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While the “top 5, dead or alive” debate is always the liveliest discussion among hip hop heads, the distinction of “greatest rapper of their generation” also leads to passionate discourse. Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, and Nas have all been crowned by their respective fanbases as the best of their respective times.
Jermaine Lamarr Cole—better known by his stage name J. Cole—has a legitimate claim to this title. Despite living in the same era as Kendrick Lamar and Drake, J. Cole has put together an outstanding body of work that sets him apart from the vast majority of his peers.
Through a combination of unorthodox moves and assists from tried and tested veterans, J. Cole has carved his niche of supremacy in the history of hip hop.
Quick Facts
| Birth Date | January 28, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Nick Name | Hollywood Cole
Moe Dee (childhood nickname) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Siblings | Zach Cole (brother) |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Partner/Spouse | Melissa Heholt (m. 2015) |
| Most Successful Songs | “Work Out”
“Apparently” “Wet Dreamz” “No Role Modelz” “Neighbors” “Middle Child” |
| Net Worth | Estimated value of $60 million (as of 2022) |
| Social Media | twitter.com/jcolenc
instagram.com/realcoleworld facebook.com/JColeMusic |
| Major Awards | 1x Grammy Award winner (Best Rap Song, for “a lot” with 21 savage)
9x BET Hip Hop Award winner 1x Billboard Music Award winner (Top Rap Album, for 2014 Forest Hills Drive) |
| Last updated | June 21, 2022 |
Early Years
J. Cole was born on January 28, 1985, in the city of Frankfurt (which, at the time, was situated in West Germany). His African-American father, James Cole, had been in the US Army; meanwhile, his mother, Kay Cole—who was of European descent—worked for the U.S. Postal Army.
Unfortunately, as with several other iconic rappers, young Jermaine grew up without a father (as James left the family when Jermaine was just an infant). After the departure of James, Kay decided that she, her eldest child Zach, and her infant child Jermaine would move back to the States. Their next home was Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Jermaine would spend his formative years.
While studies and the sport of basketball were focal points of young Jermaine’s attention, the rich craft of music brought out his full potential. His musical interests were quite varied: around the same time that he was playing violin for the Terry Sanford Orchestra, he was also dabbling in production using a musical sampler that his mother had gifted him. During the beginning of Jermaine’s career in rap and production, he teamed up with a local group called Bomm Sheltuh. He would also adopt the names Blaza and Therapist (the latter being a name that he had looked up in a dictionary). Jermaine would graduate high school with an impressive GPA of 4.2. For the next step of his academic development, he chose to go to St. John’s University. In Jermaine’s mind, the New York City music scene could help him fulfill his ambition of landing a record deal. As driven as Jermaine was to make it big as a recording artist, his school performance remained stellar. In 2007, he graduated magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.8.
The Mixtapes: A Launch Pad
In the same year that Jermaine graduated from college, he released his first mixtape entitled The Come Up. As a precursor of his signature DIY approach in his studio albums, Jermaine (now going by the name J. Cole) handled a huge chunk of the production duties for the mixtape. On The Come Up, he sampled several titans of the rap industry (including Nas, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Lil’ Kim, and Common).
One of the songs on this first mixtape was “Dead Presidents,” which sampled the 1996 Jay-Z song of the same title. Before The Come Up was released, Cole had visited Jay-Z’s Roc The Mic studio in New York. He intended to give Jay-Z a CD with beats that he could perhaps use for his upcoming American Gangster album. After waiting for two hours in the rain, J. Cole met Jay-Z face-to-face. The rap mogul, however, flat out refused to take the CD.
Cole’s fortunes would turn in 2008 when Jay-Z took interest in his song “Lights Please.” On February 24, 2009, Cole became the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation. From that point on, all his mixtapes and albums would be released under the imprint of Roc Nation and/or Dreamville Records (the record label that Cole co-founded in 2007).
“Lights Please” became the first single off Cole’s second mixtape, The Warm Up, which was released in June 2009. Sampling more legends such as The Notorious BIG and LL Cool J, The Warm Up doubled down on the wit and perspective that Cole showcased in The Come Up.
Three months later, Cole appeared on the song “A Star is Born” off Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint 3. In 2010, Cole stayed busy by releasing his third mixtape, Friday Night Lights, and appearing on several artists’ songs (including tracks by Talib Kweli, B.o.B., and Miguel).
Cole World: An Audacious Debut
Despite Cole’s level of productivity in 2010, he was still scrambling to find a single that would lead to an album launch. That single would be “Work Out,” released on June 15, 2011 (exactly two years after The Warm Up came out). Notably, on “Work Out,” Cole eschewed his strong hip-hop aesthetic in favor of a more pop-oriented and radio-friendly approach.
On September 27, 2011, Cole then released his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story. Critics praised the depth of Cole’s lyrics, which delve into introspection while tackling social issues such as abortion and fatherless households.
