J. Cole is set to drop his third LP, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, on Dec. 9 without any singles or videos leading up to the release. The accelerated release plan is a credit to Cole's loyal fans, who were invited to visit his old house in North Carolina to listen to the album ahead of the release (a la Taylor Swift). They were also treated to his Dollar And A Dream Tour — a series of six shows put together for his day-one fans with a $1 price tag per ticket. Being exposed to those fans and their diverse backgrounds has given Cole an interesting perspective on the world. In a new interview with The Fader, Cole opens up about stereotypes and how others perceive him.
"My patterns and stereotypes about each type of person are a little more informed. It's not accurate," he said in a six-minute clip with The Fader. "There are people who have never had interactions with 19 year old Puerto Rican people, or young black people, or gays. Most information about these people comes from television- stereotypes that already exist in the media."
Earlier this week, Cole shared the album artwork for 2014 Forest Hills Drive and made it available for pre-order on iTunes.
As previously reported, this will be Cole's first album since his 2013 effort Born Sinner. He has been out of the spotlight for much of 2014 other than a few remixes, features and his tour. Cole also dropped a new mini-doc in anticipation of the new album.
As Hot New Hip Hop points out, Cole will be going head to head on his release date with Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V on Dec. 9.
Watch J. Cole's full Fader interview below, and let us know what you think in the comments section!
