RESPECT. J.Cole Story

Image: Dustin Cohen

Still don’t like the Waka cover? Well tough cookie. This is probably more up your alley. A profile of Jermaine Cole conducted on the eve of the release of his Friday Night Lights mixtape. Peep what the Roc Boy’s got up his sleeve.

RESPECT.

Stick To Ya Gunz
J.Cole, the first hip-hop artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, is notoriously guarded. Still, he can’t hide the fact that 2011 will be the year he earns his place in hip-hop history with a classic rap debut.
Words: Elliott Wilson

J.Cole hates telling Jay-Z stories. J.Cole is private. He’s protective of his own personal and professional life. So the young North Carolina MC with the young company by the name of Dreamville is even more reticent about leaking any information related to Shawn Carter.

But still. What happened on September 28, 2010, may just have changed the course of one of hip-hop’s most promising careers. So Jermaine Lamarr Cole’s got a story to tell.

On that Tuesday, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall was rockin’. Drake brought Cole out on the main stage: special surprise guest. For over a year, the Internet has been flooded with rumors and hearsay pitting these two MCs against each other. The bloggers and the commenters want rivals (rivalries equal traffic), dreams of lyrical chokeholds and grimy subliminals, of who got ethered and who’s the best ever. Of who’s famous vs. who’s Internet-famous. So it was mesmerizing to see Drake and Cole say eff all that and effortlessly co-exist, join forces and electrify the crowd. If these two dudes didn’t really like each other, it was hard to tell.

But you couldn’t blame Cole if he was a tad distracted.

That very afternoon before the show, in the bedroom of his Big Apple apartment, Cole recorded a new song. He instantly thought: This is that one. This could be the hit that raises his profile and brings his dream of releasing a classic debut album to the masses.

“There’s a producer,” he says. “Brian Kidd—who lives in Atlanta on a fuckin’ hill. He played me some of the most incredible beats I’ve ever heard,” Cole says this while on a tour bus rolling through Washington, D.C. It’s late October and he’s on the way to a Howard University Homecoming gig on a Saturday night. “About the fourth one Kidd played, I knew right away. I started writing right there. And finished it on a plane back to New York.”

So: Cole is in NYC, that Tuesday night after the Drake show. Inspired by his Dreamville business partner Ibrahim H., a guy he’s been down with since his St. John’s University college days, Cole decided to hunt down Mr. Carter. Texts are exchanged and then Cole is headed over to a fancy East Village nightclub called Butter, where a birthday celebration for Young Jeezy was dying down. “He was upstairs eating, like the Godfather, by himself at a table. I walked up to him. I ain’t have too many words. I was like, ‘Yo I think I got something special, I just need you to hear it.’ I told him I wanted Trey Songz to get on the hook and I handed him my iPod. His reaction was so fuckin’ crazy. That was probably the craziest reaction I ever got from him on any song.”

Hov’s scrunched up face and exuberant exclaims enforced that the decision Cole made to force a meeting was correct. “Out of all the songs I brought him I think that’s what he was lookin’ for,” Cole says. “It’s something I’d never done, a different sound. Like nothing I’ve done—but in a great way. This is the culmination of all lessons. I stepped out of my own box. This record will open up so many doors for me.”

October 6, 2010. New York City. A day before Cole’s takes off on a 35-city Fall U.S. tour with no name.

