40. "Farewell"
J. Cole ponders how we'll remember him when it's all said and done. Poignant. Emotive. Chilling. The realest sh-t he ever wrote.
Quotable: "Got good grades but age can't stop strays so pray for me" (Tweet This)
39. "Home for the Holidays"
Polished to utmost luster, this mixtape song from Friday Night Lights genuinely sounds like an album cut.
Quotable: "One year cost about the same as a Mercedes/
Four years cost wife, crib and a baby" (Tweet This)
38. “Unabomber”
Layered atop a hissing record and that tinkly piano Cole loves so much, “Unabomber” is a one-man ventfest on life's randomness. You’re welcome to join him.
Quotable: "The fast lane makes me reminisce on slower life" (Tweet This)
37. "Dollar and a Dream II"
Assorted tales of pain, hunger and passion synthesized into one tall bucket of ice.36. "Like a Star"
J. Cole shines like a beveled jewel on this cool summer song. He was saving this one for his second album, but couldn't use it "due to some other sh-t beyond my control." The song samples Corinne Bailey Rae's similarly-titled song.
Quotable: "Hey, for you I always had an admiration/We lost touch but you never left my imagination" (Tweet This)
35. "Too Deep for the Intro"
J. Cole kicks off his best mixtape, Friday Night Lights, with his signature blend of smart rhymes and naked anecdotes. The song gets its chipmunkfied backdrop from a J Dilla-produced Erykah Badu song, "Didn't Cha Know."
Quotable: "These boys got them holsters and clips they pack like Lunchables" (Tweet This)
34. "Crooked Smile"
Joined by TLC, Cole celebrates ladies who feel society's "pressure to look impressive." He also tackles personal insecurities like, well, his own "crooked smile."
Quotable: "I keep my twisted grill, just to show the kids it's real/We ain't picture perfect but we worth the picture still" (Tweet This)
33. "Let Nas Down"
Remember when you first heard "Work Out" and you wondered why J. Cole was rapping like that, and why he was T-Paining the song like that, and what the heck Paul Abdul was doing on a J. Cole song? You weren't alone. Nas wasn't feeling it, either.
32. "Miss America"
J. Cole puts the metaphorical "Miss America" under some harsh, unflattering lights. Hold the tiara.
31. "I Get Up"
Well, you can never accuse J. Cole of not reppin' North Carolina enough: "A fresh prince but yo my city aint no Bel-Air/F-ck if you excel Im worried bout' my welfare," he raps on this horn-backed narrative about survival in the streets.