J. Cole
J. Cole was born on an army base in Germany, raised in Fayetteville, and spent his early twenties waiting outside Jay-Z's office with a beat CD that was not accepted. He signed to Roc Nation anyway in 2009 and built a career on a specific kind of stubbornness: no guest features on 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which went platinum regardless, and a refusal to chase whatever the sound of the year happens to be. He produces most of his own records, and briefly played professional basketball, which was not a joke.
Movies (1)
Music (8)
Where to start with J. Cole
2014 Forest Hills Drive is the album that made the case, recorded with no guest features and certified platinum without a hit single. KOD is the harder, angrier one about addiction in several forms, and the better record if you want him arguing rather than remembering. j-hope IN THE BOX is a documentary appearance rather than his own work.