| Revision as of 12:47, 10 November 2011 view source188.39.31.50 (talk) →Career beginnings← Previous edit | Revision as of 12:47, 10 November 2011 view source 188.39.31.50 (talk) ←Blanked the pageNext edit → | ||
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| {{About|the American rapper|English Football Player |Joe Cole|the roadie for Black Flag and the Rollins Band|Joe Cole (roadie)}} | |||
| {{Cleanup|date=August 2011}} | |||
| {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Musicians --> | |||
| | name = J. Cole | |||
| | image = J. Cole (DJ Zeke cropped out).jpg | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | image_size = | |||
| | background = solo_singer | |||
| | birth_name = Jermaine Lamarr Cole | |||
| | Also_known_as = | |||
| | alias = | |||
| | Born = {{birth date and age|1985|1|28}}<br>], ] | |||
| | origin = ]<ref>. J. Cole Fans. Retrieved on 2009-010-03</ref> | |||
| | instrument = vocalist, sampler | |||
| | genre = ], ] | |||
| | occupation = ], ], ] | |||
| | years_active = 2007–present | |||
| | label = ], ], ] | |||
| | associated_acts = ],], ], ],], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| | website = {{url|www.jcolemusic.com}} | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Jermaine Lamarr Cole''' (born January 28, 1985), better known by his stage name '''J. Cole''', is a German born American rapper, singer and record producer. In 2009, he was the first artist signed to ]'s ] ]. His debut album titled '']'' was released on September 27, 2011. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Early history=== | |||
| Cole, was born in ], ] on January 28, 1985 to a ] mother and a ] father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/648/j_cole_ready_to_roc_the_nation/ |title=J Cole interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' March 2011 |publisher=Bluesandsoul.com |date=2011-10-02 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> At the age of 8 months old, he relocated to ], ] where he was raised by his mother, aunt and his cousin. His father left him at a young age. Cole attended ] in Fayetteville and graduated in 2003. He decided that he had a better chance of getting signed in ], so he chose to attend ] on an academic scholarship where he majored in communication and minored in business, graduating '']''.<ref name="German Rhymes" >{{cite web|last=GermanRhymes|first=GermanRhymes|title=GermanRhymes.de - Interview with J. Cole|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oovaKXIttoo|work=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oovaKXIttoo|publisher=GermanRhymes|accessdate=April 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>. ABC News.</ref> | |||
| ===Career beginnings=== | |||
| J. Cole started rapping at the age of 14 when J. Money put him in the rap game and his cousin showed him the basics of rhyming and word play. Inspired mostly by rappers ] and ], Cole developed a love for telling stories in his lyrics.<ref> RapBasement</ref> At age 15, J. Cole had notebooks filled with rhymes, but no beats of his own to record them with. His mother bought him an 808 beat machine so he could produce music himself.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} By the age of 17, he was posting songs on various ]s under the moniker "Therapist"<ref>{{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref> J. Cole stood outside of Jay-Z’s place of business for three hours in order to give him a beat he sampled by Idris Muhammad, so that his mentor-to-be could use it. However, when Jay-Z came out of his building he shunned the up-and-coming rapper.<ref name=NardwuarServiette>{{cite web|last=NardwuarServiette|first=NardwuarServiette|title=Nardwuar vs. J. Cole|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij7Kw2Kc2UM|work=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij7Kw2Kc2UM|publisher=NardwuarServiette|accessdate=December 14, 2010}}</ref> Before J. Cole was signed to Roc Nation, he worked a job as a bill collector. One morning, he turned on his cell phone and noticed that he received a text from an associate asking him to call the associate back. When Cole returned the call, the associate informed Cole that he received a call from Jay-Z’s associates and that he had to meet with them as soon as possible. J. Cole's Girlfriend Asia Laroche Encouraged him not to stay at work and he left to go back home to change and get ready for his life changing meeting.<ref name=GrimeDaily>{{cite web|last=GrimeDaily|first=GrimeDaily|title=GRIME DAILY MEETS J. COLE |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4pDb1Tj9b8&feature=related|work=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4pDb1Tj9b8&feature=related|publisher=GrimeDaily|accessdate=Januar 10, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| He released his second mixtape, '']'', on June 15, 2009 to positive reviews. | |||
| Cole appeared on ]'s album '']'' (2009), on the track "A Star Is Born."<ref>. Rap Basement. Retrieved on 2009-08-18</ref> He is featured on both ]'s debut album, '']'' (2009) and mixtape '']'' (2009) respectively. | |||
| In early 2010, Cole was chosen as one of ''] Magazine'''s "50 Great Breakthrough Artists," he ranked 49, resulting in the cover story of the publication's #11 issue, as well as a Q&A for the magazine's site.<ref>{{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref> He was also featured in ] 2010 version of Top Ten Freshmen. | |||
