J. Cole
J. Cole waited more than three hours at Roc the Mic Studio, holding a CD of instrumentals he had produced himself. Jay Z was inside, busy with sessions for his album American Gangster, and Cole hoped to play him the disc. Instead, Jay Z dismissed him.
That moment sits oddly beside everything that followed. Every studio album Cole has released has reached number one on the US Billboard 200. He produces much of his own music, runs a record label, and has signed professional basketball contracts in Africa, North America and Asia.
How does a young man from a North Carolina army town turn a rejection into a career that ends up at the top of the charts? Why did he leave the pop sound of his first records behind? And what happens when a rapper this successful says something that other rappers decide to answer? The story begins on a military base in Germany.
Jermaine Lamarr Cole was born on the 28th of January 1985 at an American military base in Frankfurt, West Germany. His father, James Cole, was an African American veteran of the US Army. His mother, Kay, was a white American from Michigan who worked for the United States Postal Service. His father later abandoned the family.
At eight months old, Jermaine travelled with his mother and his older brother Zach to Fayetteville, North Carolina. He grew up in a multi-ethnic household, and he has been direct about what that meant. He said he could identify with white people, because he loves his mother's side of the family. But, in his words, "I identify more with what I look like, because that's how I got treated." Hard times arrived later, when his mother struggled with addiction after his stepfather left.
Music arrived in more than one form. Until 2003 he was the first-chair violinist in the Terry Sanford Orchestra. Basketball was his other passion. He began rapping at twelve, and the idea of doing it for a living took hold in 2000, when his mother gave him an ASR-X sampler for Christmas.
By fourteen he had notebooks full of song ideas, and a cousin who shared his hunger for rhyme, wordplay and storytelling. What he lacked was the ability to build beats beyond sampling. His mother bought him a Roland TR-808 drum machine to fix that. He posted songs on internet forums as Blaza, then switched to the name Therapist, which he also used for his early production. He rapped and produced with a local group called Bomm Sheltuh, and he can be spotted in the crowd of the 2006 documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
After graduating from high school with a 4.2 grade point average, Cole decided that a record deal was more likely in New York City. He took a scholarship to St. John's University and began in computer science. He switched to communications after seeing the life of a lonely computer science professor. On campus he served as president of Haraya, a pan-African student coalition, and he graduated magna cum laude in 2007 with a 3.8 average.
Back in Fayetteville he took odd jobs. He sold advertising for a newspaper, collected bills, filed documents and worked as a kangaroo mascot at a skate rink. His diploma, meanwhile, was held back by the university. He finally received it at a homecoming concert in 2015, where he revealed that he had owed money for a library book.
The disc that Jay Z turned away became the backdrop for The Come Up, Cole's first mixtape, released in early 2007. It was enough to get him noticed. Two years later he signed with Jay Z's label, Roc Nation, and released his second mixtape, The Warm Up, on the 15th of June 2009. Reviews were positive.
The signing opened doors quickly. Cole appeared on Jay Z's album The Blueprint 3, on the track "A Star Is Born", and he joined Wale's debut album Attention Deficit. In January 2010 he shared a single, "Just Begun", with Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, Jay Electronica and Mos Def. That same year Beyond Race magazine ranked him 49th among its "50 Great Breakthrough Artists", and XXL placed him in its Top Ten Freshmen. A college tour ran from the 19th of March to the 30th of April 2010, ending at Rutgersfest in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In August the Underground Music Awards named him Male Artist of the Year.
Cole released his third mixtape, Friday Night Lights, on the 12th of November 2010. It featured Drake, Wale and Omen, and Cole produced most of it himself. He has said that Nas was the main inspiration behind it, and critics drew the comparison too.
The heroes behind the music go back to childhood. Cole remembers his stepfather coming home with Tupac's first album, 2Pacalypse Now, when Cole was around seven or eight. He was too young to follow every word, but it connected. "That's the thing about art. It's just truth," he said. He also names Jay Z, Eminem, Nas and Andre 3000 as influences. In a 2014 interview with Angie Martinez, he ranked Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Jay Z as his four greatest rappers of all time, with Andre 3000 and Eminem a toss-up for fifth.
Of these, Jay Z mattered most in practice. Cole said, "Jay was my mentor before I ever signed to him," explaining that he had studied Jay Z's moves closely. After going on tour with him, he felt he had taken a few gems.
Nas, by contrast, once criticized Cole's single "Work Out" in public. Cole answered with a song called "Let Nas Down." Nas replied soon afterward with "Made Nas Proud."
On the 27th of September 2011, Cole World: The Sideline Story debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 218,000 copies sold in its first week. It went gold, and by 2016 it had sold 855,000 copies in the United States. The lead single "Work Out", released on the 15th of June 2011 to mark two years since The Warm Up, was produced by Cole. It samples a Kanye West track called "The New Workout Plan" and borrows from Paula Abdul's "Straight Up."
The second single, "Can't Get Enough" with Trey Songz, had a video shot in Barbados. Cole was finishing his run as the opening act on Rihanna's Loud Tour there, and Rihanna made a cameo. A third single, "Nobody's Perfect", brought in Missy Elliott, who was returning to music.
His second album, Born Sinner, nearly went to war with a bigger name. Cole had planned a release for the 25th of June 2013. When Kanye West's Yeezus was set for the 18th of June, he moved his own date up a week to face it. "This is art," he said, adding that he could not compete with West's celebrity. Born Sinner sold 297,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number two, roughly 30,000 short of Yeezus. Its singles included "Power Trip" with Miguel, "Crooked Smile" with TLC and "Forbidden Fruit" with Kendrick Lamar. Before release, he had called the promotional single "Miss America" an attempt to "change the conversation."
