When I first got to sample J. Cole's debut album at his listening party a few months back, his affinity for certain tracks on the disc was obvious. Sure, songs like "Can't Get Enough," "Mr. Nice Watch," and "Nobody's Perfect" elicited the appropriate amount of hypeness from the emcee and the crowd alike, but he was truly passionate about his more introspective joints, like deeply personal title track "Sideline Story." It's only fitting that the video for the song, a rumination on Cole's life while sitting on the industry's sidelines, was filmed as he finally got to tour the world. Over the songs haunting piano loop, Cole spits about the trials and tribulations he went through in the long haul to becoming the breakout star he is now. Of course, being that this is, after all, a music video, we do get to see clips of Cole rapping in front (and on top) of different landmarks, but the best parts of the video come from the candid moments the cameras catch as he travels from country to country. "I'ma put us all on the map," he promises as he jetsets around the globe in the video. It's always great to witness when dreams finally come true.
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