| In January 2010, Cole, along with label mate ] and ] appeared on ] and ]'s single, "Just Begun" for the follow-up of ]'s album '']'' (2000), titled '']'' (2010).<ref>Reflection Eternal - "Just Begun" feat. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def </ref> Cole has also appeared on ]'s mixtape '']'' (2010) on the song "Gladiators.<ref>{{cite web|author=VoodooChild |url=http://www.thatsthatish.com/2010/02/j-cole-knock-on-wood-x-gladiators-w-bob.html |title=J. Cole - "Knock On Wood" X "Gladiators" w/ B.o.B |publisher=Thatsthatish.com |date=2011-04-20 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> On March 31, he performed a new song titled "]", which was once the first single off of his debut album. He later released the song on April 27, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|author=VoodooChild |url=http://www.thatsthatish.com/2010/04/j-cole-who-dat.html |title=J. Cole: 'Who Dat' |publisher=Thatsthatish.com |date=2010-04-27 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> Cole was also featured on ]' song "Still the Hottest" as well as ] debut single "]."<ref>{{cite web|author=VoodooChild |url=http://www.thatsthatish.com/2010/04/j-cole-still-hottest-wyoung-chris-x-all.html |title=That's That...: J. Cole - "Still The Hottest" (w/Young Chris) x "All I Want Is You" (w/ Miguel) |publisher=Thatsthatish.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> Additionally, Cole was featured on titled "We On", a song that failed to make final tracklist for ]'s '']'' ].<ref>{{cite web|author=VoodooChild |url=http://www.thatsthatish.com/2010/04/j-cole-we-on.html |title=J. Cole - "We On" |publisher=Thatsthatish.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> | |||
| J. Cole began a college tour from March 19, 2007 to April 30, 2010 concluding in New Brunswick, NJ at Rutgers University's annual Rutgersfest. The tour also featured a stop at Syracuse University for a show with fellow rapper, ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyorange.com/feature/rapper-wiz-khalifa-set-to-perform-at-su-after-incarceration-1.1815889 |title=Rapper Wiz Khalifa set to perform at SU after incarceration - Feature |publisher=The Daily Orange |date=2010-12-02 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> | |||
| To celebrate the anniversary of the release of '']'' mixtape, J. Cole released a freestyle entitled "The Last Stretch" on June 15, 2010. On June 21 of that year, J. Cole premiered the music video to his first single "Who Dat" on ]'s ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jcole.org/2010/j-cole-who-dat/ |title="Who Dat" music video |publisher=J. Cole |date= |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> In August 2010 J. Cole, was awarded the UMA Male Artist of the Year thanks to his heralded ''The Warm Up'' mixtape and a high profile deal with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation at the 2010 Underground Music Awards. In an interview, J. Cole revealed three song names from his upcoming album, including "Wet Dreams", "Won't Be Long", and "Never Told", which was produced by ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jcole.org/2010/video-j-cole-speaks-on-final-album-selections/ |title=J. Cole reveals Debut Album Song Titles |publisher=Jcole.org |date= |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> On October 30, 2010, a demo titled "I'm Coming Home" was leaked onto the internet, Cole recorded the song as a reference track for ], which later became "]" off '']'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web|author=VoodooChild |url=http://www.thatsthatish.com/2010/10/j-cole-im-coming-home-demo.html |title=J. Cole - "I'm Coming Home (Demo)," thatsthatish.com |publisher=" thatsthatish.com |date=2010-10-30 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> | |||
| On November 12, 2010 J. Cole released his third official mixtape titled '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|title=DOWNLOAD "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"!|url=http://www.jcolemusic.com/news/download-friday-night-lights|work=|publisher=JColeMusic|accessdate=May 19, 2011}}</ref> The tape included features from ], ] & Omen with most of the production being handled by Cole himself. | |||
| Cole served as a supporting act for ], on the Light Dreams and Nightmares UK Tour, January 5–21, 2011. Cole will return to the UK in the Autumn to support ] on his 7-city Arena Tour which begins at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on October 31 and ends at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on November 8 with a stop over at the 02 arena in London on November 4. Cole also supported ] on the North American/Caribbean leg of her ] as the opening act, beginning in Baltimore in June 2011 and concluding in ] in August 2011. Rihanna announced in July 2011 via ] that Cole, who was already on the road with the singer, had been upgraded to the role of "official" tour opener and main warm-up act for the North American/Caribbean leg, after ] had to drop out of the ] due to other commitments. On January 17, 2011, J. Cole released a remix to Rihanna's third single, "]", from her fifth studio album, '']'' (2010). | |||
| On April 25, 2011, Vibe listed him at number 5 on their Vibe's list of Greatest Rappers Alive 30 Under 30.<ref> ]</ref> Cole was nominated for Best New Artist at the ].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards/2011/nominees/best-new-artist.html|title=Best New Artist | BET Awards | Shows | BET |publisher=BET |date= |accessdate=2011-11-21}}</ref> | |||
| ===2011–present: Any Given Sundays & ''Cole World: The Sideline Story''=== | |||
