J. Cole has always championed a sense or perception of humility in his artistry and career, even if he makes more and more money with each era. But for his presumably final album The Fall-Off, he wants to throw it back to the days in which he couldn't sell vinyl on a storefront or upload songs to DSPs: he had to get out, get active, get personal, and sell his music right to a potential fan's face.
On Saturday (February 7), the Dreamville artist took to social media to announce he's going on a "Trunk Sale" tour, details of which were not specified. This isn't a live concert tour for this era, although we'll surely get that announcement soon. Rather, it's a chance for fans to meet him during a roadtrip presumably around the North Carolina area or maybe even further out.
"Mannnnn. Thank yall for the love. For real!!!" the "Two Six" MC wrote on Twitter. "Yesterday I had daddy duties that came before album release celebrations. Today I got my old civic (with the brand new engine) a tour bus and some sprinters. In the trunk of my car is boxes of The Fall-Off CD’s. As a teenager I had copies of the Fayettenam Bommuh’s album that Nervous gave me to sell. I used to go up to the gas stations trying to sell the album to strangers 'yo you like hip hop??' Was the beginning of the sales pitch.
Did J. Cole Retire?
"When I was working on this album I had the desire to go feel that feeling again, and that’s what I’m about to do. Trunk Sale Tour 26!! I don’t know where we bout to drive to, but catch me outside! Cop a CD from me or just show love. I truly appreciate all the love and the reaction to the music," he concluded.
While not everyone loves J. Cole's The Fall-Off, his fans seem incredibly happy with the results. Of course, it's not even been 48 hours since it actually came out. As such, conversations are still evolving, whether around J. Cole's relationship with hip-hop or some of the more specific musical elements of this LP. Hopefully fans will get to show him love and talk to him about the record on this "Trunk Sale" tour.
If The Fall-Off ends up being Cole's last album, like he intended, we doubt it will mark a full departure from hip-hop. "Retirement" is always a funny word that rappers don't usually mean when they say it. Considering how he fell back in love with the genre (his words, not ours), we're sure this isn't the definitive end... But we can't be too sure.
