“No Role Modelz” by J. Cole

As this title implies, this song is about J’s lack of role models growing up. However, he applies this in a broader sense than just himself being devoid of a father figure. Indeed he attacks Hollywood itself for its focus on superficial people, especially when it comes to women.

For example, the chorus of the song is about a woman who ‘doesn’t want to be saved’. This is pertaining to the type of ladies who are caught up in a questionable lifestyle that may be espoused by reality TV shows, with Cole directly attacking the female participants of these programs. This is somewhat ironic considering that most of J’s lyrics are based on his sensual exploitation of these selfsame women.  However, his ultimate disposition seems to be something to the effect of it is only these types of shorties he has to choose from since ladies are now being socialized to be shallow and promiscuous. And for the most part, his criticisms seem to be aimed at the type of women he interacts with in Los Angeles as a direct result of his “B-list celebrity” status.

J laments that he wasn’t born in an earlier age where apparently he would have had a more-preferable selection of females to choose from. Then he brings the song to an end by exclaiming that although the ladies referred to throughout the track are indeed superficial, having affairs with them is very enjoyable.

Facts about “No Role Modelz”

• Writer(s): This song was written by none other than J. Cole.
• Producer(s): Cole also produced the track alongside Phonix Beats.
• Album/EP: This is the third song featured on Cole’s album 2014 Forest Hills Drive (which also came out in 2014).
• Release Date: “No Role Modelz” was released on 9 December 2014.
• Recording Label: The record labels through which this song was released are ByStorm, Columbia, Dreamville and Roc Nation.
• 1st Interesting Stuff: “No Role Modelz” reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Cole’s highest-charting single from “2014 Forest Hills Drive”. Furthermore, the track was certified platinum by the RIAA in May of 2016. This means the song sold over a million copies in the United States alone.
• 2nd Interesting Stuff: This song interpolates Project Pat’s 2001 track titled “Don’t Save Her”. That song also features DJ Paul and Juicy J. Owing to this, Project Pat, Juicy J and DJ Paul also receive songwriting credits on “No Role Modelz”.

Who sings the background vocals on “No Role Modelz”?

The beautiful background singing you hear on the song was provided by American singer and songwriter Kaye Fox.