Three weeks ago, J. Cole revealed he was releasing his third album, '2014 Forest Hills Drive,' in December, taking fans completely by surprise, especially since he planned to debut the project without any singles preceding it.

His promotional strategy was unique. It's not every day a Dreamville supporter welcomes Cole into their home. The rapper showed up to one lucky fan's house to play the record, and then held several listening sessions for more rap enthusiasts in his childhood home.

Dec. 9 is the official release date for '2014 Forest Hills Drive,' but a week before its arrival, the LP has leaked.

The 13-track effort, which can be streamed below, is filled with the rapper's usual brand of solid lyrical content over melodic beats. By the sound of it, fans shouldn't be disappointed at all.

The album opens up with a raspy-voiced Cole singing about some of life's big questions, then it immediately launches into 'January 28th,' a laid-back cut where the 28-year-old rhymes about his skill level, childhood friends and his creative process.

On the tune, '03 Adolescence,' he talks about growing up in Fayetteville, N.C., and desperately trying to get the attention of a girl he pines for, while on 'Fire Squad,' he displays impressive wordplay, telling challengers that he's nothing to mess with lyrically.

"Ain't no way around it no more, I'm the greatest / A lot of n----s sat on the throne, I am the latest / I am the bravest, go toe-to-toe with the giants / I ain't afraid of you n----s, I'll end up fading you n----," he spits over a bass-heavy track with a popping snare.

When news of the leak hit early today, opinions were divided. A look at Twitter showed some people were thrilled to listen to it ahead of schedule while others promised to hold off until the actual album drops.

"J. Cole worked too hard on his album for it to leak, but I'm fronting cause I already downloaded it,' wrote one fan. "Usually I'm all for it, but whoever got the leak from J. Cole new album is really taking a moment from hip-hp. The specialness of it man," tweeted another.

So where do you stand? Is downloading '2014 Forest Hills Drive' wrong and does it make you less of a fan to listen to it now? Or will you download the LP since it's already out in these internet streets? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Listen to J. Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Album


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