“Crooked Smile” Finally Straighten
In the summer of 2013, German born Jermaine Cole better known by his rap name J.Cole, released a single named Crooked Smile from his long awaited album Born Sinner, featuring the famously controversial girl group TLC. The song was an instant success, reaching number four on the US Billboards charts for Hot Rap Song and number seven for Hot R&B/HipHop song it’s first week and staying on the charts for nineteen weeks. The track alone was considered a movement winning awards like Impact Track at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. With its powerful message and semi cryptic lyrics, J.Cole took rap for woman and young minds to a new height. Showing us that not all rap songs had to have profanity, vulgarity or disrespectful language towards woman. But can be inspirational and simulating.
During his interview with Fuse J.Cole speaks about how the music industry put a microscope on his physical flaws, like his bushy eyebrows and his crooked smile, which is where the inspiration for the song came about. Cole tells how the music industry tried to force him to change his look while taking him back to high school by making him feel self conscious about his appearance. According to sheknows.com review
“Cole described how the industry quickly started to point out flaws he had only been conscious of "back in high school," and how they tried to make him change. He didn't give in. He gives powerful advice in his lyrical message on acceptance and strength. Cole completes the interview with a summation of the song's purpose, described in one word ― empowering. He deserves respect for taking the advice he's shelling out.”
J.Cole himself claims his song is an empowerment song “It's a very empowering song”, (songfacts.com) helping society especially woman
“Though you're a woman, I don't know how you deal
With all the pressure to look impressive and go out in heels; I feel for you” (Crooked Smile Verse1)
“To all the women with the flaws, know it's hard my darling
You wonder why you're lonely and your man's not calling
You keep falling victim cause you're insecure”(Crooked Smile Verse2)
to appreciate themselves and the features we as people are born with. The song speaks about loving our inner beauty and accepting what we are blessed with rather than constantly poking fun or trying to alter what was given to you
“No need to fix what God already put his paint brush on”. (Crooked Smile Verse1).
Cole even quickly tells us about the slight racial bias within the music industry using the song. In the third verse of the song Cole raps
“I ask if my skin pale
Would I then sell like Eminem or Adele?”
Which shows a little bit of prejudice towards African Americans in the music industry who are usually being forced to play stereotypical roles to get better sales or to become a certain persona to attract fans. But J.Cole pushes the status quo by celebrating his education and his flaws, embracing the fact though he may had grown up within the stereotypical lifestyles of a rapper he wasn’t going to be a stereotypical rapper. He doesn’t hide that he is one of the many rappers who has a degree. And he definitely doesn’t allow anyone to poke fun at his imperfections.
And although the main idea of the song is about self love. J.Cole also touches on other topics. For instance he speaks about the police brutality with the urban community saying,
“Hey officer man, we don't want nobody getting killed” (Crooked Smile Verse3)
with this line J.Cole begins to explain how the deaths behind police brutality has become chaotic and he strengthens his approach to this line with his music video as well. In the beginning of the video Cole dedicates his music video to young Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a seven year-old girl who was shot and killed during a police raid. A serious national case highlighted at the time the song was released. Coles also takes a small shot at the United States itself with his line,
“Look at the nation, that's a crooked smile braces couldn't even straighten” (Crooked Smile Verse3)
I believe at this point J.Cole isn’t only speaking about the police brutality but also all the anarchic government who decided to shutdown that year. Though the lyric may be interpreted differently to other to me I felt he was trying to say who are we to try and change ourselves and be apart of society when one of the strongest country in the world can’t even get their act together. So who are we to try and change ourselves to be apart of a place that can’t get their own lives together?
Many believe that this song alone is the best song on the album speaking the most truth, according to complex magazine the beat is a sunbeam, catchy and melodic, and his verses are about encouraging self-confidence (“No need to fix what god already put his paintbrush on”) without being condescending or backhanded. Which is true the song doesn’t come off to pushy or demanding forcing fans to love themselves but its come across like a lullaby. Complex magazine also points out similarities between the rapper and legendary rapper Tupac. According to complex the song’s emotional tone carries the same emotional generosity of Tupac’s Keep Ya Head Up, which I personally do believe J.Cole’s song does reminisce Tupac, when Tupac was being expressively liberal with his music and lyrics especially with songs like Keep Ya Head Up and Changes.
n
“Crooked Smile” Finally Straighten
In the summer of 2013, German born Jermaine Cole better known by his rap name J.Cole, released a single named Crooked Smile from his long awaited album Born Sinner, featuring the famously controversial girl group TLC. The song was an instant success, reaching number four on the US Billboards charts for Hot Rap Song and number seven for Hot R&B/HipHop song it’s first week and staying on the charts for nineteen weeks. The track alone was considered a movement winning awards like Impact Track at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. With its powerful message and semi cryptic lyrics, J.Cole took rap for woman and young minds to a new height. Showing us that not all rap songs had to have profanity, vulgarity or disrespectful language towards woman. But can be inspirational and simulating.
During his interview with Fuse J.Cole speaks about how the music industry put a microscope on his physical flaws, like his bushy eyebrows and his crooked smile, which is where the inspiration for the song came about. Cole tells how the music industry tried to force him to change his look while taking him back to high school by making him feel self conscious about his appearance. According to sheknows.com review
“Cole described how the industry quickly started to point out flaws he had only been conscious of "back in high school," and how they tried to make him change. He didn't give in. He gives powerful advice in his lyrical message on acceptance and strength. Cole completes the interview with a summation of the song's purpose, described in one word ― empowering. He deserves respect for taking the advice he's shelling out.”
J.Cole himself claims his song is an empowerment song “It's a very empowering song”, (songfacts.com) helping society especially woman
“Though you're a woman, I don't know how you deal
With all the pressure to look impressive and go out in heels; I feel for you” (Crooked Smile Verse1)
“To all the women with the flaws, know it's hard my darling
You wonder why you're lonely and your man's not calling
You keep falling victim cause you're insecure”(Crooked Smile Verse2)
to appreciate themselves and the features we as people are born with. The song speaks about loving our inner beauty and accepting what we are blessed with rather than constantly poking fun or trying to alter what was given to you
“No need to fix what God already put his paint brush on”. (Crooked Smile Verse1).
J Cole even quickly tells us about the slight racial bias within the music industry using the song. In the third verse of the song Cole raps
“I ask if my skin pale
Would I then sell like Eminem or Adele?”
Which shows a little bit of prejudice towards African Americans in the music industry who are usually being forced to play stereotypical roles to get better sales or to become a certain persona to attract fans. But J.Cole pushes the status quo by celebrating his education and his flaws, embracing the fact though he may had grown up within the stereotypical lifestyles of a rapper he wasn’t going to be a stereotypical rapper. He doesn’t hide that he is one of the many rappers who has a degree. And he definitely doesn’t allow anyone to poke fun at his imperfections.
Rap/Hip-Hop
58