MIXTAPE MONDAY, THE CLASSICS - THE WARM UP

Not many mixtapes were on my radar as of the past couple of weeks, so I figured I would bring it back to one of my favorites of all time. J. Cole's 'The Warm Up' in my eyes, was the opening to Cole's professional career. It really separated him from the okay music, to what's real. It launched him to stardom with the massive love he received from this particular mixtape. And if you listen to J.Cole enough, you should know he has never dissapointed. From The Warm Up to Friday Night Lights, to Sideline Story to Sinner and 2014 Forest Hills, he took off with this mixtape and didn't look back.

This mixtape was released June 15th, 2009 and has been downloaded more than 600,000 times and has been listened to more than 1,000,000 times since. J. Cole was signed to Roc Nation after Jay-Z heard the track, "Lights Please" before The Warm Up was even released. One of the greatest ever, Jay-Z saw a lot in a young Cole, and was so right about him. Cole showed loads of potential throughout his mixtapes and finally came into his own during his albums. A year after The Warm Up was released Cole won the UMA Male Artist of the Year thanks to this mixtape.

Some of my personal favorites off this mixtape of 22 songs are Welcome, Grown Simba, Lights Please, Dead Presidents II, I Get Up, Dollar and a Dream II, Knock Knock, that was produced by THE Kanye West, Last Call and Losing My Balance. To be honest, the entire album is just amazing. The tone of Cole really shows how much he wanted to be successful, and he made it.

I give this album an easy 9.3 out of 10, and if you couldn't already tell, Cole is one of my favorite artists if not my favorite.

Just waiting for a new drop...