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J Cole Interview
RnB/Hip Hop | Tuesday 22nd November 2011 | Osh
J. Cole
Interviewed by @mroshi
We linked up with the rap sensation fresh out of North Carolina about his musical journey, secret to success, inspirations and more! Check it out.
I’m here with the man J. Cole. You were born in Europe, Welcome back man!
How’s it going, you having a good time?
I am man I’m cool! I had a day off yesterday, enjoyed my night in London, it was cool.
Nice, you went out somewhere?
At first we went out to eat at Meat and Co. and then we went to the club Yoyo and then Movida.
So, a couple of different flavours?
Yeah, totally different flavours but it was cool.
Did you ball out in Movida?
Nah I didn’t ball out, just had a couple of drinks of Hennessy, it was good.
Must have been nice. It’s been a long way since The Therapist and those years, you got your new thing the Friday Night Project coming out soon, how’s it all looking music wise? Your album, how’s the vibe?
It was the no.1 album in the U.S., I think it was no.2 out here, it was well received. You know I’m feeling good it took a long time to put it out, so just the fact that I got it out is a relief. It took two and a half years to put the album out know what I’m saying.
Nice. I’m actually a fan man I’ve actually been listening since your first two mix tapes were out there. Back in the day I predicted that you were going to be one of the biggest rappers but no one believed me. Now tell me something that is going to happen in your future or something you’re aiming for that I don’t know of.
Oh man. I mean I’m trying to be here for 10 or 15 years, trying to be here for a long time.
Obviously you had a game plan but as you get bigger and bigger and more things are happening your goals are going to change.
You just want to continue doing things on a high level I think so like I just got a no.1 album so I want to do that every time. If I sold this amount of records, I want to sell more, if they think this album is good next time I want them to think it’s better. I’m constantly trying to get better and improve not just statistically but also artistically. I want to be constantly growing, always be ahead of the game, like in five years from now and it’s a new rapper coming out I wanna be ahead of him. Find out how I gotta write, what my flows gotta be and what stories I gotta tell, I feel like Jay did it and some of the best did it to stay ahead of the game.
Okay. I know you’ve got a lot of feedback from Missy Elliot and a lot of big artists that said they are completely behind you, have you got anyone else out there to impress to give you their blessings?
I really don’t look for that I mean when it comes it’s great when you get other artists that respect you or give you props, I love that but I don’t look for it, it’s not what I’m looking for like man I hope he really likes my music or something.
What did Nas say when you met him?
Oh man! First I told him how much of a fan I was and then he was like nah I’m a fan of yours. That was kind of crazy to hear him say that, this is Nas, you know what I’m saying, what you mean you’re a fan of mine like that isn’t even possible. This is the same dude I used to listen to every night you know, right before I go to sleep, like trying to study sometimes I fall asleep with his whole album on repeat. So the fact he says he’s a fan of me is crazy.
Nas is guilty materialism, Blacks is still up in the prison, Huey mixed with Riley inside you so you still fighting this moral dilemma do you think in future you may go one way or the other way more?
Nah cause I’m still that person, I don’t know if I’ll rap about the same things my whole career, I’ll probably touch on these topics forever.
Mentally you might go one way or the other?
Nah I don’t think so, I mean so far so good I’m still in the middle, I’m still telling the story from the middle somebody that sees this and sees this. It’s like the Lights Please thing on one hand you want to be deep on the other hand you got a freak and its like you are both of those things at the same time. I feel like my style is like that, I can give you Huey on any given day or I can give you the Riley on any given day, so far its still like that.
What do you do in your life to keep that balance that you have?
I think I just try to keep the same people around me, the people that really remind me who I really am rather than coming in the game and surrounding myself with new people. I have my real friends around me and we are all in business together so we’re trying to grow as a company.
I like your music because when I put it on its when I want to hustle. I know you’ve been on your grind for a long time so imagine you get to heaven right, now for you to get in there you have to give a few reasons why you’re a hustler, what would you say?
First of all I made something out of nothing, when you look at the odds for a rapper from Fayetteville, North Carolina to be signed to one of the greatest rappers ever, nobody even knows the city that I’m from but yet I rep like that. Reason number two I masterminded this whole thing, like I seen it like even moving to New York city and going to school.
So you planned it, you had this vision?
I didn’t know exactly how it would play out but I planned it and I made it happen.
If you were going to sign someone right now who would it be?
I’d probably sign Frank Ocean or kings like Lemar these guys they don’t need me, they are super talented but if I had free reign to sign anybody I would love to work with those guys.
Okay. I think Nicki Minaj is hot right but one line she did “You ain’t my son, you are my motherfucking stepson,” how do you feel about being number five on the Best Rappers in life on the Vibe Awards and Nicki was number four?
Nicki had a great year so I can’t hate on her for that.
Some people smoke weed, some don’t smoke it and some smoke and talk about it a lot but you’re like a reformed weed smoker, what’s your take on it?
I had my run, my stint with it but its just not for me. t’s not that I don’t smoke anymore, I still give it a shot here and there but it don’t sit well with me.
You got it under control.
I was never like somebody who woke up blazing but when I was a smoker maybe smoking everyday or a few times a week or whatever it was it just wasn’t sitting right with me. It don’t do the things to me that it does to other people, I feel like it calms everybody down and relaxes them.
So if you were to give someone out there one tip or secret to your success, what would it be?
