In an unexpected move, US rapper J. Cole has announced the title of his third album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, without any word of him even working on a new project.
Pulling the same stunt as Beyoncé with her surprise 2013 release, 2014 Forest Hills Drive will have no singles and is his third release by Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation. The album’s release date is December 10.
In 2013 Cole released Born Sinner, a commercially and critically successful album, with the help of its lead single Power Trip featuring RnB artist Miguel.
The album reached number one in the US Billboard 200 and sold over 700,000 copies in the US.
Aside from a few guest appearances, a heartfelt tribute to Michael Brown – a teenager killed by a police officer sparking the Ferguson riots – and promoting his Dreamville signee artist Cozz, 2014 has been a quiet year for Cole.
Set to be released the same day as Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V, December is looking to be an interesting month for hip-hop fans who may be also eagerly anticipating a release date for Kendrick Lamar’s latest album.
Accompanying the news of his new album is a seven minute documentary which travels through Cole’s life from his first rap cypher in high school to fulfilling his dreams as a rapper, whilst staying grounded with family and friends in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina.