Hours after announcing the release date for his long-awaited album, The Fall-Off, J. Cole surprised fans with what appears to be a music video for its lead single. Titled “Disc 2 Track 2,” the video opens with a note in which he reflects on the decadelong process of making the album.
“For the past 10 years, this album has been hand crafted with one intention: a personal challenge to myself to create my best work. To do on my last what I was unable to do on my first,” Cole wrote. “I had no way of knowing how much time, focus and energy it would eventually take to achieve this, but despite the countless challenges along the way, I knew in my heart I would one day get to the finish line. I owed it first and foremost to myself. And secondly, I owed it to hip hop.”
The video then cuts to Cole seated in a room and holding a notepad, struggling to write as he rips out pages and tosses them aside. The lyrics find him charting his life in reverse, much like Nas did on his 2001 song “Rewind.”
The Fall-Off release date was revealed Wednesday alongside the album artwork and a video of Cole engaging in his daily activities. The clip was soundtracked by comedian Dan Harumi‘s video “How Long Is America Supposed to Last?” in which he explores the natural cycle of success and decline of most things in the U.S.
The Fall-Off arrives Feb. 6, with Cole’s new song title leading to speculation that it will be a double project.
(Video contains uncensored profanity.)
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