In the summer of 2014, Cole responded to events in the news. On the 15th of August he released "Be Free" after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Three days later he visited Ferguson to meet protesters and activists. On the 10th of December, he performed the song with an added verse on the Late Show with David Letterman.
That year's album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, arrived on the 9th of December with no lead single and little promotion. Four promotional singles carried it instead, and it sold 353,000 copies in its first week. By 2016 it had sold 1.24 million copies in the United States. It won Top Rap Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards and Album of the Year at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards. A concert film, Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming, was filmed at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, at the final show of the tour, and aired on HBO on the 9th of January 2016.
For 4 Your Eyez Only, released on the 9th of December 2016, Cole opened a window on the making of the album. A 40-minute documentary called Eyez appeared on Tidal a week earlier. The album sold 492,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, of which 363,000 were pure album sales. The track "Deja Vu" entered the Hot 100 at number seven without being a single, giving Cole his highest chart position to that point. All ten songs on the album debuted in the top 40, and he held twelve Hot 100 entries in a single week.
KOD followed on the 20th of April 2018. Four days earlier, Cole had held a free listening session at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. The album's cover credited two features to his alter ego, Kill Edward, and Cole said the title had three meanings: Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons. On its first day, it drew 64.5 million streams on Apple Music, passing the record set by Drake's Views. It also made Cole the first act to place three songs in the Hot 100's top ten in a single debut week: "ATM" at 6, "Kevin's Heart" at 8 and "KOD" at 10. It became the first time since the Beatles in 1964 that anyone had six hits in the top 20 at once.
A single that Cole released in January 2019, "Middle Child", began at number 26 after only one day of tracking. The next week it climbed to number four. The Off-Season, released on the 14th of May 2021, sold 282,000 units in its first week and put four songs in the top ten of the Hot 100, led by "My Life" at number two. "Interlude" had already reached number eight the week before.
On the 6th of October 2023, a track from Drake's album For All The Dogs gave Cole something he had never had. "First Person Shooter" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the first chart-topper of his career.
In early 2007, while Cole was making The Come Up, he teamed up with Ibrahim Hamad to start Dreamville Records. Cole wanted a way to release his own music. Hamad had long wanted to run a label. The first artists were Cole, Omen and Bas, and the roster has since grown to include Cozz, Lute, Ari Lennox, JID and the duo EarthGang. The in-house producers are Elite, Ron Gilmore, Cedric Brown and Meez. Distribution comes through Interscope Records, and the label has released nine albums, three of them certified platinum or higher.
The label's biggest showcase was Revenge of the Dreamers III. On the 6th of January 2019, Cole posted a gold, poster-style invitation on Twitter, and sessions in Atlanta began that day. Over ten days, 343 artists and producers were invited, including Big K.R.I.T., Mike Will Made It, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz, Tay Keith, T.I., Rick Ross, 9th Wonder and Wale. A film of the sessions, Dreamville Presents: REVENGE, came out on the 2nd of July. The album debuted at number one with 115,000 units, only 24,000 of them pure sales. It earned a platinum certification and a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Cole's song "A Lot", with 21 Savage, won Best Rap Song, his first Grammy. Over his career he has won two Grammys from seventeen nominations.
On the 27th of April 2018, Cole announced the Dreamville Festival, built around local music, culture, food and art. Hurricane Florence forced a postponement, and it finally took place at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the 6th of April 2019. SZA, Big Sean, Nelly, 21 Savage, 6LACK, Davido, Teyana Taylor, Saba, Rapsody and Mez joined the Dreamville roster on the bill. Proceeds were planned to go to the park's conservancy and to the Dreamville Foundation.
The Foundation began in October 2011 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, created to bridge the gap between opportunity and the urban youth of Fayetteville. Its programs include an annual back-to-school supply giveaway and a book club for young men. It also sponsors the Nobody's Perfect Writing Contest and a Mother's Day brunch for students. Each year it runs Dreamville Weekend, a set of community events in Fayetteville, with a discussion for the book club and a career day panel of African American professionals. Cole launched that weekend in March 2012, when he returned to his hometown and released the song "Visionz of Home."
In 2014, Cole paid $120,000 through the Foundation to buy his childhood home in Fayetteville. The home had been repossessed from his mother while he was away at college in New York. In January 2015, he began letting single mothers live there rent-free.
In March 2015, Jay Z's company Project Panther bought Aspiro, the owner of the streaming service Tidal, for a reported $56 million. Cole is a minor shareholder, one of sixteen artist stakeholders that also include Kanye West, Beyonce and Rihanna.
His wife, Melissa Heholt, met him at St. John's University and now serves as the Foundation's executive director. Cole revealed his marriage in a January 2016 interview with director Ryan Coogler. In July 2020, he said that he has two children.
In August 2013, an after party for the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City reportedly turned into a scuffle. According to reports, Puff Daddy wanted to confront Kendrick Lamar over the "King of New York" claim in Lamar's "Control" verse. Puff allegedly tried to pour a drink on Lamar, and Cole stepped in. Hamad denied on Twitter that Cole had been thrown out or beaten up. A few months later, Cole and Puff appeared together in a video promoting Revolt, joking about the night.
In December 2016, the documentary Eyez brought two songs that set off a different kind of talk. Listeners guessed that "Everybody Dies" aimed lines at Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty. Yachty said he was not little and noted that many rappers use the word. Uzi answered on Twitter on the 2nd of December that he had heard something beautiful.
