J. Cole revealed two albums that really inspired him during the making of his 2014 iconic album (not surprising fans). In the most recent episode of his audio series Inevitable, the Dreamville rapper reflected on a considerable aspect of recording his third album but primarily on his new daily routine in Los Angeles during that time. According to him, 2014 Forest Hills Drive coincided with a personal and spiritual transformation, including meditating and accepting a much more comfortable, down-to-earth lifestyle instead of pursuing fashion.
Part of this new way of life included daily workouts at Runyon Canyon Park, with two particular albums serving as his soundtrack. “I’d wake up, put on some shorts, and take the alternate entrance to Runyon Canyon,” Cole explained. “It’s this cool back entrance that no one really uses, where you can walk from the house to a park area, then scale up the mountain.”
The initial trek was daunting, he said, but quickly became part of the routine. “Every day, I’d listen to Abbey Road by The Beatles and The Love Below by André 3000,” he said. “Literally every day, those albums were on repeat.”
After the hikes, Cole returned home to meditate, swim, shower, and then go to the studio to work on his album. He described the time as “one of the greatest of my life.”