What’s the status of the album?
Man, I thought my album would’ve been out right around now. But one thing I’ve learned in this game is you never know anything. I remember when they gave me the release date of October 26. I was so hyped. But I soon knew that wasn’t gonna happen. I haven’t even had a consistent three weeks in the studio. I’m blessed enough to be able to go out on the road. I get a good week in the studio but then I’m off for a show. But I still managed to pull off what I think is an incredible album.
How did “Who Dat” end up becoming the first release?
Everyone at Roc Nation was asking, ‘Can we work something?’ and ‘Who Dat’ was the first record I did that had this incredible energy about it. My team in the studio was like, Whoa, this sounds special. I don’t know if it’s a single, but damn this just sounds special. It stood out immediately. My manager, Mark Pitts, always says that on your first one all you gotta do is strike a nerve. It don’t gotta be a No. 1. Even though it wasn’t a smash hit, they’ll never forget “Who Dat.” Mark said, it was like Smoothe Da Hustler’s “Broken Language.” It turns heads.
Still—you weren’t disappointed it wasn’t a big radio record?
The fact is, as many radio stations in as many places that did play ‘Who Dat’ exceeded my expectations. Now that I know the game and I’ve been on these stations, I know who’s gonna play what records, and who’s not. I refuse to be the artist that drops a super-duper great album, but it goes under the radar. Or it sells however many thousands, but there was no radio record so the masses didn’t get a chance to hear it. I refuse to be that artist.
What about the second single, “Blow Up”?
That’s like a placeholder record. They’re working ‘Blow Up,’ but you know that was another one of those records that when I played it for everybody, the reaction was like, Oh, shit. I ain’t told anybody, but I don’t even know if it’s gonna make the album.
Why did you decide to create the mixtape, Friday Night Lights?
I got fans waiting for music and I was like, if I can’t deliver them my album this year—or even a release date—I should at least give them this. To hold them over for four months or so. I’m sittin’ on so many incredible songs, whether or not they were gonna make the album. Let me put something out!
What’s the meaning behind the title?
Friday Night Lights sums up that feeling before the big game. It’s definitely an extension from my last mixtape, The Warm Up. But now it’s like he’s on the team, and it’s that anxiousness to get in the game and prove himself. Also—some fear. I had to redo songs, I had to really just suck it up and realize that a certain song might be a better fit for the mixtape than the album.
Have the frequent leaks of your material hurt?
A leak will make you fall out of love with a song. I fall outta love with my songs over time. Once I’ve heard them and done them I’m so busy thinking about what’s the next song, I forget how special these songs are that I have. I wish I was better at appreciating my songs.
I heard you have a really deep song about a girl having an abortion.
Yeah, that’s an exception. It’s definitely on the album. I’ve been saving that one. I have a video for that and everything. I’ve been sitting on the concept for damn near two years. If I get to where I want to be in my career then it could be like Eminem’s “Stan.” It’s one of those really emotional stories. It’s an immediate experience of some friends of mine, but I actually did have a similar situation, though not to the extent of the song. It’s in the vein of Common’s “Retrospect for Life.” Not that I based it off of that, but you can’t help but compare it to that.
I listened to your first mixtape, The Come Up, the other day. The underlying theme of it seems to be your dedication to your mom and your desire for her to have a better life. Like it was you and she against the world.
That’s how it always felt. Even when I had a stepfather, it was always like me, my older brother, and my mother against everybody else. Early on, I seen my mom real, real broke, working as a waitress. A single mother, trying to raise two kids, after she divorced my father, when I was two. They were both from the Army. Then she got a good-ass job working at the post office. Then she got remarried.
You didn’t have any type of father-son relationship with your stepdad?
With him, nah. I mean I thought I did. I looked up to him, but I probably didn’t ever let him know that. He did some foul shit at the end, so I never respected him after that. He disciplined, he whooped us. I never really looked at him like no father. But I still have to say that things were pretty good. We had stability at first but it all crashed and burned right as I was going to college [at NYC’s St. John’s University]. That’s when The Come Up was being made. I was still early in school, and that’s when she was really hurting because now she’s back on her own and both her sons are gone. She’s in debt, house foreclosed. I was watching her, literally, trying to stay afloat. That’s where a lot of the anger from Come Up came from.
Channeling out through your music.
That was the most angry I’ve ever been. On that mixtape. But I don’t feel like that no more. I’m at peace with how I grew up. Because it was nice. It wasn’t like I never saw my father. There’s kids way worse off than me.
Is school something you were always was attracted to?
My mom. She had such an influence on me. She put such an emphasis on school. I loved the reaction that she would give me when I came home with some straight A’s. I lived for that. I wanted to have the highest score in the class. I was just good at soaking up information quick, but my passion was elsewhere. At a young age it was basketball, and then my passion turned to rapping.
How much of a culture shock was it when you moved to New York?
It was crazy. Ridiculous. On my own, bro. I was fuckin’ silly. I remember my best female friend from high school used to ask me, ‘You going to New York? You crazy? Aren’t you scared?’ And I used to front. But man, I was 18 years old going to somewhere I’d never really been. Living in a dorm—all I knew was living with my moms up until that point. For me to do that, it really just took, like a blind confidence that I didn’t really have, but I was telling myself I had it. The first time I came to New York I told myself that I was gonna move there. I just knew. I visited once when I was 13 or 14. I said, ‘I’m gonna move here one day.’ I didn’t really know ‘til probably about 16 or 17. I was like, I can go to school in New York, college. It clicked I guess [snaps fingers]. Like: college. I could do it. It was almost like an excuse to go to New York City, and nobody’s even gotta know what I’m going for. Because I wasn’t telling people, ‘Yeah I’m gonna go get a deal.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna go to college in New York.’ But inside I knew what it was for.

The girls think this nigga’s handsome. But sorry ladies, young Mr. Cole is taken. He did a great job keeping his relationship status under wraps until gossip site YBF reported that Jermaine, 25, got down on bended knee on October 16, 2010. After the story was published, Melissa Heholt confirmed she and Cole have been together six years, but that they are not, in fact, engaged.

In your song, “Knock On Wood” you rap about missing NBA All-Star Weekend to spend time with your girl. How do you balance your career responsibilities with obligations to your relationship?
I speak on those things to get that shit off my chest. Because I know that’s something mad people are going through. Balancing career and a relationship or just juggling a relationship, period. But yeah, I’m trying. Taking that one day at a time. And it’s great—luckily—you know.
You met her in New York?
Yeah, that’s a college sweetheart. That’s like so serious I won’t even speak on that. I’m not saying you was gonna go any further, but I’m not gonna go any further and probably never will ‘cause that’s a really serious relationship, not one of those, “These niggas are dating.” I’ve been in a relationship so long, man, that sometimes that shit is a marriage, like damn near it. It takes a big sacrifice on both sides. Obviously on the person whose career is not in this business, it’s gonna be a very big sacrifice. I guess that’s the answer to your original question, it’s just a time sacrifice. But so far, so good. I know there’s no science to this shit, but I know we’re already beatin’ the odds.
When you talk about the album, you throw out the term ‘classic.’ Everybody hopes for that, but what makes you keep articulating it?
Maybe I’ll speak it into existence [laughs]. But it’s just telling you where my mind is. It gives insight into how high my standards are, and why I let some of these songs go that somebody else would be like, “Yo, how are you not gonna put that on the album?” My standards are a little higher.
You came out onstage at his Radio City set. You recently agreed to do some European tour dates together. But the public still seems hell-bent on makin’ you and Drake rivals. Does that affect your personal relationship with him?
I don’t think it affects it. I’m aware of it. I think he’s aware of it too. But it’s not something that’s really spoken on. But moments like at Radio City crush all the talk of any kind of beef. I think it’s just a reflection of how excited people are. I feel like we’re probably the first two artists in a long time that they’ve been able to be so excited about.
Mr. Graham sent me a text, said you guys were making a song together called “The Luckiest People.” Can you confirm?
Hell yeah. That shit is dope. I’m recording my verse. Drake is one of the people I really wanted to work with as soon as I got myself to the place where I needed to be. He got himself there. He worked super hard. Those are the type of people I wanna work with. I wanna feel like I earned it.

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  1. ifuckinhatehaters says:

    NICE ARTICLE, YES J COLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE COVER INSTEAD OF WACK ASS WACKA LOL

  2. ifuckinhatehaters says:

    JAY Z AND TREY SONGZ ! WOW

  3. ron says:

    do u have a link to where i can subscribe to Respect?

  4. D says:

    J. Cole and Trey Songz on first single. Maybe not a bad idea actually. Keep doin ya thing boi!

  5. Hudes says:

    Cole world baby

    2011 a big year ahead

  6. Word says:

    Now THIS I RESPECT.

  7. TEAM WORLD says:

    SOMETHING WORTH READING…

  8. BEN10 says:

    DONT DUM IT DOWN JUST FOR A RADIO HIT

  9. iHATEhaters says:

    J.COLE IM WAITING ON THAT ALBUM . . .
    MIXTAPE IS ON REPEAT . . . .

  10. Young Mo Fo says:

    @EPIC
    That wasn’t bad at all. Better than Fabolous I think personally.

    For this article, I think if he finds his hit, he can be as big as B.o.B at least. He has more lyrical ability but I think he just needs a crossover hit. I’m not one of those haters that think everything is a sellout move, so if he makes good music, I will support it.

  11. A.P.E. says:

    J.Cole has to be ONE of the dopest rappers in the game right now just thinking about how dope the album is gunna be gives me goosebumbs.

  12. […] 2DB Checkout the J. Cole feature in Respect magazine here. Tweet This […]

  13. novian says:

    Keep workin at Cole. you got it

  14. ronnie_moe says:

    I like J.Cole!! Props on the article….

  15. Life After Death says:

    Nice read, can’t wait for his debut album!

  16. Good interview! Need a radio hit bad cause who dat was trash! CW 2010

  17. chief rocka says:

    huge fan but people have this guy feelin himself a bit too much too soon. everyone saying his debut is going to be a classic, the next illmatic, etc. Now comparing this abortion song to “Stan” (arguably the best rap song ever). Ease up J.Cole, your time will come, but let others make statements like that.

  18. i said YERR says:

    great interview YN … keep doin your thing. and obviously pumped for Cole World wheneva it drops

  19. Errol says:

    Just downloaded The Come Up. Friday Night Lights is beyond dope. J Cole 2011

  20. JDot says:

    Good read..

    Cole World!!!!!

  21. haha says:

    His album won’t go under the radar but I doubt it will be as dope as some hope it to be…’Who Dat’ was butt ass trash!

  22. […] Rap Radar Leave a Comment Cancel Reply […]

  23. I’m glad I learned some actually informative stuff from this interview, instead of a bunch of generic “what’s your favorite color” type shit lol! And I searched Cole’s girl’s name, that girl banging, I see you Jermaine! But “The Luckiest People” that song already sounds super-dope, I been wanting to hear these niggas do a song on some real shit or lyrical exercise shit, In The Morning was really just a joint for the ladies. But I rly want to hear this crossover single with Trey Songz he’s describing!

  24. Gamble says:

    I hope his album sees the light of day sometime soon….check the blog http://www.freshandsavvy.com

  25. The Illest says:

    @ chief rocka

    If you wanna be great you have compare yourself to greats.

  26. Donn says:

    Lets hope the album can be produced in the spring time at least

    I’m Coming Home was his chance but Diddy took it from him, smh, i got excited for a mini second. He needs a Alex Da Kid beat bad

  27. Tim Lee VA Stand Up says:

    Been getting into J. Cole alot today…..I think i just started being a fan today, downloaded Friday Night Lights and I wanna continue to listen to his story….I know I need to get The Come Up as well…..any other suggestions anyone or are those the only two mixtapes i should be worried about????

  28. Smalls says:

    @Tim Lee

    Download The Warm Up too… shit is dope as hell

  29. Sean Grice says:

    J.Cole is going to be in the game for a long time. I can respect dude alot. he’s mad humble and honest about everything….HE ABOUT TO BLOW UP!!!!

  30. […] In Elliott Wilson’s first issue as EIC for RESPECT. Magazine, the Rap Radar head ninja in charge had an opportunity to politic with J.Cole about a few things that has been on everyone’s minds. From his upcoming debut album, to his friendship with Drake, talks of his first mixtape “The Come Up,” his low-key relationship, and how he selected “Who Dat” for a single. Read the entire article below, or over at Rap Radar’s spot. […]

  31. reallyb says:

    i think this dude might be the next big thing, oh yeah and he’s definitely BETTER THAN DRAKE.

  32. Word says:

    @Time Lee

    Download this unofficial tape called the blow up. it got a few songs ppl heard but a bunch of unreleased stuff that’s great too like Unabomber and Show Me Something and Song for the ville. yu can YouTube those now if yu want

  33. ODM3TheTruth says:

    Damn. Informative.

    Waiting for Cole World.

  34. Emile says:

    ^^
    Get The Warm Up as well

  35. Gamble says:

    Girl’s Hair Catches on Fire at Diddy Dirty Money’s album release party http://www.freshandsavvy.com

  36. Tim Lee VA Stand Up says:

    @ Word and Smalls…….Good Look

  37. Belize says:

    Dope! Fuck Wacka Flocka shit!

  38. froze says:

    gud interview…chek out the next rocnation artiste..

    http://www.myspace.com/cflotentative

  39. ben says:

    so, your album is never coming? maybe after willows? good article, and read. where do i buy the mag in az?