The first verse of "False Prophets" was widely read as aimed at Kanye West, and the second as aimed at Wale. Wale released "Groundhog Day" in response on the 3rd of December. The two were then seen together at a North Carolina State University basketball game in Raleigh. Cole later told The New York Times that rappers rarely criticize one another out of love. He said he realized he was "really feeding into a cycle of keeping black people down."
In April 2018, Lil Pump teased a song titled with an insult to Cole. Many listeners took the KOD song "1985" as Cole's reply. Cole said it was "a 'shoe fits' situation" in which several people could fit the description. He explained that his real target was a cartoon version of hip-hop, in which popular rappers resemble exaggerated stereotypes. On the 4th of May, he performed "1985" at the JMBLYA festival in Dallas with the backing track cut off. When the crowd began chanting against Lil Pump and 6ix9ine, he stopped them: "Don't do that." On the 25th of May, the two sat down for an hour-long interview, and Pump said, "It wasn't even serious." In January 2026, Pump renewed his criticism during a livestream.
The controversy that cost Cole the most goodwill came in May 2020. During the George Floyd protests, the rapper Noname criticized successful rappers who wrote about Black struggle but had said nothing publicly about the protests. Many assumed she meant Cole and Kendrick Lamar. On the 16th of June 2020, Cole released "Snow on tha Bluff", addressed to an unnamed woman that listeners took to be Noname. Chance the Rapper called it "not constructive." Ari Lennox, who is signed to Dreamville, publicly defended Noname. Two days later, Noname released "Song 33", which questioned why he would write about her at such a moment. Cole shared a link to it on Twitter. The two had worked together in 2015 on "Warm Enough", from the album Surf.
On the 5th of April 2024, Cole released the mixtape Might Delete Later. On its song "7 Minute Drill", he answered Kendrick Lamar, who had rapped "it's just big me" on "Like That" with Future and Metro Boomin. Lamar's line was itself a reply to "First Person Shooter", in which Cole had rapped, "We the big three like we started a league." Two days after the mixtape came out, Cole apologized for the diss track at Dreamville Festival, and the song was taken off streaming platforms.
One of Cole's latest disputes ended in court papers. Cam'ron had appeared with Cole on "95 South" in 2021 and on "Ready '24" in 2024. In October 2025, Cam'ron filed a lawsuit alleging that the features came with a promise that Cole would return the favor on a song or a podcast. He also claimed that his verse was recorded in June 2022 and that the song was released without authorization and without royalties. Cole's team moved to dismiss in February 2026. The two reconciled in March 2026 when Cole appeared on Cam'ron's podcast, Talk with Flee, and attorneys told the court in May 2026 that the case had settled.
"Sports is where it started for me," Cole told Sports Illustrated in 2013. He added that rap is competitive and that watching sports keeps him sharp. Basketball began in high school at Terry Sanford in North Carolina. At St. John's University, he went out for the team as a walk-on and became one of ten players called back in his sophomore year. In 2012 he played for the Eastern Team in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game, and he is now a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
In a July 2020 article for The Players' Tribune, Cole described the plan he had after college. If he could break out within three years, he wrote, he would be only 27, with enough time to train for a pro career. He imagined playing overseas first, then working toward the NBA. In August 2020, Master P reported that Cole was training for an NBA tryout.
The sneaker business ran alongside. In February 2020, Cole announced a multi-year partnership with Puma, and a short film for the reimagined Sky Dreamer debuted during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. On the 31st of July 2020, the company released his first signature shoe, the PUMA RS-Dreamer. It arrived as the 2019-20 NBA season restarted. Cole said the shoe was meant to let players wear the same pair on the court and on the street. In September 2022, he was named the cover athlete of the Dreamer Edition of NBA 2K23, and he appeared as a character in the game's MyCareer mode.
Then came the contracts themselves. On the 10th of May 2021, Cole signed with the Patriots Basketball Club in Rwanda, for the Basketball Africa League. He appeared on the cover of SLAM that month. He debuted on the 16th of May against the Rivers Hoopers, finishing with three points, three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes. Across three games, he scored five points and added three assists and five rebounds in 45 minutes. His contract covered a minimum of three games, and he left once they were played.
On the 19th of May 2022, he signed with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. On the 8th of June, the team said he would take an indefinite leave to honor his concert tour commitments. In four games he averaged 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists, and he made half of his three-point attempts.
On the 1st of April 2026, he signed with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association. Three games were planned, but delays with his work visa limited him to one. On the 11th of April, he made his debut and recorded one rebound and one assist in an 81-95 loss to the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
Back in April 2018, Cole said a project called The Fall Off was already planned, and that he had meant to release it before recording KOD. In August of that year, he promised that "All roads lead to The Fall Off." By late December 2020, he posted a list on Instagram titled "The Fall Off Era." Features and Revenge of the Dreamers III were crossed out. Two projects were left standing, The Off-Season and a mixtape called It's a Boy, both meant to come first. The caption read, "I still got some goals I gotta check off."
The wait included other releases. On the 23rd of July 2020, he put out the promotional EP Lewis Street, which contained "The Climb Back" and "Lion King on Ice." Later came a limited podcast series, Inevitable, which Cole hosted with his longtime manager Ibrahim Hamad and his frequent collaborator Scott Lazer. Its first season had ten episodes, released every two days after the debut. The release also brought The Come Up, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights to streaming platforms for the first time, along with some unreleased material.
On the 14th of January 2026, Cole announced The Fall-Off, billed as his seventh and final studio album, and set the release for the 6th of February. He also shared a song called "Disc 2 Track 2" with a music video, which hinted at a double album. On the 28th of January, he put out an EP on his website for his birthday, Birthday Blizzard '26, hosted by DJ Clue. On it, Cole freestyled over instrumentals including "Victory" and "Who Shot Ya?"
