The Warm Up
| The Warm Up | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by J. Cole | ||||
| Released | June 15, 2009 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:09:46 | |||
| Label | Roc Nation | |||
| J. Cole chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Warm Up | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Robert Christgau |  [1] |
| Complex | (favorable)[2] |
| Rap Reviews | (8/10) [3] |
| XXL | (favorable)[4] |
The Warm Up is the second official mixtape from Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper J. Cole. J. Cole and The R.E.C produced the majority of the mixtape with help from Elite, Syience, and E.k.n. The mixtape has been viewed over 1,927,000 times, streamed over 451,000 times, and downloaded over 550,000 times on DatPiff.
Reception
J. Cole was famously signed to Roc Nation after Jay-Z heard the track "Lights Please" before the mixtape was released. In August 2010 J. Cole, was awarded the UMA Male Artist of the Year thanks to his heralded The Warm Up mixtape. He was awarded the first ever Sucker Free Summit Who's Got Next in 2010 because of the mixtape.[5] On June 26, 2013 J. Cole announced that he would be re-releasing The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights for retail sale, in order to give them the push they deserved.[6]
In his review for MSN Music, music critic Robert Christgau gave the mixtape a two-star honorable mention,[1] indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy."[7] He cited "World Is Empty" and "Get By" as highlights and quipped, "He's so talented you can hear how much he wants it, so talented you wince every time he shoots himself in the foot, e.g. 'Put some chains on my niggaz like I own slaves'".[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro (The Warm Up)" | J. Cole | 1:47 |
| 2. | "Welcome" | J. Cole | 2:20 |
| 3. | "Can I Live" | Syience | 3:21 |
| 4. | "Grown Simba" | J. Cole | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Just To Get By" | Kanye West | 1:37 |
| 6. | "Lights Please" | J. Cole | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Dead Presidents II" | Ski Beatz | 3:34 |
| 8. | "I Get Up" | J. Cole | 4:54 |
| 9. | "World Is Empty" | J. Cole | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Dreams" (featuring Brandon Hines) | J. Cole | 4:25 |
| 11. | "Royal Flush" | J. Cole | 1:27 |
| 12. | "Dollar and a Dream II" | J. Cole | 4:21 |
| 13. | "Water Break (Interlude)" | J. Cole | 2:19 |
| 14. | "Heartache" | Elite | 3:01 |
| 15. | "Get Away" | J. Cole | 3:17 |
| 16. | "Knock Knock" | Kanye West | 1:54 |
| 17. | "Ladies" (featuring Lee Fields & The Expressions) | J. Cole | 3:22 |
| 18. | "Til' Infinity" | A-Plus | 2:11 |
| 19. | "The Badness" (featuring Omen) | J. Cole | 2:37 |
| 20. | "Hold It Down" | J. Cole | 4:17 |
| 21. | "Last Call" | Kanye West | 7:32 |
| 22. | "Losing My Balance" (Bonus track) | J. Cole | 4:16 |
Total length: |
1:09:46 | ||
Sample credits
- "Grown Simba" samples "Overture: A Partial History Of Black Music" by Mervyn Warren
- "Just To Get By" samples "Get By" by Talib Kweli
- "Dead Presidents II" samples "Dead Presidents" by Jay-Z
- "World Is Empty" samples "My World Is Empty Without You" by Lee Fields & The Expressions
- "Dreams" samples "Wildflower" by Hank Crawford
- "Royal Flush" samples "Royal Flush" by Big Boi (which samples "Voyage to Atlantis" by The Isley Brothers)
- "Water Break" samples "I Shot Ya" by LL Cool J and "Warning" by The Notorious B.I.G.
- "Heartache" samples *"Born to Live with Heartache" by Mary Love
- "Get Away" samples "Cross My Heart" by Billy Stewart
- "Knock Knock" samples "Knock Knock" by Monica and Kanye West
- "Ladies" samples "Ladies" by Lee Fields & The Expressions
- "Til' Infinity" samples "'93 'Til Infinity" by Souls of Mischief
- "The Badness" samples "Sunset Drive" by Husky Rescue
- "Last Call" samples "Last Call" by Kanye West
- "Losing My Balance" samples "Balance" by Sara Tavares
References
- 1 2 3 Christgau, Robert (July 2, 2013). "Odds and Ends 031". MSN Music. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Album of the Week: J. Cole's The Warm Up". Complex. Complex Media. June 16, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ Stern, Guido (August 11, 2009). "J. Cole's The Warm Up". Rap Reviews. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ "REVIEW: J. Cole, The Warm Up". XXL. Harris Publications. June 23, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/545218/the-whos-got-next-award-goes-to-j-cole.jhtml
- ↑ http://rapfix.mtv.com/2013/06/26/j-cole-releasing-the-warm-up-and-friday-night-lights-for-purchase/
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved June 5, 2013.