J. Cole plays Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on August 11, 2018. Credit: Gabby Santos / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
The Fall-Off is supposed to be J. Cole’s final album. While the 41-year-old won’t pursue playing pro basketball in China (citing visa issues, he quit after playing just one game with the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association), Cole did take a halfcourt shot with a double-LP that’s drawn mixed reviews.
The notoriously-grumpy Pitchfork said the North Carolina rapper “lacks the ability to keep the record moving with fresh ideas,” while Rolling Stone called the outing an “opus that’s dense, sometimes frustrating, and beautifully human.”
Never braggadocious, Cole will get plenty of love in Tampa for what could be his final tour for a while.
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This article appears in July 09 – 15, 2026.
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