"Amari" (stylized as "a m a r i") is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.[2]
| "Amari" | |
|---|---|
| SongbyJ. Cole | |
| from the album The Off-Season | |
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| Length | 2:28 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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| Music video | |
| "Amari"onYouTube | |
The song title, "Amari", is named after Dreamville president and manager Ibrahim Hamad's son, also the nephew of Dreamville rapper Bas.[3]
J. Cole revealed how the song was created on Timbaland's BeatClub YouTube channel. The song was produced during a Twitch live stream by Timbaland. When Cole heard it, he contemplated reaching out, but wrote to the beat through a rip on the internet. He said "I looped up the YouTube lil' rip, made a whole song on this shit. I spent the next two days writing and recording the song, and right when I was 90% through writin' it, I was like, I should probably call him now and get the real file."[4] After asking for the file and playing the song, Timbaland said he didn't save the beat and had to remake it.[5]
On May 17, 2021, Cole released the official music video for "Amari" directed by fellow North Carolina rapper Mez, who also directed the "Middle Child" video.[6] Scenes in the video features Cole rapping in front of a Dreamville helicopter and in a dorm-room with the wall lined with platinum plaques. A message saying "hold on to your inner child," reads at the end.[7]
Writing for HipHopDX, Clark Trent said "The Timbaland-assisted "Amari" proves the magic ultimately falls on the beatpicker as T-Minus, Sucuki and Cole all combine for a relatively limp staccato blitz of guitar loops."[8] Clash said Cole reflects "on his success and how he made it out even through trials and tribulations."[9] Rolling Stone said the song was a standout on the album "as he alternates between agile rapping and serious singing."[10]
Upon its first week of release, "Amari" debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third top five song on the chart.[11]
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 14 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] | 7 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[14] | 40 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] | 12 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 58 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 16 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[18] | 5 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] | 3 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[20] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
An album that touches astronomical heights...