Another day, another vinyl story — and this one takes me back to a legendary summer.

June 18, 2013… what a day in music history for rap fans, in my opinion. We got three great albums that day: Watching Movies With The Sound Off by Mac Miller, Yeezus by Kanye West, and Born Sinner by J. Cole.

All three are incredible projects — and honestly, some of my personal favorites. That day is such a core memory for me. And funny enough, when I got home yesterday, my Born Sinner vinyl finally arrived. That means I’m now two-thirds of the way to collecting all three of the albums that dropped that day. Which one do y’all think I’m still missing?

Now, I’ll admit — I’m definitely biased when it comes to Cole. But even putting that aside, Born Sinner is an amazing piece of music.

I remember coming home from summer basketball workouts that day (and yes, I’m nice with it — I’ll cook y’all) and being so excited to bump all three albums. I listened to Mac first, then Cole, then Ye — all while playing 2K13 on my Xbox 360. What a time.

That day also stood out because of how bold Cole was. He didn’t want to back down from dropping the same day as Kanye, and he even said it himself on Forbidden Fruit:

“I’ll drop the same day as Kanye.”

And man, he really delivered. Born Sinner had everything — radio hits, deep cuts, and concept-driven storytelling. You had “Crooked Smile” featuring TLC, a feel-good track that still holds up, and “Power Trip” featuring Miguel — which, let’s be real, those two never miss together.

Then there’s the more meaningful stuff, like Forbidden Fruit featuring Kendrick Lamar. The track references the biblical story of Adam and Eve, comparing that “forbidden fruit” to modern-day temptation. It samples Mystic Brew by Ronnie Foster, and it fits the album’s overall theme perfectly. Adam and Eve represent the fall of man — and the idea that we’re all inherently flawed — which ties beautifully into the album’s title, Born Sinner.

Another standout for me is “Let Nas Down.” You can tell Cole poured his heart into that one. The song came from a real place — after Nas heard Work Out from Cole’s debut album, he told producer No I.D. that he felt Cole had abandoned lyricism for a radio single. When No I.D. relayed that message to Cole, it crushed him. Nas was his hero, one of his biggest inspirations. You can feel that disappointment and self-reflection in every bar.

Personally, I actually enjoy Work Out — but I get where both sides were coming from.

The final track on the deluxe version, “Sparks Will Fly” featuring Jhené Aiko, is another favorite. I’m a big fan of her music — her solo work hits, but her features always shine too. She kills the hook on this one. The song explores how fame can strain relationships, which makes sense — it’s a huge life shift to go from being relatively unknown to becoming a rap star.

Overall, Born Sinner isn’t just one of my favorite J. Cole albums — it’s one of my favorite albums, period. That day in 2013 gave us three incredible pieces of art, and I’ll never forget the excitement of hearing them all for the first time. Now, with my vinyl collection growing, I’m that much closer to completing one of the best musical trios of my lifetime.

– Jett Garden