LISTEN: J. Cole Samples James Taylor's Country Classic, ‘Carolina in My Mind’, on His New Album, ‘The Fall Off’

After being teased for the best part of ten years, one of most highly anticipated albums of 2026 has finally dropped. J. Cole delivers what is rumoured to be his final project, The Fall Off.

With J. Cole being one of the most revered rappers alive, known for his hard-hitting bars and viscerally observant lyricism, you can imagine fans’ surprise when they pressed ‘play’ on the first song on this long-awaited double-album, ‘29 Intro’, only to hear a gentle, uplifting country song reverberating through the speakers.

J. Cole kicks off this 24-song opus with ‘29 Intro’, a 58-second track that almost entirely consists of a sample of James Taylor's country classic, ‘Carolina in My Mind’. With Cole calling Fayetteville, North Carolina his home, the decision to start The Fall Off with this nostalgic, homesick ode hints at a return to his roots on the album. Like Cole, Taylor grew up in North Carolina, in nearby Chapel Hill.

Across the undulating, easygoing guitar riff, Taylor longs to return to his childhood home, “In my mind, I'm goin' to Carolina / Can't you see the sunshine? / Can't you just feel the moonshine? / Ain't it just like a friend of mine / To hit me from behind?”

Taylor recorded the track at London's famed Abbey Road Studios while missing North Carolina, with Paul McCartney playing guitar and George Harrison providing backing vocals.

There are multiple versions of ‘Carolina in My Mind’, with the original arriving in 1968, but the one sampled by Cole seems to be the comparatively stripped-back 1976 rendition.

However, partway through this introductory offering, the peaceful ambience is suddenly disrupted by the jarring sound of three gunshots, followed by a man shouting in distress.

This sets the tone for the rest of the ‘No Role Modelz’ hitmaker's new album, with Cole combining his lyrical intricacy and depth with an array of galvanising hooks and melodies. It's been a long time coming, but it's safe to say The Fall Off does not disappoint.

Cole has never really strayed outside of the rap world in terms of his collaborations, with Future and Tems the only featured artists on The Fall Off, so it was certainly an unexpected treat to hear Taylor's soulful vocals opening this mythologised album. It will be interesting to see if Taylor comments on this evocative cameo.

For the full lyrics to J.Cole's ‘29 Intro’, see below:

“In my mind, I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind
Karin, she's a silver sun
You best walk her away and watch it shinin'
Watch her watch the mornin' come
A silver tear appearin', now I'm cryin', ain't I?
I'm goin' to Carolina in my—
(Oh s***, oh s***, oh s***)”

For more on James Taylor, see below: