Zeus32
Packaged as Lewis Street.
Much to the hip-hop world’s delight, J. Cole announced a couple of days ago that he would offer the first tangible introduction to The Fall Off, his upcoming album, with two new singles. A couple of days later, and Cole has delivered on that promise, releasing “The Climb Back” and “Lion King On Ice,” packaged as Lewis Street.
With the former produced by the Dreamville captain himself, “The Climb Back” is an on-brand J. Cole offering; it is a pensive single that finds Cole in a deep state of introspection. He questions other rappers’ hubristic mentalities while, ironically, benchmarking their lackluster accomplishments against his. The instrumental flows like molasses, truly playing backup to Cole’s lyrical deftness.
Further demonstrating his encompassing approach, “Lion King On Ice” has more of a modern production finish, as the collaborative instrumental — made by jetsonmade, T-Minus, and Cole himself — enlists 808s and faint samples that sound like distant cries. Conceptually, “Lion King On Ice” finds Cole reflecting on his Fayetteville, NC adolescence, calling upon his Young Simba alter ego to help tell his origin story.
While The Fall Off’s release date is still murky, what is absolutely clear, based off Lewis Street, is that Cole is ready to return with guns blazing on his sixth commercial LP.
Listen to both songs below:
