J. Cole has a huge appetite when it comes to his career. Although he’s got a platinum single, a gold album and a Grammy nomination for best new artist, the protege of Jay-Z says he wants more. (Feb. 7)
I am a huge fan of J. Cole, I think he is a very humble person. Kudos to J. Cole for his Grammy nomination on BEST NEW ARTIST, I hands down agree… this BOY is SICK!!!
Hip Hop DX reports — Cole explains that it was Hov’s own advice that pushed him as an artist and led him to success.
With a platinum single, a gold record and Grammy nomination already to his, J. Cole has positioned himself to be one of 2012′s most promising artists. Now, the Roc Nation rapper talks about what it took him to get where he is now and how his boss Jay-Z advised him on his path to success.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Cole spoke on his numerous accomplishments this past year and following in Hova’s footsteps. He said that Jay taught him that the best way to navigate his career is to simply follow his instinct. Furthermore, he added that Jay’s hands-off approach pushed him not to rest on his laurels and focus on growing his brand.
“I’m grateful for everything that happened, but I’m not satisfied. There [are] still accomplishments that keep happening from the work that I put in last year and from the last two, three years…but those are just reminders of the work that I did. That’s in the past. Like, what’s the next move? That’s my mind state,” he explained. “Early in my album process [Jay-Z] was like, ‘When you’re first starting out, it’s good to not know everything.’ He made the analogy that when you’re first starting it’s almost like you’re trying to get across a room, but the room is pitch-black, and when you finally get to the other side of the room and you flick on the light, you look back and you realize there were snakes over here, there was a hole over there…but because you were following your heart, you made the right decision.”
He added, “One thing I appreciate about Jay-Z is he let me do it my way and let me figure it out…he never compromised or interfered with my creative process. There was a never a point when he was like, ‘I need to come in and play big brother and show you how to do this.’ He let me figure it out, and it feels better to win like that. It feels better winning knowing that I figured this thing out on my own and if it wouldn’t have worked, I would have been OK with bumping my head and failing on my own terms, rather than winning on somebody else’s.”
AUDIO: Elite “World Premiere” FT.J.Cole
This is a KNOCKER off Elite’s “Awaken” mixtape (download below)
CLICK to DOWNLOAD!!!
Elle Varner “Only Wanna Give It To You” FT. J. Cole
Shout out to my boy CONCH aka CONCHIE aka COCHIECE for putting up on this song…follow him on Twitter @conchlove
Music video by Elle Varner Featuring J. Cole performing Only Wanna Give It To You. (C) 2011 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
J. Cole Speaks On Kanye West, Feels He’s Helped Kendrick Lamar & Big K.R.I.T.
Hip Hop DX reports — Cole talks about Kanye West, a lack of radio play and why he was playing the game with “Work Out.”
Recently, J. Cole spoke about his admiration for Kanye West, his lack of radio play and why he felt the need to make a song like “Work Out.” In the interview with Karmaloop, Cole also said he feels he has helped the careers of Kendrick Lamar and Big K.R.I.T. by putting out his album this year.
When told that his career is reminiscent of Kanye West’s rise, Cole explained that he hopes it’s true.
“If it feels like that, then that’s great. I would love to be as successful as he has been, putting out hits and making hits consistently that still reprersent him. All his hits, you would never look at him like, ‘Aw, why you make that?’ It all felt like Kanye West, which is dope.”
He also shed light on a lack of radio air play, saying some markets treat him like a star while others have ignored his songs.
“Those things just didn’t catch up nationally. Now, ‘Work Out’ is going. ‘Work Out’ will go because it’s doing its thing on radio every day. “Can’t Get Enough” is gonna go. “Nobody’s Perfect” is gonna go. But it’s just, the work that I put in on the ground level was faster than radio catching on. You got some stations like in Tampa, L.A., New York, some markets where I’m a superstar. They play my songs 35, 40 times a day or whatever. Then you have some markets that are barely playing it.”
He also acknowledged that he has felt pressure to succeed through radio, pressure that helped him make “Work Out.”
“At one point, yeah. That’s how you get a song like ‘Work Out.’ I went to radio stations and seen how radio stations work…I went and learned all these things. That’s how I made a record like ‘Work Out.’ I went, ‘Okay, I can play that game. I’ll give you a song full of hooks,’ the catchy shit that I knew would work on radio. That’s me playing the game.”
Cole also went on to note that he feels his album has changed the game.
“We created a new mold, a new formula. Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T. now, they don’t necessarily have to feel the pressure that I felt like, ‘Where’s the big single?’ I was the sacrificial lamb of that. That’s why my album wasn’t coming out, because of the label waiting on a huge single.”
Beyonce “Party (Remix)” FT. J. Cole
It’s been 1 month since J. Cole dropped his #1 album Cole World: The Sideline Story, & now he has collaborated with his boss’s wife, Beyonce, adding his spin to “Party” who she initially recorded with Andre 3000. I can’t even be hate on this NEW REMIX it bumps…
J. Cole: Heir To The Throne (RollingOut.Com)
Written by A.R. Shaw (rollingout.com)
Photos by Keith Major for Steed Media Service
J. Cole looked like a real contender when Keith Major photographed him on a balmy afternoon in New York. With both hands wrapped and steely determination in his eyes, the Fayetteville, N.C., emcee replicated the iconic pose that Muhammad Ali — known at the time as Cassius Clay — displayed on the night he stunned the nation by knocking out Sonny Liston.
Similar to Ali’s epic boxing match against Liston, J. Cole enters hip-hop’s crammed ring of newcomers as a considerable underdog. Despite having Jay-Z in his corner, J. Cole finds himself battling to increase his solid fan base with the release of his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story.
