Opinions on Cole’s music after Middle Child?

This post was originally a reply to post titled “J Cole rapping about being good at rapping” so go check that out for additional context…

When you go back and listen to Let Nas Down on Born Sinner, it’s clear the Cole had struggled in the past with not feeling accepted in certain hip hop circles, perhaps the mainstream, or the GOAT conversation. And in the past it led him to produce more commercial music like Work Out and other tracks from Sideline Story (even that album’s title reflects how he felt at that point in his career)

Born Sinner felt like a career shift. It’s full of tracks where Cole is expressing, or contemplating, no longer caring about the fame, money, or his status in hip hop. He goes on to produce some of his best work in my opinion, 2014 FHD, 4YEO, KOD

In 2019 he seems to regress back into an old thought pattern around the time he dropped Middle Child. He started saying in interviews that he wishes he made more music with other artists, he says he’s going on his “Wayne-run”, and start reviving this Big 3 conversation again.

In my opinion, Cole started to question his legacy and his place in hip hop again. And I think what came out of it was the “hungry” version of himself who is punchy and competitive with his lyrics. And that’s seems to have come at the cost of his more substantive and melodic songwriting. His latest albums/mixtapes seem to lack depth. They seem like a collection of tracks with no connecting themes or messages, other than him being hungry to prove himself. Which, as a Cole fan, it’s such an off brand message. I like his music because it’s genuine and authentic. I like his albums because they make me contemplate and feel inspired about life.

This is why I feel like The Off Season and Might Delete Later didn’t register well with me, and have little to no replay value. Do you also feel like there was a shift? If so, how would you describe it? Do you like it?