The Fall-Off arrived on schedule, with guests Burna Boy, Erykah Badu, Future, Morray, Petey Pablo, PJ and Tems. Several songs entered the top 40 of the Hot 100 on its debut, and "Two Six" peaked at number 16. In a question-and-answer session on his website, Cole said he had no plans for another album soon. He wanted to go back to producing, and he confirmed that It's a Boy was still coming.
Production is where he began. Cole taught himself piano, and he handled most of the production on his own projects. He has also made music for others, including Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Young Thug, Wale and Mac Miller. The first of many collaborations with Lamar came in April 2011, with "HiiiPoWeR", a song Cole produced for Lamar's Section.80. A tour under the new album's name, The Fall-Off World Tour, is listed for 2026.
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Common questions
Where was J. Cole born and raised?
He was born on the 28th of January 1985 at an American military base in Frankfurt, West Germany. At eight months old he moved with his mother and older brother to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he grew up.
What is the name of J. Cole's record label?
Dreamville Records, which Cole started in early 2007 with Ibrahim Hamad, who is now the label's president. Its first artists were Cole, Omen and Bas.
Did J. Cole play professional basketball?
Yes. He played for the Patriots Basketball Club in the Basketball Africa League in 2021, for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022, and for the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2026.
What was J. Cole's first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100?
"First Person Shooter", from Drake's album For All The Dogs, debuted at number one in October 2023. It was the first chart-topper of Cole's career.
Is The Fall-Off really J. Cole's last album?
It was billed as his seventh and final studio album and was released on the 6th of February 2026. Afterward he said he had no plans for another album soon and wanted to return to producing.
All sources
275 references cited across the entry
- 1MagazineWho Is KiLL Edward, the Lone Feature on J. Cole's 'KOD' Album?Carl Lamarre — April 18, 2017
- 4J. ColeA&E Television Networks
- 5Gold & PlatinumRecording Industry Association of America
- 6MagazineJ. Cole Scores His Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart, With Third-Largest Debut of 2016Keith Caulfield — December 19, 2016
- 7J. Cole ArtistNovember 23, 2020
- 8"4 Your Eyez Only" by J. Cole - Album ReviewsJanuary 6, 2017
- 9MagazinePost Malone Breaks Hot 100 Record For Most Simultaneous Top 20 HitsMay 7, 2018
- 10MagazineJ. Cole Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100Prometheus Global Media
- 12J. Cole to let single moms live in his home rent-freeRivera, Zayda — January 27, 2015
- 1321 Savage Wins Best Rap Song 2020 GRAMMYsJanuary 26, 2020
- 16J. Cole Celebrates His 27th Birthday In New York CityFitzgerald, Trent — PopCrush — January 27, 2012
- 17J. Cole: Roc Nation's Young GunZack Einhorn — June 15, 2009
- 18All About J. Cole's Parents, James and Kay ColeFrancesca Gariano — April 6, 2024
- 20Magazine25 Things You Didn't Know About J. ColeInsanul Ahmed
- 21J Cole: Life and BeatsAnnika Allen — Flavour Magazine — October 24, 2011
- 22J. Cole Announces New Album, 2014 Forest Hills DriveLatifah Muhammad
- 23CD Review: J. Cole, "Cole World: The Sideline Story"Mark Kemp — Vibes — October 12, 2011
- 24J. Cole: "I Never Felt White. I Don't Know What That Feels Like"Boxden — September 25, 2011
- 25MagazineHand It DownRob Markman — October 2009
- 27J. Cole: The Untold StoryAKAASH — June 1, 2015
- 28J. Cole Recalls Dave Chappelle's Block Party: 'The Most Awesome Show'Stone, Rolling — Rolling Stone — June 27, 2014
- 30MagazineJ. Cole's Tales Out of School
- 31St. John's University Welcomes Back Its Hero, J. ColeAdelle Platon — Vibe — April 10, 2015
- 32GermanRhymes.de – Interview with J. ColeGermanRhymes — April 18, 2011
- 34J. Cole Gets Diploma From St. John's UniversityBallerStatus.com — April 11, 2015
- 35J ColeFeeling Success
- 37J Cole Inspired By Eminem & Canibus (Video)May 18, 2010
- 38Nardwuar vs. J. ColeGrimeDaily
- 39Jay-Z Blueprint 3 Tracklist & Back CoverAugust 18, 2009
- 40J. Cole @ Berlin – Last CallYouTube — November 16, 2013
- 42J. Cole – "Knock On Wood" X "Gladiators" w/ B.o.BVoodooChild — Thatsthatish.com — April 20, 2011
- 44Rapper Wiz Khalifa set to perform at SU after incarceration – FeatureThe Daily Orange — December 2, 2010
- 45J. Cole: 'Who Dat'VoodooChild — Thatsthatish.com — April 27, 2010
