listen to this verse. I get really emotional. And how couldn’t I? The world is constantly berating us with challenges, hardships, and adversities that start to chip away at one’s armor if they even have any to begin with. I am a highly optimistic person, but even the most optimistic person can have their time feeling down in the dumps. This verse is J. Cole’s best verse ever because he is speaking to each of us. He’s encouraging us to let go of our pain, forgive those who have hurt us, and to accept ourselves. You are enough. You are already loved beyond measure. And anything you pursue should be done for you and you alone, not for the acceptance of others.

It’s beautiful.

Thanks for reading through my list. I’m sure there will be many disagreements, and that’s ok. I’d love to hear what you’d put on your Top 10 instead! Shoot me a DM or drop a comment so we can chat. Please consider subscribing to the newsletter and sharing this post. This newsletter has no specific purpose, but I enjoy writing about music, technology, and the quest for self-improvement. If any of that interests you, then this is your place.