| On May 4, 2011 J. Cole wrote on ], "All singles done. Album ridiculous. Title Perfect. Music incredible. Thank you for your patience. Let's change the game." In June 2011 he announced that the recording of the album was finished, and that the release date is set for September later that year. Through Twitter, J. Cole later confirmed that the release date for his album would be September 27, 2011 and that the title is '']''.<ref>http://twitter.com/#!/JColeNC/status/65554185390800896</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Yuen |first=Vince |url=http://wegotthiscovered.com/music/cole-announces-album-title-release-date/ |title=J. Cole Announces Debut Album Title |publisher=Wegotthiscovered.com |date=2011-06-21 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> | |||
| On May 22, 2011, J. Cole released a song entitled "Return of Simba," the third in the "Simba series" following "Simba" and "Grown Simba." Cole purposefully avoided releasing his debut album’s title for fear of inconsistency. He only announced that Jay-Z will be featured on his debut album.<ref name=GrimeDaily>{{cite web|last=GrimeDaily|first=GrimeDaily|title=GRIME DAILY MEETS J. COLE |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4pDb1Tj9b8&feature=related|work=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4pDb1Tj9b8&feature=related|publisher=GrimeDaily|accessdate=January 10, 2011}}</ref> Cole released his follow-up single to "Who Dat", "]" on June 15, 2011, in honor of the second anniversary of his highly acclaimed mixtape '']''.<ref> ''MissInfo.tv''</ref> The song, produced by Cole himself, ] "]" by Kanye West and ] "]" by ].<ref> ''WhoSampled''</ref><ref> ''WhoSampled''</ref> | |||
| On July 31, J. Cole took to Twitter and his website to announce Any Given Sunday. Reminiscent of ]'s ], a weekly free music ]. J. Cole wrote "Every Sunday til the album drops I’ll be back with something. Maybe just 1 song, maybe a video, depending on how I’m feeling." For the 3rd installment of his Sunday series, "Any Given Sunday", J. Cole hopped on Ustream to update fans about the album and play some tracks that didn't make the cut. On August 22 Cole released his debut album's cover art, designed by Alex Haldi for Bestest Asbestos, whom J. Cole recorded a song for titled "Killers", for Haldi's mixtape ''The Glorification of Gangster''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Name (required) |url=http://lifepulseblog.com/2011/03/15/dope-project-alert-the-glorification-of-gangster-art-exhibit/ |title=DOPE PROJECT ALERT: The Glorification Of Gangster Art Exhibit « LIFE Pulse Blog |publisher=Lifepulseblog.com |date=2011-05-12 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> For the fourth installment, on August 29, he released his debut album's track list, once again through twitter.<ref> 2DopeBoyz.com</ref> On August 15 a music video was released for the album's first single "Work Out" on YouTube, Vevo and 106 & Park. | |||
| On August 30, after an unfinished version had leaked, "]" featuring R&B singer ] was released as the album's ]. While in ] for his last performance as the official opening act for ]'s ], Cole shot the music video for his debut album's second single, "Can't Get Enough", with Songz and Rihanna, who provided a cameo while in her home town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vibe.com/photo-galleries/peep-rihanna-hangs-out-j-cole-and-trey-songz-cant-get-enough-shoot |title=Peep This: Rihanna Hangs Out With J. Cole And Trey Songz At The 'Can't Get Enough' Shoot |publisher=VIBE |date=2011-10-08 |accessdate=2011-10-12}}</ref> The video, directed by Clifton Bell, was released on September 14, 2011. In addition early on September 25, two days before his album's release, Cole released a music video for the iTunes bonus track "Daddy's Little Girl". | |||
| On October 24, it was announced by J. Cole that his sophomore album will be released in June 2012. He had mentioned that the album will consist of songs that never made the track list for his debut album.<ref>http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17358/title.j-cole-says-his-sophomore-album-will-arrive-in-june-2012</ref> | |||
| On November 6, 7 and 8, Cole was the support act for ], during his concert at the ], ], Wales ], Birmingham, England and ], ], England. | |||
| ==Touring== | |||
| After the release of Cole's first album, he immediately went on a national tour across the U.S., in which he was the headliner for the first time. He has opened for labelmates, Rihanna and Jay-Z. | |||
| == Discography == | |||
| {{Main|J. Cole discography|J. Cole production discography}} | |||
| ;Studio albums | |||
| * '']'' (2011) | |||
| ;Free EPs | |||
| * '''' (2011) | |||
| * '''' (2011) | |||
| * '''' (2011) | |||
| ;Mixtapes | |||
| * '']'' (as The Therapist) (2006) | |||
| * '']'' (2007) | |||
| * '']'' (2009) | |||
| * '']'' (2010) | |||
| * '''' (2011) | |||
| == References == | |||
| {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| *{{Official website|www.jcolemusic.com}} | |||
| * | |||
| *{{Twitter|JColeNC}} | |||
| *{{Facebook|JColeMusic}} | |||
| *{{Myspace|JCole}} | |||
| * on ] | |||
| {{J. Cole}} {{Roc Nation}} | |||
| <!-- Metadata: see ] --> | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME=J. Cole | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Cole, Jermaine | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION= | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH= January 28, 1985 | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH= | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH= | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH= | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, J.}} | |||
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