- 46That's That...: J. Cole – "Still The Hottest" (w/Young Chris) x "All I Want Is You" (w/ Miguel)VoodooChild — Thatsthatish.com
- 47J. Cole – "We On"VoodooChild — Thatsthatish.com
- 48Tune in to BET's 106 & Park TODAY 6:00 PM EST to see J. Cole debut the "Who Dat" video!Facebook — June 21, 2010
- 49J. Cole reveals Debut Album Song TitlesJcole.org — July 8, 2010
- 50J. Cole - "I'm Coming Home (Demo)," thatsthatish.comVoodooChild — " thatsthatish.com — October 30, 2010
- 51DOWNLOAD "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"!JColeMusic
- 57MagazineJ. Cole
- 58DOPE PROJECT ALERT: The Glorification Of Gangster Art Exhibit " LIFE Pulse BlogLifepulseblog.com — May 12, 2011
- 60Peep This: Rihanna Hangs Out With J. Cole And Trey Songz At The 'Can't Get Enough' ShootVIBE — October 8, 2011
- 61MagazineJ. Cole Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Blink-182 Snags No. 2Keith Caulfield — Prometheus Global Media — October 5, 2011
- 62MagazineJ. Cole Receives Gold Certification For "Cole World: The Sideline Story"Steven J. Horowitz — December 2, 2011
- 63MagazineFrom Hometown Hero to Superstar Status: How High Can J. Cole Climb?Eric Diep — December 21, 2016
- 66NewsJ Cole To Perform At Big Brother Africa Launchmomix.co.za — March 13, 2012
- 67NewsNamibia: J Cole to Perform at Big Brother AfricaallAfrica.com — March 14, 2012
- 69Video: J. Cole Performs New Verses Live In Hollywood ~ All City Chess ClubAllcitychessclub.net — October 20, 2012
- 71J. Cole "Miss America" Single Cover ArtHiphopdx.com
- 73J. Cole - Truly Yours EP New MixtapeTrevor Smith — February 12, 2013
- 75J. Cole - Truly Yours 2 New MixtapeKevin Goddard — April 30, 2013
- 76MagazineJ. Cole's New Album: 'I'm All the Way Inspired' | Music NewsDan Hyman — May 2, 2013
- 77MagazineJ. Cole Mourns Michael Brown in Somber New Song 'Be Free'Kory Grow — August 15, 2014
- 78J. Cole to let single mothers live rent-free in childhood homeWRAL — January 28, 2015
- 80Is J. Cole Dropping A New Album Next Month?November 16, 2014
- 81MagazineJ. Cole Reveals '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Album Coming By End of YearErika Ramirez — November 17, 2014
- 82J. Cole Plans to Release Live Album on His BirthdayKat Boehrer — January 28, 2016
- 83Bravo: J.Cole's '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Album Goes PlatinumMarch 31, 2015
- 84Here's The Full List Of 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards WinnersAdam Fleischer — MTV — October 13, 2015
- 85J. Cole's three Grammy nominations lead North CarolinaDavid Menconi — December 7, 2015
- 86J. Cole Releases Part One Of Mini-Documentary Series Ahead Of HBO SpecialCamille Augustin — December 16, 2015
- 87J. Cole (@JColeNC)J. Cole — Twitter — December 15, 2015
- 88J. Cole Plans to Release Live Album on His BirthdayKat Boehrer — January 28, 2016
- 89NEW VIDEO: J.COLE "LOVE YOURZ (LIVE)"Big Homie — January 29, 2016
- 91DJ Khaled - Jermaine's Interlude Feat. J. Cole & EarthGang New SongDanny Schwartz — July 28, 2016
- 92Could J. Cole's Retirement From Rap Be On the Way?Adam Fleischer — July 27, 2016
- 93EARTHGANG EXPLAINS HOW A NINE MINUTE POSSE CUT BECAME J. COLE'S "JERMAINE'S INTERLUDE"Lauren Nostro — August 11, 2016
- 94Watch J. Cole, Big Sean, Chance The Rapper Perform At Jay Z & Beyonce's Hillary Clinton RallyTrevor Smith — November 5, 2016
- 95J. Cole, Bas, EarthGang & J.I.D - Can't Call It New SongKevin Goddard — November 8, 2016
- 96J. Cole's New Album Announcement Got The Internet Going NuttyTrent Clark — December 1, 2016
- 98Watch Cole's Surprise-Released Short Documentary Eyez NowWill Bundy — December 2, 2016
- 99False Prophets - J. ColeDreamville — December 5, 2016
- 100Everybody Dies - J. ColeDreamville — December 5, 2016
- 101J. Cole's "False Prophets" & Everybody Dies" Now On iTunes & Streaming ServicesDanny Schwartz — December 6, 2016
- 102MagazineRae Sremmurd Tops Hot 100, Zayn & Taylor Swift, J. Cole Debut in Top 10Gary Trust — December 19, 2016
- 103J. Cole To Release 'Deja Vu' As First Single From '4 Your Eyez Only'NavJosh — January 2, 2017
- 104J. Cole's "4 Your Eyez Only" Officially Goes GoldZakk Feig — January 12, 2017
- 105Congrats! @JColeNC's "4 Your Eyez Only" has been certified platinum by @RIAA Listen on @TIDALHiFiRoc Nation — April 7, 2017
- 106J. Cole - High For Hours New SongKevin Goddard — January 16, 2017
- 107High for Hours - Single by J. ColeJanuary 18, 2017
- 1084 Your Eyez Only Tour. On sale Friday. See you in a few.J. Cole — January 21, 2017
- 109J. Cole Reveals 4 Your Eyez Only Tour DatesTed Simmons — February 21, 2017
