1. J. Cole
Album in 2014: 2014 Forest Hills Drive ~ Notable Song: “Be Free”
It took some time, but it is starting to feel like mainstream fans are noticing how special J. Cole truly is. He released an album with very little to no promo and went Gold in two weeks’ time. Jermaine stayed quiet for most of 2014 with very quiet rumblings that he may be working on new music, but almost no one expected to hear an album from him in 2014. Then he came out and dropped what some are saying is a classic. It’s a Cole World. – DuB