[JACQUES] Fayetteville, North Carolina’s
J. Cole nailed his position in the rap game
with his early 2019 hit, “Middle Child.”
[JACQUES] A student of hip-hop, the evolution
of Jermaine Cole’s career tells the story
of a man who thought happiness would come
once the rappers he idolized became his peers.
COLE: “Success was all I needed, that was
going to bring the happiness” // Cut to
// “Having people say, ‘Yo, you are the
best in the game’ and when those things
came, I thought those would be the things
that would bring happiness and then when those
things came, the happiness wasn’t there.”
[JACQUES] But along the way he found that
it wasn’t all that simple.
[JACQUES] J. Cole got his start rapping on
the now defunct message board, ‘Canibus-Central,’
going by the name of The Therapist.
COLE: I couldn’t wait to get home and write
or post this rap online, you know what I'm
saying?
Some forum with some people I didn’t even
know
This is when I'm like 13 years old — and
I switched it to this real wordy — I was
trying to rap like Canibus and like Eminem.
It was real lyrical, real wordy and punch
lines
[JACQUES] He began producing after receiving
an ASR-X sampler for Christmas.
COLE: My first song I ever recorded was on
my own beat...It was called ‘The Storm’
you can look it up on YouTube.”
[JACQUES] He left Fayetteville, North Carolina to attend college at St Johns in Queens, New York, willing to
do whatever it took to produce for his idol
JAY-Z, even sitting in the rain.
COLE: He’s man what is that?
Like, What’re you doing?
Yo this is American Gangster...uh..beat CD.
You know I can’t even really speak and he’s
like, man I don’t want that shhhh
[JACQUES] In May 2007, he changed his name
to J. Cole and released his first mixtape,
‘The Come Up.’
On it was the song “Simba,” named after
the main character from the 1994 Disney film,
'The Lion King,' detailing his plans to
rise to the top.
Another song, “Dollar and A Dream,” which
would later become a trilogy, spoke of his
hunger.
The hype around ‘The Come Up’ put him
back on Jay-Z’s radar.
COLE: Mark Pitts, who managed Biggie and signed
Chris Brown and Ciara, loved my stuff and
he played “Light’s Please,” the song
I got for Jay Z
COLE: I got a call, morning of, and it was
like yo, today’s the day Jay wants to meet
you
[JACQUES] In February 2009, Jay Z made Cole
the first signee of his brand new label, RocNation.
COLE: Jay was my mentor before i ever signed
to him.
I studied his moves that much.
HOV: That on your neck is my original Roc
chain, it’s yours.
[JACQUES] In June 2009, released his mixtape
‘The Warm Up’ which included “Grown
Simba,” doubling down his ascendance to
the throne.
Cole also appeared on JAY-Z’s “The Blueprint
3” on the aptly titled track, “A Star
Is Born.”
All eyes were on J. Cole for the first album
from this promising young superstar.
J. Cole’s first single, “Who Dat” was
released more than a year after he signed
to RocNation.
The 
record failed to resonate, peaking at 93 on
the Billboard Hot 100, pushing back the release
of his debut album.
COLE: ‘Who Dat’ also taught me how that
radio game worked a song like Who Dat never
had a chance even though I was on there really
rapping or whatever
[JACQUES] To keep the hype going, he released
‘Friday Night Lights’ in November 2010.
The tape was well received.
On “Villematic” he frets about his yet
to be released debut album.
On “Blow Up” he questions if the fame
is really worth it.
‘Friday Night Lights’ was an effort to
stay above water.
COLE: Long story short, even after Friday
Night Lights I still didn’t have a release
date because like the game didn’t know what
they know now that you could sell records
without having a radio single.
[JACQUES] He finally found a single that clicked:
“Work Out” peaking at 13 on the Billboard
Hot 100.
[JACQUES] This, in addition to “Can’t
Get Enough,” cleared the way for his debut
album, 'Cole World: The Sideline Story' for
a September 2011 release.
It debuted atop the Billboard 200 and sold
more than 200k copies in its first week.
While it was a monetary success, Cole wasn’t
too proud of it.
COLE: When I listen back now, some songs,
100% me.
But some songs?
Ughh I hear it.
COLE: Of course you wasn’t making good music,
everytime you was picking a sound, you was
asking yourself was it a hit sound.
[JACQUES] Cole also found out through producer
No I.D that Nas, another of Jermaine’s idols,
hated the single.
COLE: I was in the studio with Nas and we
was talking about you man and he was like
yo why did he do that?
Why did he put out that song?
Don’t he know he’s the one?
JACQUES: On his follow up album, ‘Born Sinner’
released June 2013, he explained to his idol
on the track, “Let Nas Down.”
[JACQUES] ‘Born Sinner’s’ lead single,
“Miss America,” was definitely not built
for the radio.
[JACQUES] ‘Born Sinner’ also included
two top 30 Billboard Hot 100 Hits, “Power
Trip” and “Crooked Smile,”
Around this time, Cole doubled down on his
fans support with the first iteration of his
Dollar And A Dream Tour, where concert goers
could see him for the price of a dollar.
Trapital’s Dan Runcie believes that this
tour is what set Cole up for the success he
has today writing quote:
The Dollar & A Dream Tours showed that J.
Cole’s true fans would support him if he
stayed true to his roots.
Cole cited Jay-Z as a reason for switching
things up.
