Rhetorical Analysis Of Jermaine Lamarr Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive

In January of 2017, many social and political issues were being discussed around the nation. Political issues such as police shootings, poverty, and racism plagued the minds of many people throughout the nation. Many minorities were feeling targeted and oppressed and felt the need to do something. Jermaine Lamarr Cole, an artist who recently gained a fairly large platform after the success of his latest album “2014 Forest Hills Drive”, decided he would use his platform and artistry to bring lights on these such issues happening throughout the world. J. Cole decided to used these emerging issues, his recently established platform, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of January 2017 as an opportunity to effect change by writing and releasing a

Throughout the text, Cole discusses the issues happening to the minorities in the United States. Cole states “But police still letting off niggas in the Ville/Claiming that he reached for a gun/They really think we dumb and got a death wish/Now somebody's son is laying breathless” (Cole). In this instance, Cole creates an emotion of sympathy by discussing these sad events happening to minorities in the United States. Cole strategic use of the word ‘son’ within this verse really evokes an emotion of sadness and makes this quote even more powerful and appeals to the emotions of the audience. In this text, Cole also states “Out their for the summer feeling just like I was Alice/Lost in the wonder land where niggas still suffering/Just like they was back home and that's wrong” (Cole). In this quote, Cole discusses the poverty that many minorities are experiencing. This creates and emotion of sympathy because of its use of words like ‘suffering’ and ‘wrong’. Nobody should live life by suffering. This quote also starts to establish Cole’s credibility within this

Cole’s credibility is what makes people listen to this text and actually consider its message. In this text, Cole recites a personal anecdote of how he has seen the suffering of minority lives in the United States. In this anecdote, Cole establishes his knowledge of the social issues occurring in this nation. This personal experience shows that Cole knows what he is talking about because he has seen how bad it can get. Also in this text, Cole states that “Raised my hand and asked a man a question/‘Does he see the struggles of his brother in oppression?/And if so, if you got all the power in the clout as the president/What’s keeping you from helping niggas out? ‘“ (Cole). This quote explains what Cole has done to try and fix these social and political issues that he has experienced. This quote shows that Cole has tried to do something about the status quo. This helps Cole’s credibility because it shows that he cares and is motivated to try and change the situation. When Cole is discussing his efforts to change the status quo, he also explains the reason behind the main argument of this