Love Yourz: The Art of Contentment
Date Written: February 22, 2024
Class: English Composition I
Paper Topic: Review
Grade: 98%
This song has played as background music to some of my darkest times, it has inspired the youth, and has even saved lives. This song has played as a reminder to my teenage self that everything is going to be okay. From the melody to the lyrics this song is a true masterpiece and provokes real and raw emotion. “Love Yourz” by J. Cole was released on December 9, 2014, from the rapper's third studio album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. This album tells a meaningful and personal story about J. Cole’s childhood, adulthood, stardom, culture, and lessons he has learned along the way. The song “Love Yourz” coming in at track twelve on the album is about the rapper's experience coming from a regular life and finally, as we call it, "making it" only to realize that riches don't guarantee happiness. J. Cole takes us on a ride of the lessons he's learned since striving and obtaining fame and riches. He teaches listeners that fortune and fame are not what the world makes it to be and that we have to learn to create happiness in the spaces we are currently in, rather than chase it as a quest. “Love Yourz” beautifully illustrates the taboo topic of discontentment. The artist persuades listeners to understand the reality behind being rich and famous and to become content and create true happiness.
Oftentimes, I ponder about the obsession we as people have about becoming rich and famous and where that stems from. Is it because of what mainstream media pushes such as reality TV shows about the rich and famous? In addition, Gen Z and millennials have been sold the dream of becoming a star since the beginning days of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. Is it the constant advertisements that we see that make us feel like we need more? And maybe we don't have the extra funds to go on fancy trips and get a bigger house so we feel like being rich is the only option. Or is it our void of passion for just being alive? In “Love Yourz” there is a repeating line that states “think being broke was better.” When initially listening to it, it's a shock. It’s shocking to see Jermaine Lamar Cole, that went from being raised by a single mother in a trailer park to one of the world's most renowned rappers, regretting his road to fame. With 2 Grammy Awards, 8 BET Hip Hop Awards, and countless other awards along with nominations, has had six albums hold a number one spot on the Billboard charts, and over 20 billion Spotify streams. J. Cole has been working on his craft since a teenager and in 2007 he released his first mixtape The Come Up, showing that these are decades of hard work and labor that it took to not only develop his craft but to make it big. As the song goes on with the repeating lyric “think being broke was better,” the initial shock turns into awareness and then later a full circle understanding. He later explains in the song “On the road to riches, listen, this is what you’ll find. The good news is, [homie], you came a long way. The bad news is, [homie], you went the wrong way. Think being broke was better.” If artists, like J. Cole, are warning us that money is not the key to happiness and we see that the rich are depressed and even, unfortunately, committing suicide why do we still desire it? Why do we think if I just get this job or this salary or this house or have this many people like me, then, just then I will be happy? There is a saying that goes “Happiness is an inside job,” telling us that we can not depend on things that fade to make us happy; money, status, and all materials that we possess. For riches does not make a person nor determine their state of happiness or distress.
I call becoming content and creating true happiness an art because one does not find contentment or happiness, it must be created. Becoming content takes a skill, a technique and it is learned over time, you try different methods, you learn, study, create, and re-create until you find your flow in life. Just as a painter, musician, or writer would do in their craft. In "Love Yourz" the chorus states "No such thing as a life that's better than yours,” which speaks to contentment. This line repeats so much that it works as an affirmation and subconscious reminder throughout the entire song. How often do we tell ourselves we have everything we need and that we are grateful for life and all that comes with it? I believe we as people tell ourselves the complete opposite, most times, and convince ourselves we need more to be happy. When you think about it, that doesn't make sense. Do I need more to be happy? More money, more clothes, more notoriety, a bigger house, a new car, and then what? Happiness will be waiting on the other side? I learned that life doesn't work that way and in "Love Yourz" it's plain to see J. Cole has learned that lesson as well. Towards the end of the song, J. Cole states "Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but [homie], feel me. Long as the people in [there] love you dearly” along with, "You ain't never gon' be happy 'til you love yours." Showing that there will always be more after you get what you want. Also, the circling message of the song is that happiness is not found, it is created.
"Love Yourz" by J. Cole has been out for almost a decade and it still speaks volumes. I recall wanting to hear this song so badly that I recorded it on a voice memo because I didn't have the resources to buy it off iTunes before a road trip. There have even been fans who have confessed that this song has saved them from suicide attempts. Also, the producer of the song !llmind stated that this was the most meaningful song he's worked on, and even J. Cole himself has said it is his favorite song he's written. The melody and lyrics are so powerful, meaningful, and soul-soothing. I believe that music affects us on a psychological level and if we had more music that encourages and connects rather than having us coveting after false realities we'd be better off mentally. We are all artists in our own way and we can create the happiness we are longing for. It starts with understanding that everyone, rich or poor, deals with pain. Pain is something that you can not get out of and unfortunately, most of us were not taught how to properly deal with pain. The power comes when we understand how to get through the pain and still create contentment and happiness. Again, this takes time and skill but the main point J. Cole wants his listeners to understand is that riches do not equal happiness. Happiness is created and you won't ever truly be happy until you love yours.
Written by nanelia samuela