Birthday Blizzard 26' Hosted By DJ Clue: A Review

BY: JOSHUA ST. HILL / STAFF WRITER

Source: InMusic Blog

Staying consistent with his rollout of nostalgia after “Disc 2, Track 2”, J. Cole releases a surprise project: Birthday Blizzard 26’ hosted by the legendary DJ Clue. Finally, Cole addresses his anticlimactic exit from the Kendrick Lamar beef, gives his current take on the state of hip-hop, and reminds us that lyricism will always reign supreme over algorithms. 

With four freestyles over classic instrumentals, this short and sweet drop feels like a step back in time, sitting in a car, listening to radio freestyles on Hot 97. Let’s digest the Fayetteville emcee’s intentions with this release, the review of the four tracks, and what this means for The Fall Off's February 6 drop.

The track that sets this mixtape off is “Bronx Zoo Freestyle”, a lyrical assault over the Victory instrumental. If D2T2 is Cole telling you what he knows, Bronx Zoo is Cole telling you what he feels. A blistering soliloquy of chaos, Cole claims that being in the top three wasn’t what he thought it would be, deciding to drop out and restart the race, claiming he’s surpassed even them. The perspective is audacious to many fans who have looked at Cole differently since his notorious backout from his spar with Kendrick Lamar. 

Considering the heights of the rapper's claims that he can go toe to toe with the greats, it is still a debatable choice that will result in what-if scenarios until the end of time. Forget about your take on his authenticity; the landscape of hip-hop has shifted constantly over the last few years, with engagement being the leading factor in what mostly pops out to consumers globally. Cole declares that the engagement has ruined the game he’s dedicated a career to, a lasting theory that will definitely find its way to The Fall Off. The track is a solid 4 out of 5, setting off the project on a strong note.

“Golden Goose Freestyle” follows and showcases Cole as the lyrical technician he is. The monorhyme he carries exemplifies a sharp consistency that only years of repetition have cemented. “Teach your man how to fish and the lesson is this: without a pole you’re useless, catch my drift?” That double entendre is the representation of Cole–the philosophy of teaching a man to fish with a pole, the contemporary pole being slang for a gun. The instrumental that shines on this track is Black Rob’s Can I Live?. For seasoned fans, this beat was also tackled by Cole’s mentor, Jay-Z, a subtle easter egg that Cole leaves layered throughout the project. This track is easily a 5 out of 5; it is the personification of hip-hop. 

“Winter Storm Freestyle” is the most lackluster of the lineup. Considering it’s over the most classic instrumental, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Who Shot Ya?, Cole delivers a banal track, leaving listeners hungry for more. It had me revisiting Jadakiss’ Verzus, knowing Cole could’ve given us more than debatable Lori Harvey lines and Dragon Ball Z references. It’s like watching Kevin Durant shoot a mid-range jumper–it’s pretty to see, but we expect it to land. It’s not the buzzer-beater highlight we need to satiate our expectations for Cole’s salutation double album to rap music. While it’s a mere 3 out of 5, the track that follows picks the pace back up and plants Cole’s flag in the contemporary scene; although he’s leaving, he’s going out on top. 

The LOX’s “Money, Power, Respect” brings the project to the finish line as Cole is reminding us that, despite all the questions and all the disappointment, his lyricism reigns supreme. “If hip-hop is back, then JID should go platinum”, he declares as he fist-fights the instrumental with the grace of a legendary boxer. Rather than be distracted by the imaginary scenarios where Cole puts his aggression towards another rapper, I finally was able to lock in and, instead, hope more rappers step up to the plate and release mixtape freestyles of their own. 

Birthday Blizzard 26’ puts us in the driver’s seat of the grey DeLorean, making us turn on New York City radio for a demonstration of lyrical slaughter. While it’s merely an appetizer before the full course meal being served on February 6, it’s a nostalgic taste, like your mother’s biscuits. Hopefully, her turkey with mac and cheese is just as delightful and exceeds our expectations. Is it enough to make us unanimously say, “Forget the beef”? Is it a fair enough assessment to say we’re in for a certified classic? I’ll let those debates play out on your own time. For now, check out the project on YouTube, as well as through Cole’s own site.