Cole hails from a small town that has never produced a prominent hip-hop star. And during an era where most rappers assimilate into sub-cultures that highlight gangsta, social consciousness, drug dealing, backpacker, and skate boarder lifestyles, it’s hard to pigeonhole J. Cole into any sub-culture of hip-hop.
His strongest selling points are his quick-witted wordplay and ability to rap engaging stories that are vivid enough to serve as preludes to a film script or novel.
J. Cole’s first three mixtapes, The Come Up, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, were all exceptional pieces of work that solidified him as a lyricist to be reckoned with.
However, they were only sparring sessions in preparation for the ultimate challenge of releasing an official hit album. Jay-Z and the entire Roc Nation family are banking on J. Cole to prove his value in the big fight. But this time, the gloves are coming off.
When it comes to hip-hop on a national scale, Fayetteville is relatively unknown. How did you approach being the first major hip-hop artist to represent that city?
I took pride in being the first artist out of Fayetteville to make it. I made sure that I was shouting out my city with every chance I got. I knew that there weren’t many people coming to my city looking for rappers, but I never felt that people wouldn’t respect me. I just knew that I had to make people pay attention.
How did you get into rap without there being a major rapper in your city to inspire you?
I started rapping out of fun. My cousin was rapping and I thought he was cool. But when I got the Can-I-Bus album in 1998, I knew he was rapping on another level. Nas and OutKast were great rappers and it was hard to do what they were doing lyrically, but I was drawn to Canibus’ punchlines. During that time, freestyle battles were big. So I decided to get wittier with my punch lines and wordplay after hearing that album.
You were known for basketball skills before becoming known as a rapper. Was there anything in sports that prepared you for where you are in music?
I tried out for the basketball team as freshman and I got cut. My cousin played ball and told me to become the team’s manager, get in good with the coach and learn the system. So I swallowed my pride and I became the team’s manager. I figured that I would make the team the next year just because I was the team’s manager. But I got cut the very next year. The average person would have [given] up after getting cut twice. The next summer before my junior year, I played one-on-one with the best player on the team and worked hard on my game. I finally made the team and I was starting my senior year. If it wasn’t for that rejection in basketball, I’m not sure if I would have had what it takes to make it in rap.
That story sounds like your first encounter with Jay-Z. What led to that moment?
I graduated from St. John’s University. At the time, all of my friends got nine-to-five jobs and were making $30,000 to 40,000 per year. I was working at a newspaper in Queens making $8 per hour at a part-time job so that I could still do music at night. I heard that Jay-Z was recording the American Gangster album. That same night, I made two beats and I thought it would be perfect for Jay-Z. I went to the studio where Jay-Z was recording and I waited outside for three hours. His Phantom finally pulled up. I was super timid and shy. I had the CD in my hand and I tried to hand it to Jay-Z. He looked at it and said, ‘What is this? I don’t want that. Give it to one of those other guys.’ It was crushing. That was another moment. But I snapped back to reality. I knew after that, I had to go harder. That type of rejection fuels me. I believe that greatness is fueled by rejection. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team; Jay-Z had trouble getting a record deal before Reasonable Doubt; and no one wanted to sign Kanye West as a rapper.
How did the second meeting with Jay-Z come about?
One year later, Jay-Z heard a song through Mark Pitts. Jay called me for a meeting. It was a three-hour meeting and I played my music [for] him. We talked about President Obama and other things. Five weeks later, he offered me a record deal.
Are there any drawbacks or pressure to being signed to an artist of Jay-Z’s caliber?
There aren’t any drawbacks. It’s great to have someone who has been the most successful rapper in history – to be able to have that guidance is all the advantage I need. Being associated with that name will make people pay attention. I love to get inside perspective from Jay-Z and guys like No I.D.
Beyond music, your name was mentioned by gossip bloggers who reported that you and Rihanna had a sex tape. How did you react when you heard about it?
Gossip is foreign to me. By nature, I don’t like gossip. I never was on the gossip sites. Now being on the other side, it’s annoying. A lot of people don’t know the difference between gossip and reality. They may think that you have a sex tape with Rihanna, or [that] you’re having sex with Solange because of what someone made up. But I guess it’s just something that comes with the territory.
How does Cole World: The Sideline Story reflect who you are as a person?
This album speaks to the type of artist I want to be. I think the album will provide thought provoking lyrics, and heartfelt stories. I want to take listeners on a ride. It shows the type of balance that I want to have as an artist. I want to be at the top of the list when it comes to rap. I want the respect of the hip-hop fans and connoisseurs. I want to be on everybody’s list.
J. Cole Chops It Up With Yaya Martinez
“J. Cole has my vote when it comes to my list as being one of my favorite emcees. Say what you want to say about him regardless if he\’s too much for you, or not enough. All I know is that one day in August when DJ Green Lantern put him on his show in, I was convinced.
Fast forward from our interview 2 years ago to last night in Arizona and we are approaching the debut album of the self proclaimed ‘Gods Gift’ J Cole, who is here for the dreamers and doubters alike. ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’; has yet to hit my ears but I think with ill mixtapes in the books, features with HOV, world tours and more in just a few years its safe to say Tuesday is only a few days away.
Here is Part 1 of 3 of my interview with J. Cole, with a glimpse into his performance last night-the work he can do to a cupcake, and where he was during our first interview.
Personal bias? Too Much love? Tomato, Tomatoe, either you don’t like an artist and its called hating or you love what they put out so much your kissing ass. Nobody is pleased anymore so make your own assessment on September 27th- hit the pre-order via iTunes or Amazon. Cole World.”- Yaya Martinez