- 110J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only premieres April 15 at 10:00PM on #HBO. #JColeOnHBOHBO — March 24, 2017
- 111MagazineHBO announces second J. Cole documentary coming in AprilNick Romano — March 24, 2017
- 1124 Your Eyez Only, DreamvilleMay 2017
- 113J. Cole Announces Free Show In New York CityAron A. — April 17, 2018
- 114Fans React to J.Cole's Listening Session + Album Announcement! PhotosMiabelle NYC — April 17, 2018
- 115MagazineJ. Cole Announces New Album 'KOD' Out FridayRania Aniftos — April 16, 2018
- 116J. Cole Announces Listening Session In London TonightMitch Findlay — April 17, 2018
- 117NewsJ. Cole on Twitter
- 119NewsReview: J. Cole releases new album KODMay 3, 2018
- 122MagazineJ. Cole Is First Act to Debut 3 Songs in Hot 100's Top 10, As All 12 'KOD' Tracks ChartXander Zellner — April 30, 2018
- 123J. Cole's "K.O.D" Will Be His Next SingleMitch Findlay — May 3, 2018
- 124J. Cole Highlights the Pitfalls of Chasing Money in "ATM" VideoTrace William Cowen — April 20, 2018
- 125J. Cole Recruits Kevin Hart For The Aptly-Titled "Kevin's Heart" VideoMatthew Parizot — April 24, 2018
- 126Top 40 Rhythmic Future ReleasesAll Access Music Group
- 127J. Cole's "ATM" Features In New NBA Playoffs CommercialAron A. — April 20, 2018
- 128J. Cole Performs Lyrical Exercise In New NBA Playoffs CommercialXavier Hamilton — April 16, 2018
- 129J. Cole Teases "KOD" Deluxe, "The Fall Off" Project & KiLL Edward AlbumHenry Mansell — April 27, 2018
- 130NewsJ. Cole's 'KOD' Certified Gold in 24 DaysBrian Z. Zisook — May 15, 2018
- 131J. Cole Once Again Goes Platinum With No FeaturesMitch Findlay — December 20, 2018
- 132J. Cole Announces KOD Tour With Special Guest Young ThugTrace William Cowen — May 8, 2018
- 133J. Cole Adds Jaden Smith & Earth Gang To "K.O.D" TourAron A. — July 30, 2018
- 134J. Cole Recruits Daniel Caesar and Wale For BET Awards PerformanceMilca P. — June 24, 2018
- 135J. Cole Mixes Old & New With His Performance of 'Intro' & 'Friends'BET Networks — June 28, 2018
- 136J. Cole Drops A Freestyle Over Nas' "Oochie Wally" Called "Album Of The Year"Kevin Goddard — August 7, 2018
- 137J. Cole "Album Of The Year (Freestyle)" (WSHH Exclusive - Official Music Video)WORLDSTARHIPHOP — August 7, 2018
- 139J. Cole Announces 'Revenge of The Dreamers III'Jose Martinez — January 6, 2019
- 140J. Cole & Dreamville Announce "Revenge Of The Dreamers III"Milca P — January 6, 2019
- 141Here is a List of Every Major Rapper & Producer Confirmed to Be Working on J. Cole's 'Revenge of The Dreamers III' AlbumDimas Sanfiorenzo — January 9, 2019
- 142J. Cole Announces New Single "Middle Child" Dropping WednesdayMitch Findlay — January 21, 2019
- 144J. Cole Performs "Middle Child, "A Lot" & More During 2019 NBA All-Star GameAron A — February 17, 2019
- 145MagazineYoung Thug Drops New Track 'The London' Feat. J. Cole & Travis Scott: ListenTalley Spencer — May 23, 2019
- 146Dreamville Delivers "Down Bad" Single Ft. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, EarthGang, & Young NudyErika Marie — June 12, 2019
- 147Dreamville Drops R&B Jam "Got Me" Ft. Ari Lennox, Ty Dolla $ign, Dreezy, & OmenErika Marie — June 12, 2019
- 148Cozz, Reason, & Childish Major Bring Dreamville & TDE Together On "LamboTruck"Erika Marie — July 1, 2019
- 150J. Cole & Dreamville Unveil Trailer For "Revenge Of The Dreamers 3"Alex Zidel — June 26, 2019
- 151Magazine'Revenge of the Dreamers III' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums ChartKeith Caulfield — July 14, 2019
- 153MagazineJ. Cole Discusses Black Lives Matter Discourse in 'Snow on Tha Bluff'Althea Legaspi — June 16, 2020
- 154Noname Said What Needed to Be SaidJessica McKinney — June 18, 2020
- 155Chance The Rapper, Earl Sweatshirt, Jean Grae and More Criticize J. Cole's "Snow On Tha Bluff"Patrick Johnson — June 17, 2020
- 156MagazineJ. Cole Previews Upcoming 'The Fall Off' LP With Singles 'The Climb Back,' 'Lion King on Ice'July 23, 2020
- 157The Climb Back - produced by me. Lion King on Ice - produced by J. Cole, T-Minus, and Jetson. First 2 songs from The Fall Off. Dropping tomorrow night 10pm. No date for the album yet, taking my time, still finishing...July 21, 2020
- 158J. Cole Shares "The Fall Off Era" Timeline, Fans Believe He's Hinting At RetiringErika Marie — December 29, 2020
- 159J. Cole Announces His New Album 'The Off-Season's Release DateAaron Williams — May 4, 2021
- 160J. Cole Finally Announces 'The Off-Season' Album Cover Art + Release DateKyle Eustice — May 4, 2021
- 162J. Cole Lands 4 Of Top 5 Spots On Billboard's Most-Streamed Songs This WeekCole Blake — May 24, 2021