COLE: Jay-Z is the same dude that used to
rap like this...Reasonable Doubt is the most
intricate shit, but he learned, let me feed
it to the people better
CHAPTER 3: HOMECOMING
CROWD: No justice!
No peace!
REPORTER: Protesters of different ages and
races demanding answers in the shooting death
of 18 year old Michael Brown at the hands
of a police man
[JACQUES] The August 2014 death of Michael
Brown at the hands of officer Darren Wilson
affected J Cole greatly.
In addition to visiting Ferguson to get a
feel of what it was like on the ground, Cole
began to see the impact his music could have.
COLE: Because I could say one thing, if I’m
speaking my mind and saying how I truly feel,
I might say one thing that connects the dots
for somebody that might’ve been the right
connection that was needed to do something
to change the world or something.
[JACQUES] This event and a few other factors
lead Cole to look *inward* for his next album
‘2014 Forest Hills Drive.’
The project reflected his shifting perspective
after his years in the game.
COLE: My new album 2014 forest hills drive.
12/9.
Is that enough?
Is that enough?
That’s it!
Wow.
[JACQUES] Released on December 9th, 2014,
‘Forest Hills Drive’ sold more than 300k
copies in its first week without a lead single
or features.
COLE: On this album on this story I didn’t need nobody else’s perspective...
You could put out what you love and still
sell records if you connecting with people
On “Apparently” he reflects on leaving
his mother in North Carolina for his dream
of stardom in New York.
On “Love Yourz” he raps about finding
happiness in being grateful for what’s around
you.
COLE: I wasn’t happy when mad happy shit
is happening to me?
What is it that is holding you back?
And it was like ego, 100% ego.
[JACQUES] J. Cole, now confident in his position,
settled in and focused on his life, coming
back in December 2016 documentary which included
two fiery tracks criticising the music industry
- “False Prophets” going at Kanye West
and our culture’s fixation with celebrity.
COLE: That song wasn’t about him.
There’s one verse that applies to him for
sure but if you listen to that song, that
song was about ...yo, celebrity worship.
We’re worshipping, celebrities.
[JACQUES] And “everybody dies” going at
the new generation of rappers, like Lil Uzi
Vert and Lil Yachty.
YACHTY: “Honestly I don’t give a fuck.
A look, can I?
Since we had this, I fuck with J. Cole bro.
[JACQUES] Then he released his fourth studio
album, ‘4 Your Eyez Only,’ meant to humanize
people that have been villainized by the media.
COLE: You’re never guaranteed to be this
high again, so while I’m here let me use
this opportunity to say the realest shit I
have ever said.
[JACQUES] Much of the album was through the
eyes of a friend he grew up with.
Cole, recently married and with a new son,
imbued this perspective into the track, “Foldin’
Clothes.”
‘4 Your Eyez Only’ went on to become a
huge success eventually becoming Cole’s
second straight platinum album without any
features.
But although it was working, making music
in seclusion was beginning to get a little
old.
In April 2018, J. Cole returned with KOD for
Kids On Drugs, filled with tracks meant to
tackle the scourge of drug addiction.
The 
tape resonated deeply with fans.
COLE: He was like, bro I just heard your shit
and I realized I was doing the same thing
that she was doing...like this is how i’ve
been dealing with the pain.
I’ve just been numbing this shit
[JACQUES] On “Kevin’s Heart” he spoke
about infidelity - a regular topic in his
music - notably touching on the comedian Kevin
Hart’s actual infidelity.
But it was the final track, “1985” which
made the most waves - once again addressing
the younger generation - but this time from
a position
of empathy.
Cole had realized that his earlier comments
against the younger generation of rappers
may have been misguided.
COLE: I know now that I was wrong.
All I was doing was being afraid that the
thing that I fell in love with, you know what
I mean?
Was no longer like...relevant
[JACQUES] KOD was well received breaking numerous
streaming records becoming his third straight
platinum album with no features - by this
time an already baked in meme.
But Cole felt that was getting old saying
quote.
‘‘All right, it's almost embarrassing
now.’
Like, ‘All right, man, y'all gonna make
me put a feature on the album just so this
shit can stop.’”
In January 2019, he released “MIDDLE CHILD”
affirming his position in between two generations
of rap.
“Middle Child” was a tremendous success
becoming Cole’s highest charting Billboard
Hot 100 single at no.
4.
“Child” also served as a way to push him
out of his comfort zone.
J has self produced much of his own discography
and this time he shared the decks with Canadian
Grammy winner, T-Minus.
[COLE] Bro I ain’t made a beat in like 5
months.
Probably like 5 months, 6 months.
[ELLIOT] Let’s get these bars.
[COLE] yea bro
[JACQUES] The order of business was more collaboration.
In January, he invited dozens of rappers down
to Atlanta for Revenge of The Dreamers III.
It debuted July 2019 at the top of the Billboard
200.
Cole also continued his string of stand out
feature verses, each one showing a Cole that
was coming out of the woods and back into
the rap game - a verse that would snag him
his first Grammy in 2020.
He also was able to join a hip-hop forefather
- the late Guru and DJ Premier on September
2019’s “Family and Loyalty,” with lyrics
ever present for the situation.
Jermaine Cole entered the rap game with a
desire to be the best, thinking it would bring
him happiness.
From a young cub to a grown Simba, J. Cole’s
evolution shows us a man who studied the game
and carved out his own place in it.
I’m Jacques Morel with Genius News, bringing
you the meaning and the knowledge behind the
music. Peace!
