J. Cole<\/a> is questioning how modern listeners engage with music, arguing that streaming<\/a> has lowered the bar for how and why people form opinions about albums.<\/p>\n During a recent appearance on Lost in Vegas<\/em>, the rapper reflected on how the shift from buying music to streaming has changed the listening experience and, in his view, diluted meaningful critique.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I don\u2019t like right now is\u2026 you pay your $10 or $15 a month, you got every song in the world,\u201d Cole said. \u201cWe already undervalue it.\u201d<\/p>\n Cole contrasted that accessibility with earlier eras, when listeners had to make a conscious investment to hear an album.<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf I didn\u2019t like an album when I bought that sh*t on CD\u2026 I got the right to not like this, because I spent $15.99,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I can have a conversation with somebody else that spent their $15.99.\u201d<\/p>\n Cole argued that streaming has removed that sense of commitment, allowing people to jump into conversations about projects they have little connection to.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t even care about this artist\u2026 you just see a conversation happening and you want to be a part of it,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no barrier of entry for anyone to experience the music.\u201d<\/p>\n For Cole, that lack of investment leads to surface-level reactions rather than deeper appreciation. He described a time when listening to music was more intentional and communal, rather than driven by online discourse.<\/p>\n \u201cBack in the days\u2026 they only had the option of listening with their heart,\u201d he said. \u201cThey buy the record, put it on\u2026 it was a full-on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead of immediate critiques or social media debates, Cole closed out by saying listeners were more focused on simply absorbing the music.<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t sit around like, \u2018I think he could have shaved off five songs,\u2019\u201d he added. \u201cNah\u2026 they just like, \u2018Wow. Look what we got.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> J. Cole Says \u2018Best Rapper Alive\u2019 Bars Are a Persona: ‘That’s How I Like to Rap’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/a> J. Cole Recalls Apologizing to Shane Battier Over Old Lyric: ‘That Line\u2019s a Zero’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n ,<\/p>\n <\/a> J. Cole Says He\u2019s \u2018Unqualified\u2019 to Give Opinion on Rap Beef After Bowing Out of Kendrick-Drake Feud<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Yung Miami Says Relationship With Diddy Affected Her Professionally: \u2018I Lost a Lot\u2019<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n H.E.R. and Liza Soberano Enter a Filipino Myth in DreamWorks’ ‘Forgotten Island’<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\nRelated News<\/h3>\n
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