How J. Cole’s No Role Modelz Lyrics Reflect His Struggle with Fame and Love

Cole is a highly acclaimed and influential rapper from his generation, recognized for his exceptional lyrics, social commentary, and storytelling abilities. His third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim. It earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album and made history by becoming the first rap album in 25 years to reach platinum status without any guest features.

One of the most popular and controversial songs on the album is No Role Modelz, which has over 600 million streams on Spotify and over 300 million views on YouTube. In this song, J. Cole expresses his frustration and disillusionment with the lack of positive and authentic role models in the entertainment industry, especially among women.

He also reflects on his own struggle with fame and love, and how he has learned to value himself and his roots over the superficial and materialistic standards of Hollywood. In this article, we will analyze the No Role Modelz lyrics and explore how they reveal J. Cole’s personal journey and worldview.

No Role Modelz Lyrics: A Critique of Hollywood Culture

The chorus of No Role Modelz lyrics is a catchy and memorable hook that summarizes J. Cole’s main point: he does not have any role models in the entertainment industry, especially among women. He repeats the line “Don’t save her, she don’t wanna be saved” four times, implying that he has given up on trying to find a genuine and loyal partner among the celebrities and socialites who are obsessed with fame and money.

Pre-Chorus

The pre-chorus reveals J.Cole’s views on two types of women in LA. One, he calls them reality TV stars. He thinks these stars are fake and only hang out with men who have money. He does not see them as role models. The other, he calls them the Hollywood’s 90s actresses who he respects and considers sisters. He also says that he can tell the difference between these types of women and others can’t.

First Verse

The verse reveals some of the people who J.Cole looked up to. He did not have a real father figure in his life, so he admired a fictional character, “Uncle Philp” from a famous TV show “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air”. He honors the actor who played the role – Uncle Philip – in the first line of the verse. He also vows to be a better father than “Uncle Philip” who was a good dad in the show. He then mentions Martin Luther King, whose vision was to end racial discrimination. J.Cole’s record“Dreamville” shares the same vision.

Second Verse

The first few lines reveal that J.Cole did not have anyone to look up to when he was growing up who could guide his future. He also says that he encountered a beautiful woman and felt drawn to her. The next few lines show the girl telling Cole that he is wealthy, famous, and spoiled. She says he can get any girl and dump any girl whenever he wants. Cole denies that fame has changed him. He says he is still the same.

Third Verse

In the third verse of the “No Role Modelz” song, Cole references the character “Aunt Vivian” from the popular TV show “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. He notes that two actresses have played the role and expresses a desire for a partner who embodies the qualities of the first actress. He admires her realness and strength and hopes to find a similarly strong woman.

Cole also mentions the well-known couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and expresses a desire for a relationship like theirs. In the final lines of the verse, he voices frustration with reality actresses in Los Angeles. He criticizes their focus on money and lack of loyalty to love. He also acknowledges that without his fame, these women would not be interested in him.

The Bridge of Song: No Role Modelz Lyrics

The bridge of the song shows that Cole says that people who are trying to make shallow women change are being tricked by them. In truth, they do not want to change. Cole has had enough of this and would not fall for it again.

Fourth Verse

The 4rth verse reveals that Cole names a few famous women like Sade Edu, Lisa Bonet, and Nia Long. He expresses his sorrow that Aaliyah died too soon. He states that he wished to accompany them, but due to their advanced age, he was unable to do so. He further mentions that he is currently only surrounded by superficial actresses from reality television programs.

No Role Modelz Lyrics: A Message to the Listeners

The lyrics of No Role Modelz are not only a critique of Hollywood culture, but also a message to the listeners, especially the young and impressionable ones, who might be influenced by the media and the culture. J. Cole uses his own experiences and opinions to warn the listeners about the dangers and pitfalls of chasing fame and money and losing sight of their true selves and values.

He also urges the listeners to be themselves, to follow their dreams, to find their purpose, and to seek meaningful and authentic relationships. One of the messages that J. Cole conveys in the lyrics is that fame and money are not the ultimate goals in life and that they do not guarantee happiness and fulfillment. He says that he has achieved fame and money, but he is still searching for something more.

He says that he is living his dream, but he is not sure what it means. He says that he is on a rocket, but he is not sure where he is going. He also says that fame and money have not changed him and that he is still the same person he was before. He says that he values himself and his roots over the superficial and materialistic standards of Hollywood.

He says that he is J. Cole, and he is here to stay. Another message that J. Cole conveys in the lyrics is that he does not want to be with a star, but rather with a comet. He also says that he does not want to save the shallow women, who do not want to be saved. He says that he can tell the difference between the fake and the real and that he is looking for a genuine and loyal partner.

Bottom Line

The lyrics of No Role Modelz are a powerful and personal expression of J. Cole’s struggle with fame and love, and also a meaningful and inspiring message to the listeners. J. Cole uses his lyrical prowess, social commentary, and storytelling to share his journey and worldview and to encourage the listeners to find their own path and voice.