J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only
{{short description|2017 documentary directed by J. Cole}}
{{about|the 2017 documentary|the 2016 album|4 Your Eyez Only{{!}}4 Your Eyez Only}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = J. Cole 4 Your Eyez Only poster.jpg
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| director = J. Cole
Scott Lazer
| starring = J. Cole
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| language = English
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| producer = Tim Grant
Jermaine Cole ({{abbr|exec.|executive producer}})
Ibrahim Hamad ({{abbr|exec.|executive producer}})
Adam Roy Rodney ({{abbr|exec.|executive producer}})
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| cinematography = Isiah Donté Lee
| runtime = 49 minutes
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| released = {{Start date|2017|04|15}}
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J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only is a documentary directed by J. Cole and Scott Lazer, and produced by Cole, Tim Grant, Ibrahim Hamad and Adam Roy Rodney. It premiered on April 15, 2017 on HBO.{{cite magazine |last1=Platon |first1=Adelle |title=Watch J. Cole's HBO Documentary '4 Your Eyez Only' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7777079/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-hbo-documentary |magazine=Billboard}}
Premise
Incorporating music from the album 4 Your Eyez Only, Cole captured stories of residents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, Ferguson, Missouri, his father's hometown, Jonesboro, Arkansas and his hometown, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Entertainment Weekly reported, "The documentary promises to illustrate how their struggles over viable housing, voting laws for felons, integration, and more mirror the frustrations felt across the nation."{{cite magazine|last1=Romano|first1=Nick|title=HBO announces second J. Cole documentary coming in April|url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/24/j-cole-documentary-hbo/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=March 24, 2017|date=March 24, 2017}} The documentary included security camera footage of a SWAT raid that took place on March 18, 2016 at Cole's North Carolina home studio, which served as inspiration for the track "Neighbors".{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Trevor|title=Watch Footage Of Raid On J. Cole's Home Studio That Inspired "Neighbors"|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/watch-footage-of-raid-on-j-coles-home-studio-that-inspired-neighbors-news.31326.html|website=HotNewHipHop|access-date=April 16, 2017|date=April 16, 2017}} Cole also previewed new music in the documentary.{{cite web|last1=Espinoza|first1=Joshua|title=J. Cole Previews New Music in '4 Your Eyez Only' Documentary on HBO|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2017/04/j-cole-debuts-4-your-eyez-only-documentary-on-hbo|website=Complex|access-date=April 16, 2017|date=April 15, 2017}} Cole spoke about the documentary with The New York Times saying: {{cquote|I felt like it would be mad powerful for black people to see black people talking to each other. And you see a rapper who’s considered one of the biggest in the game, just listening. These are people that never get to be heard, by the world or even by each other. That lack of representation can lead to potentially catastrophic misunderstandings.{{cite news|last1=Caramanica|first1=Jon|title=J. Cole, the Platinum Rap Dissident, Steps Back From the Spotlight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/14/arts/music/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-hbo-interview.html?_r=0|website=The New York Times|access-date=April 14, 2017|date=April 14, 2017}}}}
Release
On March 24, 2017 HBO announced their second documentary with Cole titled, J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only, following Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming in 2016. he documentary aired April 15, 2017 on HBO and HBO Now.{{cite web |last1=Strauss |first1=Matthew |title=J. Cole Announces New HBO Documentary 4 Your Eyez Only |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/70317-j-cole-announces-new-hbo-documentary-4-your-eyez-only/ |website=Pitchfork|date=24 March 2017 }} The documentary was exclusively screened at the Troxy in London on April 19, 2017.{{cite web|last1=Tipple|first1=Ben|title=J. Cole announces exclusive 4 Your Eyez Only screening|url=http://blog.ticketmaster.co.uk/news/j-cole-announces-exclusive-4-eyez-screening-32447/|website=Ticketmaster Blog|access-date=April 12, 2017|date=April 12, 2017}} On May 1, 2017 the film was uploaded on Dreamville's YouTube channel.{{cite web|author1=Dreamville|title=J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only - a Dreamville film|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6atNwE-uOfE|website=YouTube|access-date=May 1, 2017|date=May 1, 2017}}
Reception
=Critical response=
Writing for Billboard, J'na Jefferson praised the film saying it "brings black perseverance to the forefront".{{cite magazine|last1=J'na|first1=Jefferson|title=J. Cole's HBO Documentary Brings Black Perseverance to the Forefront|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7760514/j-cole-4-your-eyez-only-hbo-documentary-black-perseverance-forefront|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 18, 2017|date=April 16, 2017}}
=Accolades=
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| Award
! Category ! Result |
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| NAMIC Vision Awards{{cite web|url=http://namic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016-NAMIC-Vision-Awards-Nominations-FINAL.pdf|title=22ND ANNUAL NAMIC VISION AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED|date=August 3, 2018|access-date=December 7, 2019|archive-date=May 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519041004/http://namic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016-NAMIC-Vision-Awards-Nominations-FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}
| Original Movie or Special |{{nom}} |
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=tt6833774|title=J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only}}
- {{YouTube|6atNwE-uOfE|"J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only - a Dreamville Film"}}
{{Dreamville Records}}
{{J. Cole}}