By Jesse Dacosta – Staff Reporter

Kendrick Lamar and Jermaine Cole shook the Internet on November 27 by dropping a collaborative track called, “Black Friday.” Kendrick rapped over Cole’s “Tale Of 2 Citiez’ instrumental and Cole rapped over Kendrick’s “Alright” beat. This is the first single off their upcoming album which will be released in February under TDE and Dreamville Records. Rumors were circulated about the album, but this track confirmed the two MCs will be dropping a duo album.

Kendrick Lamar’s prior projects lead to high hopes for this album. From his 2010 mixtape “Overly Dedicated,” followed by “Section 80” in 2011, it was apparent early in his career that Lamar was a force to reckoned with. He brought back the roots of rap and wasn’t talking about the typical subjects in rap like money, cars, and relationships. His critically acclaimed debut album in 2012, “Good Kid, Maad City,” went platinum and had a great message that everyone could relate to.

Growing up in Compton, Lamar’s friends were doing illegal things, like selling and using drugs, trying to fit in, and he was conflicted just like everyone else. The album showed how Lamar found himself. His most recent release, 2014’s “A Butterfly” touched on pressing social issues such as racism and inequality. He also talk about the importance of loving who you are and staying true to yourself while also making radio hits.

Cole career hasn’t been as consistent as Lamar’s; however, he shows a lot of promise. He released a series of mix tapes in 2007 but none stood out until his 2010 project, “Friday Night Lights.” That album proved Cole was a versatile artist who could sing and rap. After some sub-par projects in between, he released his best project to date in 2014. “Forest Hills Drive” had flawless production along with some great verses. The whole album is about Cole’s teenage years living with his mom. The album doesn’t feature anyone, yet went platinum, which is a bold statement.

Lamar’s verse on the track was insane to say the least, using great wordplay. For almost four minutes, he is rapping with no chorus, throwing the traditional 16 bar verse out the window. His high energy goes perfectly with the high energy beat. He wasn’t kidding when he said the song had “career-damaging verses”.

Cole starts the verse with a diss to Drake and Future, most likely due to the fact they dropped a collaborative album earlier this year. Cole brings his own element to this instrumental. Rather than just rapping, he makes a chorus showing his versatile songwriting abilities. Cole proved that he could keep up with Lamar with his short but sweet verses.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars