While it may seem like every other piece of music released this November lives in Kanye West's shadow, J. Cole's most recent mixtape, "Friday Night Lights," is garnering sunlight of its own. The mixtape, Friday Night Lights, was inspired by Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music series, most notably the track "Devil In a New Dress." The mixtape reveals the state of mind of a hungry, academically gifted young man determined to get to the top. The mixtape is a social commentary of his upbringing in North Carolina “telling stories of pain” but “painting pictures of hope”.
J. Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation. Inspired by many of his generation's most well-known rappers, such as Eminem and Nas, Cole was making his own beats and posting his songs and freestyles on the internet at 17-years-old under the moniker Therapist.