Born Sinner (Translucent Red Vinyl)

Born Sinner is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer J. Cole, released on 18 June 2013 by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records, and Roc Nation. It follows his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011). The album features collaborations with Miguel, Amber Coffman, Jhené Aiko, James Fauntleroy, Bas, TLC, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent. J. Cole, alongside Jake One, Syience, and Elite, primarily handled the production.

The album was supported by four official singles: “Power Trip,” “Crooked Smile,” “Forbidden Fruit,” and “She Knows,” as well as the promotional single “Miss America.” Born Sinner debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 297,000 copies in its first week. It reached number one in its third week and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of December 2016, it had sold 796,000 copies in the United States.

Following the release of his debut album, Cole began working on Born Sinner, which allowed him to explore new creative directions. He initially aimed for a January 2013 release but postponed it to June 2013 to avoid overlapping with Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. He later advanced the release date to 18 June 2013 to coincide with Kanye West’s Yeezus.

Cole released a free EP, Truly Yours, on 12 February 2013, featuring songs that did not make the final cut of Born Sinner. He followed this with Truly Yours 2 on 30 April 2013, which included guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy, and Bas. The deluxe edition of Born Sinner also included Truly Yours 3, featuring five new tracks.

Cole’s promotion included the release of several vlogs, a limited-time free stream of the album following its leak, and the “What Dreams May Come Tour” with Wale. He also released “Let Nas Down (Remix)” on 22 June 2013.

The first promotional single, “Miss America,” was released on 13 November 2012. The album’s lead single, “Power Trip,” featuring Miguel, was released on 14 February 2013, and achieved platinum status. The second single, “Crooked Smile,” featuring TLC, premiered on 3 June 2013 and also received platinum certification. “Forbidden Fruit,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, was released as the third single on 1 August 2013, and “She Knows,” featuring Amber Coffman, was the fourth single, released to radio on 29 October 2013.