  40. Retro Jordan says:

    He has a dope voice no matter what anyone says

  41. rocstar says:

    props once again yn

  42. luden says:

    great read, he’s never gotten that personal about his relationship before. He’s seems like he’s got integrity. He articulates his thoughts well and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. coleworld.

  43. James says:

    Dam fuckin da same bitch four 6yr! hell no where da hoes @ homo!!!

  44. get it right says:

    j.cole deserves to win

  45. […] His Homecoming gig was definitely on a Friday night, but he might’ve had another one that Saturday night as well. I didn’t end up hitting the streets until after 1am that night-morning, actually-anyway. Anyway, you can read more here. […]

  46. MATIC says:

    friday night lights is a nice tape. J Cole got heat.

  47. afra says:

    J.Cole,

    we love your talent, humbleness & soul.
    my favorite artist of all time are pac & mos def. And i look at you in the light of greatness.
    Continue letting your soul grow because it will result in consistent uplifting relevant music.

    Your new mixtape is the only thing that is getting major rotation in my car….. i got everyones new album .. from kanye, cudi & drake to t.i … Cee-lo to The guerillaz … but your shit is the only album that has a powerfull message.

    God bless you

  48. Word says:

    @Afra

    Cosign. I only been bumping No Mercy and FNL despite having Ye, Cee-Lo, and that B.o.B tape. Cole the only artist besides TI that really been getting play in my car last couple weeks. Kanye shit got boring to me quick. Cee-Lo album real good (Wildflower my shit) and BoB tape is disappointing so far but I stopped at like the 5th track so maybe there are better songs on it.

  49. […] Full Intv Here Posted in Interview | Tags: Drake, Interview, j.cole, North Carolina, Roc Nation […]

  50. ZoomZoom says:

    @WORD= J.COLE STAN

    HAHA WACK SHIT COLE… HES AN ALRIGHT RAPPER NOTHING SPECIAL HE AINT ON AUBREY LEVEL FOR SURE…

  51. […] Waka, then J.Cole and now comes the third music feature I wrote in the new issue of RESPECT. You think you know but […]

  52. […] Waka, then J.Cole and now comes the third music feature I wrote in the new issue of RESPECT. You think you know but […]

  53. Jerrrrryyyyyy says:

    No one can make a song Like Stan! Stan us prolly the greatest hip hop song in history! Sony get me wrong the guy is dopeness. To me him and BOB are saving rap right now. When eminem and nas due they gonna be the last stand for hip hop. Also Wayne is doing a similar song just like Stan but named Anne. This is a slap in the face to probably the greatest hip hop song in history and to arguably (when dead for sure) the greatest rapper in history.

  54. […] Elliot Wilson penned an excellent profile of J. Cole, which was conducted on the eve of Jermaine’s Friday Night Lights mixtape release for RESPECT magazine. “Print ain’t dead — you n*ggas just scared”, says Elliot. Stimulate your mind below . . . […]

  55. […] course, ‘Ye. -J. Cole’s album will be totally devoid of features, except for Jay-Z and Trey Songz? -Wale’s album will be under the Maybach Music Umbrella. Maybe he’ll get some […]

  56. Real Talk says:

    Let’s hope that Trey Songz record is a hit. COLE WORLD

  57. dynamicwayne says:

    Nice read I believe J Cole is going to take 2011 dude came with his Friday night lights mixtape at the end of 2010 and it was one of the best mixtapes I’ve heard in years…Look out for Cole I’m pretty sure he’s gonna make history…

  58. […] women that sounds weird given Cole’s reported monogamy. Sample’s kinda ill on this one, which is produced by Brian Kidd, though I don’t hear Tremaine being Tremaine: Anyone could have done the first part of that […]

  59. […] doesn’t steal the song like he normally does. This was the track that J. Cole thought in his RESPECT. magazine story (from fall 2010) that could “be the hit that raises his profile and brings his […]

  60. […] remove ads How was that a rumor ? JCole is lying lol he's just tryna keep it under wraps Rap Radar :: RESPECT. J.Cole Story *very last […]

  61. […] 3rd year anniversary, J.Cole returns to the front cover. Issue hits newsstands November 27th. YN explains the cover […]

  62. […] again back is the incredible. For RESPECT.‘s 3rd year anniversary, J.Cole returns to the front cover. Issue hits newsstands November 27th. YN explains the cover […]

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