Finally Roc Nation’s J. Cole drops his long awaited mixtape, Friday Night Lights. To the hip-hop community, this guy has a hype that almost rivals that of Drake, but has consistently backed up this label with quality features and leaked tracks. That same hype reached its peak this past week, when the mixtape basically “had the internet goin’ nuts” crashing websites and servers alike. Friday Night Lights features 20 tracks of Hip Hop in its purest form, bringing his own unique flavor to his music, while truly defining the direction in which Cole is trying to reach. Featuring little to no features (aside from the bonus G.O.O.D Friday release “Looking for Trouble”), and tackling a bulk of the production, J Cole’s mixtape is an excellent representation of what to expect for his debut album.

On “Too Deep For the Intro” he continues to come with incredibly honest and revelatory lyricism:

“Should I admit that a slutty bitch was my first smash/Wasn’t experienced, so nah I didn’t wear it out/always thought my first time would be with someone I cared about/But being a virgin was something to be embarrassed ‘bout…I used her ass for practice so I wasn’t scared out my mind/You call ‘em rhymes, I call ‘em clearing out my mind/Was just a young boy staring out my blinds.”

His dynamic flow shows adapts well to each beat, as he proves with his rendition to Cassie’s “Must Be In Love,” with “Back To The Topic” Freestyle or the reflective “Premeditated Murder” spitting lyrics like

 “She catch me creepin’ out your house she’ll kill me/Is it worth it what’s under that blouse?/My heart’ll turn pitch black and cold if I split with my girl/If I could gift-wrap the globe, I would give you the world/Do you love me like you used to?/Even though I ain’t that nigga that you’re used to/Remember back when I was broke, you would fix me/Do you prefer the broke me or the rich me/The broke me couldn’t buy you meals, not even a value meal/And now I pay for everything, how you feel?”

Cole’s awe-inspiring skills with a pen are evident early on with this perfectly crafted verse from “Before I’m Gone”:

“I lived it all from dirt poor in a trailer/worried about my mother and never trusting my neighbors/to middle class with a backyard and my own room/to being the only black kid in my homeroom/academically gifted and follow my own rules/Running the streets, hey ma, I’ll be home soon…Was out chasing hoes, was out hoopin’/them n***as wasn’t ballin’ but yet they was foul, shootin’…So meet the newest role model who don’t know how to fake this shit/Never sold a rock and look I made it, bitch.”

Cole’s gift for keen observation is most reminiscent of Nas, and in the previously released “I Really Mean It Freestyle” he has referred to himself as the down south Nas, the East Coast Pac, the Carolina Andre, and the Fayette-nam Kanye. He certainly has attributes of all those greats—a devastating flow, razor sharp lyrics, a playful sense of humor and a seething hunger on the mic. Right now he may be most well known as the first signee to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label (with an appearance on The Blueprint 3’s “A Star is Born”), but Cole is no Hova clone.

The In The Morning feat Drake, is an old J Cole verse that is used but it works with a new beat and some Drake vocals for what is actually a very good track that could easily become a single if they wanted. Friday Night Lights is a mixtape with very few blemishes and faults.

Whether or not J. Cole will become a superstar remains to be seen, but were hoping he doesn’t compromise what he has already established. Listening to hip hop over the last 20 years or so, it’s become harder and harder to get excited about something new. The hip-hop establishment’s top dogs, while still viable, are in some cases going stale or approaching the twilight of their careers. Many of the new artists—with only a few notable exceptions—while talented, don’t inspire a real promise for the future. So we’ve continually asked ourselves where the next generation is coming from. Who will rescue the game from extinction? The savior may have finally arrived and he’s not even charging for his product.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to really listen to some of Cole’s pervious work, then I would advise getting his first two critically acclaimed mixtapes The Come Up (2007) and The Warm Up (2009). This is by far has the potential to be mixtape of 2010 and I truly can’t wait for Cole World to drop.  Check out the full mixtape and be on the lookout for his debut album, Cole World, coming soon.