J. Cole’s The Fall-Off returns to the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart at a new peak after physical editions of the album arrive. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – AUGUST 24: J. Cole performs onstage during his “The Fall-Off” tour at Rogers Arena on August 24, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
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J. Cole first began talking about an album called The Fall-Off in 2018, and by that point he had started working on the set several years earlier. The project didn’t arrive until February of this year, and Cole’s latest full-length became another hit for the superstar all around the world.
The set is a bestseller again in the United Kingdom, and the long-awaited project even manages to appear in a loftier position than ever before on a tally that the hip-hop powerhouse already knows very well.
The Fall-Off Returns at a New Peak
The Fall-Off returns to the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart this week, breaking back onto the tally at No. 4. This marks only the second time that Cole’s newest set has appeared on the genre-specific ranking. The collection debuted on the roster in mid-February, starting off at No. 6, and that position stood as its peak until now.
Physical Editions Bring The Fall-Off Back to One Chart
The Fall-Off returns to the U.K. charts after physical editions of the project were finally made available. Fans can now purchase the album on CD as well as on red vinyl – on two formats that have become hugely popular again after fading considerably in previous decades. Die-hard listeners love to support a favorite artist by purchasing a collection on one or both options, and that appears to be the case with Cole this week.
J. Cole Has Scored Nine Hits on the Hip-Hop Ranking
Cole has placed a total of nine projects on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart since first reaching the list in October 2011. Even as The Fall-Off ascends to a never-before-seen peak, it does not rank among his highest-rising releases.
The rapper has led the charge twice. 2014 Forest Hills Drive and KOD both spent a pair of frames at No. 1. Born Sinner, 4 Your Eyez Only and The Off-Season all missed ruling by just one rung, while Cole World: The Sideline Story, his breakout release, peaked at No. 3.
Only two Cole studio efforts have stalled lower than The Fall-Off. Might Delete Later spent one turn at No. 9 after debuting in that spot in April 2024. The Warm Up is his only project to reach the genre-specific roster without breaking into the top 10. The title opened at No. 38 in the fall of 2014, barely making the list, and has never been seen since.
2014 Forest Hills Drive Remains J. Cole’s Longest-Running Hit
Cole fills two spaces on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart this week. As The Fall-Off returns near the top of the tally, 2014 Forest Hills Drive moves sharply in the opposite direction. This frame, that classic – one of the most successful hip-hop offerings of the past two decades – drops from No. 10 to No. 25.
The former No. 1 is far and away Cole’s longest-charting success on the chart, and it has already spent 177 weeks on the list. No other release by the Grammy winner has managed even half a year on the ranking. Born Sinner, his second-longest-running album, has racked up just 23 weeks somewhere on the register.
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