music by j cole neighbors think i am selling dope

“I never thought I'd see the day I'm drinking almond milk.” This track is followed by “Foldin’ Clothes,” where he offers to fold the laundry for his wife as they avoid the outside world and enjoy Netflix and cereal. Cole is still subject to distrimination and lays awake at night, paranoid living in a white community. He goes on to say that his friends would stand outside and pass cigars filled with weed, enjoying themselves, and the next thing he knows the police are at his door.Ĭole is referring to Treyvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, the watch captain of his neighborhood in Florida, for looking “suspicious.” Zimmerman was found not guilty and no federal civil rights charges were brought upon him.Įven though he lives in a large, expensive house and has prestigious music awards, J. The SWAT experience is a harsh realization of those dreams, and it is depicted on “Neighbors,” one of the strongest tracks on 4 Your Eyez Only.Ĭole’s lyrics explain that he bought this home with his hard earned fortune and sought out privacy.

On his previous album titled after his childhood home, 2014 Forest Hills, he fantasizes about white picket fences and a quiet life. This was J.Cole’s home, which he was using as a creative safe haven. Rather than an illegal marijuana operation, officers found a basement filled with recording equipment. Helicopters circled overhead as armed officers broke down the front door, acting on a tip from a neighbor who thought that the residents were selling drugs. In March of 2016, a SWAT team raided a home in a well-to-do North Carolina suburb. Here are some of the strongest moments on this album: If you are reading this, I hope you feel equally as inclined. It has taken some seriously heinous actions displayed in the media to motivate me to open my eyes and ears to the powerful words of black artists and make me want to do something about it. I am heartbroken as I come to terms with the actions, both intentional and subconscious, of leaders, neighbors, friends, family, and even my own actions. Now I am not just sad - I am heartbroken for the black community. But you know what? I wish I had listened to his words and took them to heart 4 years ago, even if it would have made me sad.

Music by j cole neighbors think i am selling dope