Continuing his DIY approach from his mixtapes, Cole produced all but three songs on the tracklist. He also opted to feature just four artists, including his mentor Jay-Z and an up-and-coming Drake. For all its audacity, Cole World went on to be certified platinum.
Born Sinner: Getting Tangled with the Greats
Cole’s second album, Born Sinner, had multiple layers of significance. From a commercial standpoint, the album surpassed the success of Cole World as it went on to be certified double platinum. In particular, the project was boosted by featured appearances from TLC, Miguel, Jhené Aiko, and Cole’s hip hop peer Kendrick Lamar.
In critical appraisal, Born Sinner was also well-received: Cole’s refined production and deeply reflective lyrics were greatly praised. Aside from its commercial and critical performance, Born Sinner became a clear statement of Cole’s intentions in the rap game.
At one point, the album was slated to have a release date of June 25, 2013 (which happened to be 17 years to the date that Jay-Z dropped Reasonable Doubt). However, when Cole found out that Kanye West’s Yeezus was scheduled for a June 18 release, he decided to drop Born Sinner on the same date.
In an exclusive interview with Billboard, Cole declared in no uncertain terms that he intended his album to compete with Kanye’s directly. Like two boxers slugging it out, Born Sinner and Yeezus exchanged blows.
Yeezus gained the early edge by debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, with Born Sinner coming in at number two after falling short of just 30,000 copies sold. But, just a few weeks later, Born Sinner was already outselling Yeezus. (For what it’s worth, Cole indicated that he wasn’t hanging his hat on this “accomplishment.”)
Eventually, both albums were certified double platinum. More importantly, Cole proved that he was no timid newcomer; on the contrary, he was a cutthroat competitor willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone, veterans and new blood alike.
On top of all this, one of the tracks on Born Sinner got Cole tangled up with another rap icon, but differently. On the song “Let Nas Down,” Cole poured his heart out as he spun a tale of difficult choices and disappointed idols. Here’s the story that unfolded: when Cole’s idol Nas heard the pop-oriented single “Work Out,” Nas was none too pleased with Cole sacrificing the art of lyricism just to put out a radio-friendly track.
When Cole heard Nas’ reaction from producer No ID, he was devastated. On “Let Nas Down,” Cole explained his “greater purpose”: he wanted first to draw the attention of the mainstream audience, so he could “reintroduce ’em to honesty” through the pure hip hop that he would then unravel.
Just four days after the release of “Let Nas Down” on Born Sinner, Nas gave the “young king” his stamp of approval on a remix entitled “Made Nas Proud.” At this point, J. Cole had inherited the legacy of not one but two legendary New York rappers. Simultaneously, Cole was gifted with the mentorship of Jay-Z and the blessing of Nas.
2014: The Year Of The Opus
Cole turned his attention to his third studio album after firing on all cylinders. His goal was to release it in 2014 because of numerical significance: the album was to be called 2014 Forest Hills Drive, a tribute to the Fayetteville home where the seeds of his music career were planted.
As if to warm up for his momentous third album drop, he first oversaw the release of the Dreamville compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers. Released on January 28 (his 29th birthday), the album featured Dreamville talents Bas, K-Quick, Omen, Treasure Davis, and Cole himself. Over the next eight years, Dreamville would release three more compilation albums (with the most recent being 2022’s D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape).
In the wake of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, Cole released the song “Be Free” on August 15. The rapper paid tribute to Brown in this song with an entirely sung performance. Cole went on to join the protesters at the actual site of the shooting just a few days after the release of “Be Free.”
When put in perspective, this display of activism lends a touch of credibility to the conscious rap that would permeate his next project. Finally, on December 9, Cole released the crown jewel of his discography. 2014 Forest Hills Drive presents Cole at his finest: exceptional production, uncompromising lyricism, and exuberant confidence (best manifested by the total absence of features from other artists).
On 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole deftly balances personal themes—such as personal happiness and family upbringing—with social issues like poverty, violence, and racial oppression. The tracklist is also an excellent blend of straight-up hip hop tracks (“GOMD”, “A Tale of 2 Citiez”) and radio-friendly hits (“No Role Modelz,” “Wet Dreamz”).
Cole’s magnum opus was named Top Rap Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards and Album of the Year at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards. The album received two Grammy nods in 2016: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance for the single “Apparently.” In addition, 2014 Forest Hills Drive went triple platinum, making it Cole’s third straight platinum-certified project.
Cole on Camera
Fresh off the wave of momentum from 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole entered a fresh venture: TV and film. In 2015, the five-part documentary series J. Cole: Road to Homecoming was released on HBO.
The documentary took a deep dive into the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive and the two tours that Cole headlined between 2014 and 2015. On the same date that the documentary’s final episode aired (January 9, 2016), HBO premiered Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming, which cast the spotlight on his 2015 Fayetteville show.