- 163MagazineJ. Cole Hits Vegas Strip in Video for 'Heaven's EP'Althea Legaspi — 2021-09-22
- 166NewsJ. Cole Answers Kendrick Lamar Diss on Surprise New Album Might Delete Later5 April 2024
- 167J. Cole Says He Regrets Kendrick Lamar Diss: 'The Past Two Days Felt Terrible'Steven J. Horowitz — 2024-04-08
- 168J. Cole Removes "7 Minute Drill" From Streaming ServicesNina Corcoran — April 12, 2024
- 169MagazineJ. Cole Announces New Audio Series 'Inevitable,' Calls Process 'Therapeutic'Angel Diaz — November 18, 2024
- 170MagazineJ. Cole Releases 2009 'The Warm Up' Mixtape to Streaming Services for First TimeMichael Saponara — November 22, 2024
- 171J. Cole previews old unreleased songs with Kendrick Lamar during podcast appearanceSurej Singh — November 27, 2024
- 172J. Cole Announces New Album 'The Fall-Off' and Release DateSteven J. Horowitz — 2026-01-14
- 173J. Cole Reveals 'The Fall-Off' Album Release Date & ArtworkAndy Bustard — January 14, 2026
- 174Disc 2 Track 2 - Song by J. ColeAlexander Cole — 14 January 2026
- 175MagazineJ. Cole Celebrates His B-Day With Surprise DJ Clue-Hosted 'Birthday Blizzard '26' EP, Featuring 4 New FreestylesMichael Saponara — 2026-01-28
- 176J. Cole Confronts His Kendrick Lamar Apology in Surprise FreestyleCharisma Madarang — 2026-01-28
- 177J. Cole Shares Video for 'The Fall-Off' Highlight "Two Six"Price Joe — February 6, 2026
- 178J. Cole Shares What He Plans to Do After Releasing Alleged Final Album, 'The Fall-Off'Caleb Catlin — 2026-02-11
- 179J. Cole Clarifies Whether Or Not He Is Really RetiredCole Blake — 2026-02-09
- 181NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Grades: The Good, The Bad And The UglyFebruary 13, 2016
- 183The AudacityJ. Cole — July 21, 2020
- 184J. COLE X PUMA RS-DREAMER BASKETBALL SHOE DROPS TODAYJuly 31, 2020
- 185J. Cole Is Training to Be an NBA Player, Says Master PC. Vernon Coleman II — August 2020
- 186J. Cole Revealed as the Cover Star for NBA 2K23, Appears in the GameSeptember 2022
- 187MagazineRapper J. Cole Featured on NBA 2K23 Cover
- 188J. Cole to Sign Deal With Basketball Africa League's Rwanda PatriotsQuenton S. Albertie — April 28, 2021
- 193Rapper J. Cole signs with Chinese league's Nanjing Monkey KingsShams Charania — 2026-04-02
- 194Why J. Cole returned to the U.S. after only one game in the CBAAutumn Hawkins — 2026-04-13
- 195J. Cole Suits Up for Nanjing Monkey Kings in Chinese Basketball DebutTrey Alston — 2026-04-11
- 196Nessa Interviews J. Cole Friday Sept 23. 2011Nessa Diab
- 198J. Cole Talks Jay Z And Tupac's Influence On His Career WATCHCaitlin Carter — September 30, 2013
- 199Nas & J. Cole Address Comparisons To Each Other & Lyricism In 2013August 13, 2013
- 200J. Cole – Let Nas Down (Born Sinner)YouTube — June 6, 2013
- 201NewsJ. Cole 'Made Nas Proud' On 'Let Nas Down' RemixMTV News — June 22, 2013
- 202J. Cole Lists Top 5 Rappers, Recalls "Worshipping" EminemTrevor Smith — December 12, 2014
- 203Sources: J. Cole and Diddy Scrapped at a VMA After-Party Over Kendrick's "Control" VerseLauren Nostro et al. — August 27, 2013
- 204J. Cole And Diddy Brawl Captured On Tape...Sort OfB.J. Steiner — October 14, 2013
- 205J. Cole Raps About 2013 Altercation With Diddy on 'The Off-Season' Track "Let Go My Hand"Abel Shifferaw — 2021-05-14
- 206J. Cole Addresses Fight With Diddy on New Song 'Let Go My Hand' - ListenC. Vernon Coleman II — 2021-05-14
- 207VideoLil Yachty Responds to J. Cole's Diss on 'Everybody Dies'Power 106 Los Angeles — December 2, 2016
- 208Lil Uzi Vert Slyly Acknowledges J. Cole DissZakk Feig — December 3, 2016
- 209Did J. Cole Really Call Out Kanye West and Wale on 'False Prophets'? Debate Erupts on TwitterTrent Fitzgerald — December 2, 2016
- 210Wale Responds to J. Cole's "False Prophets" on New Song "Groundhog Day"Omar Burgess — December 3, 2016
- 211J. Cole and Wale Attend NC State Basketball Game TogetherC Vernon Coleman II — December 4, 2016
- 212Kanye West Mentions J. Cole in Previously Unheard "What Would Meek Do?" VerseTrace William Cowen — 2019-05-30
- 213Kanye West Addresses J. Cole In Leaked 'What Would Meek Do' Versestaff — 2019-05-31
- 214J. Cole, the Platinum Rap Dissident, Steps Back From the SpotlightJon Caramanica — April 14, 2017
- 215Is J. Cole Dissing Lil Pump On "1985"? Twitter Thinks SoHenry Mansell — April 20, 2018
- 216J. Cole ProfilePaul Cantor — April 25, 2018
- 217Lil Pump Brushes Off J. Cole's Alleged Diss To Him On "K.O.D"Aron A. — April 20, 2018
- 218Smokepurpp Fans Erupt In "F--- J. Cole" Chant During ShowDevin Ch — April 22, 2018
- 220J. Cole Shuts Down "F*ck Lil Pump" Chant During Live PerformanceMatthew Parizot — May 7, 2018
