10 | Entertainment/Opinion | Friday, February 15, 2019 | The Hawkeye
J. Cole's " M iddle Child" Raises I mpor tant I ssues "I liked not only the beat, but what he was saying, how it's relatable and to the point," said Frankie Nieves '21. On Wednesday night January 23rd, J. Cole dropped his new single much to the anticipation of the rap community. The song, titled ?Middle Child,? came nearly six months after he released ?Album of the Year Freestyle? where he teased the release of his next release, The Off Season, a mixtape. Nothing has come of this statement, much to the dismay of fans, but that doesn?t mean the man hasn?t been busy this fall and winter. The North Carolina native has had his hands full writing verses and showing up on some of this season?s most fire hits, including Bas?s ?Tribe? in late August, Rapsody's ?Sojourner? in October, and 21 Savage?s hit ?a lot,? which hit the charts at the beginning of 2019. With each feature, J. Cole has solidified his reputation as one of the biggest in the game. In ?Middle Child,? he acknowledges this and many other claims surrounding his career in what can be described as an ?answer? to the many questions that surround his success. ?Middle Child? was produced by T- Minus, whom he collaborated with to produce last year?s hit ?Kevin?s Heart.?
The two came together again after KOD (2018) and got to work constructing the new single. The underlying tune is derived from the trumpets used in ?Wake Up to Me? (1973), a song by the Philadelphia trio group First Choice. As the beat comes in, J. Cole raps the refrain, a description of him gearing up to take down anyone ?on his list.? He then calls out the imbalance of the rap game, how recent deaths have affected it, and his contentment with the normality of his possessions. This theme shows up frequently in his discography in songs such as ?Neighbors? and ?Love Yours,? where he talks about his wealth, but understands the excessiveness of it at the same time. Cole jumps right into verse one and covers an extensive amount of ground that would take some rappers whole albums to encompass. His flow conveys several ideas, the first being his thoughts on substance abuse and drugs, some of which he elaborated fully on in KOD last April. Next, he emphasizes the importance of taking care of those he loves with the money and talent he possesses. This seems like an attempt to counteract the greed and selfishness he sees in the rap game today. With the mention of his Rolex, J. Cole transitions into the next major point about his friendship with Canadian rapper, Drake. He
comments on how the fans and the media try to drive a wedge between the icons, saying, ?they act like two legends cannot coexist.? This is true, with everyone always ranking and comparing today?s stars. A video surfaced later showing Drake and Cole on good terms, laughing in a Rolls Royce Ghost. Could they be dropping hints about another possible collab? J. Cole continues, saying that if there were to be any animosity between him and another rapper, it wouldn?t be for something as fleeting or silly as stealing flows or selling sneakers. The latter, many speculate, takes a shot at Chicago- rapper Kanye West, and his new Yeezy sneakers who has feuds with many other rappers.
"Cole falls in the middle of two generations" Towards the end of verse one, J. Cole transitions to rapping about his position in the rap game, the concept from which the song gets its name. Further elaborated in verse two, he addresses his position on the example he sets and his newfound respect for the new school rappers whom he dissed in ?Everybody Dies? (2016), and his admiration for the old school rappers. Mark Figge '20
(Photo: me.me)
By Benicio Beatty '21
Middle Child debuted at #1 on the iTunes char ts and now sits comfor tably around #48. said, "He says he doesn't fit old rap and new rap, but 'Middle Child' sounded pretty new school." Though J. Cole is not a literal middle child, he falls ?dead in the middle of two generations,? yet is able to mediate and and serve as the bridge between the two. He name drops 21 Savage and Kodak Black, young ones coming up, as well as Jay- Z, who serves as a role model for him. J. Cole ends the song reflecting on the brokenness of his community and the dysfunctional cycle that plagues it. He
calls on the young, saying that neither ?money in your palm? and a ?pistol in your hand? won?t make you any more real. All the subject matter in this single definitely packs a punch to the listener. Regardless of its reception, there is more to come from Dreamville Records (Cole?s label) this year. The 34 yearold rapper promises new hits on the upcoming Revenge of the Dreamers 3. In the meantime, ?Middle Child? stands as a lyrically solid release from the Fayetteville MC.
(Photo: St. Joe's Prep)
Should Political Discussion be Allowed for Non-Political Speeches?
Father Car roll, SJ details his exper ience at the M exican bor der as a par t of I gnatian I dentity Week, spar king loaded, political questions from students. By Robbie Calabro '19 On the second day of Ignatian Identity Week, Father Sean Carroll, SJ from the Kino Border Initiative came to speak to students about his work. The speech was organized as part of celebrating Ignatian heritage, not to promote an ex-
plicit political message. And yet the conversation soon turned to politics, leaving many students questioning whether or not this was the appropriate time or manner to go into such a discussion. The mandatory assembly in the Gesu took place on the
second day of Ignatian Identity Week. Students listened to the approximately 35 minute speech about Carroll?s work at the southern border and some personal anecdotes he shared about his time there. The message was clearly one of the value of personal and loving relationships with families that Father Carroll encountered. Afterwards, the floor was opened for questions.
with a speaker who has personally experienced the situation at the border and the people there. Additionally, this assembly came at the end of the month long government shutdown that began over the proposed border wall. For students who closely follow politics, ?the wall? and all the baggage that comes with the topic was fresh on their minds during Carroll?s presentation.
Students lined up almost immediately to ask questions, but due to time constraints and follow up questions, only three students were able to speak. All three either asked questions with either a political undertone or asked a direct political question. One student even used statistics from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in asking a series of questions about undocumented immigrants. I reached out to some of those who asked questions, in an effort to understand their take on the appropriateness of the political turn that the assembly took, but they did not respond for comment.
As a result, some of those students took to the microphone to address the political undertones of the topic. Some seemed upset that the questions were so politically charged, while others were happy there was a political discourse. Some students considered his presentation simply an account detailing his experience at the border, while others saw it as something that encouraged a campaign against the wall.
With all the current conflict in Washington over the border and how to protect it, it could reasonably be expected that those questions would arise
Others, like myself, saw the presentation as something in the middle. While not overtly political, any presentation on a topic related to the border is naturally going to receive pushback. Jack Thorell ?19 agreed. He said that such a reaction is ?an underlying part of any talk about experiences at the border.?
The argument of those who claim it was a political talk point to the Kino Border Initiative, saying that it is by nature a political organization. The website has made numerous press releases that oppose statements made or legislation proposed by President Trump. So while the talk may not have been overtly political in nature, it?d be naive not to expect questions presenting a different view of the border issue that challenged the speaker, or at least the organization he represented. While some had a problem with these questions, I personally do not. I do wish some of the questions were asked with some more tact and maybe in a less aggressive manner, but the whole ordeal proved that Prep students are well- informed. I firmly believe the best way to learn is by asking and responding to questions, and it?s no different here. So was it an appropriate setting to have a political discourse? I think so. Again, the talk was not overtly political, but as a natural consequence of the political temperature of the country, was associated with politics. And as a result, political questions followed.