For the rest of the 2010s, Cole directed and produced more documentaries that focused on (or incorporated music from) his newly released studio albums. He also produced the 2017 PBS docuseries Raising Bertie, which follows the lives of three men based in North Carolina, and the 2018 film Out of Omaha, which tackles systemic racism in the titular city.
The Next Three Albums:
Expanding His Legacy In December 2016, Cole released the documentary Eyez on Tidal. Eyez covered the production of Cole’s 4th studio album, which would be released seven days later.
A powerful conscious rap project, 4 Your Eyez Only, went straight for issues like racial discrimination and mass incarceration; while featuring deeply personal themes, such as Cole’s fatherhood. Indeed, firsthand experience was a driving force for this album: on “Neighbors,” Cole recounts a 2016 incident in which a SWAT team (acting on a bad tip from someone in the neighborhood) raided a North Carolina house that he was renting.
Then, on the album’s title track, he addresses both his newborn child and the daughter of an incarcerated friend. 4 Your Eyez Only went on to be Cole’s fourth straight platinum-certified album, and, in 2017, it received nominations for best rap album at the BET Hip Hop Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
By releasing his fifth album, KOD, in 2018, Cole solidified himself as an elder statesman who served as the voice of conscience. On singles like “ATM,” “Photograph,” and “Kevin’s Heart,” Cole challenges his listeners (especially the younger generation of rappers) to carefully weigh the consequences of greed, drug abuse, and even social media addiction.
Cole continued to flex this big brother image on his sixth album, The Off-Season, which came out in 2021. On The Off-Season, he used several basketball metaphors to convey the triumphant streak that he’s had in the hip-hop industry. Notably, Cole opted to feature guest artists for the first time since Born Sinner.
His collaborators on The Off-Season include 21 savage, with whom he won his first Grammy in 2018 for the song “a lot.” Supposedly, The Off-Season marks the beginning of Cole’s retirement tour, which he called “The Fall Off Era.”
Two other projects are said to be included in this swansong: It’s a Boy and The Fall Off. While there has been no official announcement about the release of either project, Cole has indicated that he would be ready to move on from his prolific music career when the time for his finale comes.
Legacy
In more ways than one, J. Cole inherited the legacy of two rappers with legitimate claims to the hip-hop throne: Jay-Z and Nas. On the one hand, Cole has soaked up the wisdom and the industry know-how of the rap mogul who once turned his CD down. On the other hand, Cole’s rap style is arguably the closest anyone has ever come to emulating Nas’s concise story-telling.
Interestingly, Cole has designated himself as rap’s “Middle Child,” in that he bridges the gap between the Jay-Z/Nas generation and the younger crop of rappers that came after him. In the cutthroat environment of hip hop, Cole has chosen to adopt a reinvigorating persona that looks out for the betterment of the next generation’s craft (while firmly maintaining his spot of supremacy).
Why Is J. Cole Influential?
Cole’s DIY approach—dating back to his early mixtape days—provides a fresh formula for rappers to succeed. While the tried and tested procedure of recording studios leans heavily on star power, Cole defied the odds by releasing mostly self-produced projects; and that featured zero guest artists. The wildly popular statement “J. Cole went platinum with no features” (which has since become a meme) is a testament to hip hop fans’ admiration for the artist’s audacity.
FAQs
Answer: Cole’s dream of becoming a professional basketball player finally came true on May 20, 2021, when he signed a contract to play in the Basketball Africa League. In his three-game stint with the Rwanda Patriots BBC, he scored a total of 5 points, dished 3 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Cole’s second pro stint came in May 2022, when he suited up for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Rap megastar Drake sat courtside for the Shooting Stars’ June 4 game against the Hamilton Honey Badgers. To show his support for his hip-hop peer, Drake wore a Cole jersey to the game.
Answer: Details about Cole’s personal life are few and far between, though it has been confirmed that Cole is both a husband and a father. In a 2016 interview, director Ryan Coogler let it slip that Cole had gotten married. Cole’s wife is Melissa Heholt, whom he met at St. John’s University. Meanwhile, in a 2020 personal essay he wrote for The Player’s Tribune, Cole let the world know he was the father of two sons.
Answer: Cole established the Dreamville Foundation to help the urban youth of Fayetteville gain access to varied opportunities. Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation has given away school supplies; and conducted events related to academic development and career prospects. Cole’s wife, Melissa, serves as executive director of the Foundation.
Bottom Line
J. Cole’s journey in hip hop is succinctly summed up in the basketball terms emblazoned in his project titles. During the days of his early 2010s mixtapes, he warmed up in eager anticipation of his official entry into the rap game.
When the lights came on, he was first saddled on the sideline. By proudly embracing his roots and identity, Fayetteville’s star player scored big shot after big shot, both from a commercial and critical standpoint. And when he does opt to leave the game, J. Cole can perhaps fall off with grace, like a franchise player hitting a fadeaway as the buzzer sounds.