- 221Lil Pump Dances To J. Cole's "1985" During Rolling Loud PerformanceMatthew Parizot — May 12, 2018
- 222J. Cole Interviews Lil Pump in Hour-Long Video: WatchEvan Minsker — May 25, 2018
- 223Lil Pump Blasts J. Cole For Dissing Him Yet Apologizing To Kendrick LamarGabriel Bras Nevares — 2018-05-27
- 224Lil Pump Emerges From the Shadows To Call J. Cole a 'P***y' Over Apologizing to Kendrick LamarCaleb Catlin — 2026-01-25
- 226Noname Blasts "Top-Selling Rappers" For Staying Silent On George Floyd's MurderLynn S — May 30, 2020
- 228J. Cole Makes A Surprise Return With "Snow On Tha Bluff"Chris Mench — June 17, 2020
- 229Listen to J. Cole's New Song "Snow on tha Bluff"Shifferaw Abel
- 231MagazineJ. Cole stands by controversial new song 'Snow On Tha Bluff:' 'Right or wrong, I can't say'Rosy Cordero — June 17, 2020
- 232NewsCam'ron Sues J. Cole Over 'Ready '24' Collab as He Claims He's Owed $500,000 in RoyaltiesRachel DeSantis — 2025-10-29
- 233NewsJ. Cole Wants Judge to Toss Cam'ron's $500K Lawsuit, Denies AllegationsJoe Price — 2026-02-12
- 234NewsCam'ron Explains Why He Sued J. Cole: 'I Need to Get This N***a Attention'Joe Price — Complex Networks — 2026-03-23
- 235MagazineJ. Cole & Cam'ron Settle Lawsuit Over 'Ready '24' CollabBill Donahue — 2026-05-26
- 236J.Cole & Dreamville Surprise Fans With Release Of "Revenge Of The Dreamers 2"Kevin Goddard — December 7, 2015
- 237J. Cole - Revenge Of The Dreamers Feat. Dreamville New MixtapeKevin Goddard — January 29, 2014
- 238Omen "Elephant Eyes" Release Date, Cover Art, Tracklist & Album StreamVictoria Hernandez — July 21, 2015
- 239Bas And J. Cole's Dreamville Records Have Big Plans For 2015Emmanuel C.M. — December 19, 2014
- 240Magazine5 Questions With Cozz, J. Cole's New Dreamville ArtistWilliam Gruger — July 7, 2014
- 241J. Cole Signs Two New Artists to Dreamville RecordsEdwin Ortiz — December 8, 2015
- 242J.I.D Signs to J. Cole's Dreamville LabelMax Weinstein — February 20, 2017
- 243J. Cole Signs EarthGang To Dreamville RecordsMitch Findlay — August 31, 2017
- 244Ron Gilmore "The Maturation Of Little Ron" Album Stream, Cover Art & TracklistVictoria Hernandez — April 27, 2016
- 245Bornsinner.com Cedric "Ced" BrownJune 16, 2013
- 24612 – Interview With Dreamville Artist Cozz & Producer MeezFebruary 16, 2016
- 247NewsJ. Cole's Dreamville Foundation prepares local students for classRodger Mullen
- 249NewsFive things to know about J. ColeTony Adame — March 13, 2015
- 250NewsJay Z, Madonna, Rihanna and Beyonce launch new Tidal streaming serviceMarch 31, 2015
- 251MagazineIt's Official: Jay Z's Historic Tidal Launches With 16 Artist StakeholdersAndrew Flanagan et al. — March 30, 2015
- 252J. Cole announces Raleigh music festival this fallKathy Habrahan — April 27, 2018
- 253J. Cole Reveals Dreamville Festival 2019 Lineup: SZA, 21 Savage, Big Sean, and MoreMatthew Strauss — March 19, 2019
- 254J. Cole is throwing a music festival, and it's going to be in his home stateDavid Menconi — April 27, 2018
- 255J. COLE & PUMA ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR FOOTWEAR & APPAREL PARTNERSHIPFebruary 15, 2020
- 261Meet J. Cole's New Wife Melissa HeholtJanuary 19, 2016
- 265J. Cole announces massive "Cole World...World Tour"Ben Kaye — August 18, 2011
- 266J. Cole Announces "What Dreams May Come Tour" With Wale Update: More North American Tour Dates AddedTrevor Smith — November 12, 2013
- 267J. Cole Announces 'Dollar & A Dream Tour'May 30, 2016
- 268J. Cole "Dollar & A Dream Tour" 2014 "The Warm Up" Show DatesAndres Tardio — June 16, 2014
- 270J. Cole Announces Dollar and a Dream Tour III: Friday Night LightsLatifah Muhammad — June 22, 2015
- 271J. Cole Announces 4 Your Eyez Only TourBrian Josephs — February 21, 2017
- 272J. Cole & Big K.R.I.T. Announce "The Campus Consciousness Tour," Official Tour DatesLilah Rose — February 21, 2012
- 274J. Cole Announces Massive Headlining Tour With 21 Savage, MorrayTrent Fitzgerald — June 22, 2021
- 275MagazineDrake Announces Dates For 2024 It's All A Blur Tour – Big As The What?' With J. ColeGil Kaufman — 2023-11-13
- 277Read this. Then watch this. New episode every Wednesday leading up to concert film on @HBO.J. Cole — December 16, 2015
- 278J. Cole's 90-Minute HBO Documentary 'Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming' Is HerePatrick Montes — January 10, 2016
- 279Watch J. Cole's New 40-Minute Documentary "Eyez"Kevin Goddard — December 2, 2016
- 280J. Cole Executive Produces 'Raising Bertie' Docuseries About Coming Of Age In Rural North CarolinaStacy-Ann Ellis — August 14, 2017
- 281J. Cole Serves As Executive Producer For 'Out Of Omaha' DocumentaryYohance Kyles — November 8, 2018