Just believe and try to keep your mind on the overall bigger picture don’t worry about the smaller stuff, that stuff will fill in itself as long as you got your mind on the greater picture. A lot of people they talk about they want to do big things but they focus on the small details, like if we’re talking about rap, you wanna be the biggest rapper in the game so you say but all you ever talk about is how you can’t get on to the blogs. I got a homeboy always talking about local rappers like man “this man is whack as fuck; at the end of the day he’s a local rapper why you worried about him you need to be worrying about you. So I say keep your mind on the bigger picture.
That can apply to anything.
Yeah that can apply to everything I just used rap but that can apply to any form in life.
You still working as hard as ever now?
Yeah still man, I got a bag full of CDs to go through looking for samples and I gotta phone full of raps you know I’m already working.
I heard you were inspired by Master P, you used to listen to him a lot and that your first raps were inspired by that. I would like to hear how that sounded you know J. Cole sounding like Master P, how would J. Cole have sounded like on No Limit?
I don’t know man. You know what I was young like Lil’ Romeo’s age or something, I used to call the hot line and leave messages like “Yo what’s up man? My name is Jermaine I live in Fayetteville North Carolina I got some ideas for yall, you know I’m a young rapper but I got some video ideas for yall.” I was 13 years old at this time trying to make it happen, I’m trying to get them to call me back leaving my number and all that, still trying to find a way in. I don’t know how it would’ve been if they had called me back and signed me.
Thank you very much for your time J. Cole, next time your back we have to catch up.
To stay on top of what J. Cole’s up to check out his facebook JColeMusic.
We linked up with the rap sensation fresh out of North Carolina about his musical journey, secret to success, inspirations and more! Check it out.
I’m here with the man J. Cole. You were born in Europe, Welcome back man!
How’s it going, you having a good time?
I am man I’m cool! I had a day off yesterday, enjoyed my night in London, it was cool.
Nice, you went out somewhere?
At first we went out to eat at Meat and Co. and then we went to the club Yoyo and then Movida.
So, a couple of different flavours?
Yeah, totally different flavours but it was cool.
Did you ball out in Movida?
Nah I didn’t ball out, just had a couple of drinks of Hennessy, it was good.
Must have been nice. It’s been a long way since The Therapist and those years, you got your new thing the Friday Night Project coming out soon, how’s it all looking music wise? Your album, how’s the vibe?
It was the no.1 album in the U.S., I think it was no.2 out here, it was well received. You know I’m feeling good it took a long time to put it out, so just the fact that I got it out is a relief. It took two and a half years to put the album out know what I’m saying.
Nice. I’m actually a fan man I’ve actually been listening since your first two mix tapes were out there. Back in the day I predicted that you were going to be one of the biggest rappers but no one believed me. Now tell me something that is going to happen in your future or something you’re aiming for that I don’t know of.
Oh man. I mean I’m trying to be here for 10 or 15 years, trying to be here for a long time.
Obviously you had a game plan but as you get bigger and bigger and more things are happening your goals are going to change.
You just want to continue doing things on a high level I think so like I just got a no.1 album so I want to do that every time. If I sold this amount of records, I want to sell more, if they think this album is good next time I want them to think it’s better. I’m constantly trying to get better and improve not just statistically but also artistically. I want to be constantly growing, always be ahead of the game, like in five years from now and it’s a new rapper coming out I wanna be ahead of him. Find out how I gotta write, what my flows gotta be and what stories I gotta tell, I feel like Jay did it and some of the best did it to stay ahead of the game.
Okay. I know you’ve got a lot of feedback from Missy Elliot and a lot of big artists that said they are completely behind you, have you got anyone else out there to impress to give you their blessings?
I really don’t look for that I mean when it comes it’s great when you get other artists that respect you or give you props, I love that but I don’t look for it, it’s not what I’m looking for like man I hope he really likes my music or something.
What did Nas say when you met him?
Oh man! First I told him how much of a fan I was and then he was like nah I’m a fan of yours. That was kind of crazy to hear him say that, this is Nas, you know what I’m saying, what you mean you’re a fan of mine like that isn’t even possible. This is the same dude I used to listen to every night you know, right before I go to sleep, like trying to study sometimes I fall asleep with his whole album on repeat. So the fact he says he’s a fan of me is crazy.
Nas is guilty materialism, Blacks is still up in the prison, Huey mixed with Riley inside you so you still fighting this moral dilemma do you think in future you may go one way or the other way more?
Nah cause I’m still that person, I don’t know if I’ll rap about the same things my whole career, I’ll probably touch on these topics forever.
Mentally you might go one way or the other?
Nah I don’t think so, I mean so far so good I’m still in the middle, I’m still telling the story from the middle somebody that sees this and sees this. It’s like the Lights Please thing on one hand you want to be deep on the other hand you got a freak and its like you are both of those things at the same time. I feel like my style is like that, I can give you Huey on any given day or I can give you the Riley on any given day, so far its still like that.
What do you do in your life to keep that balance that you have?
I think I just try to keep the same people around me, the people that really remind me who I really am rather than coming in the game and surrounding myself with new people. I have my real friends around me and we are all in business together so we’re trying to grow as a company.
I like your music because when I put it on its when I want to hustle. I know you’ve been on your grind for a long time so imagine you get to heaven right, now for you to get in there you have to give a few reasons why you’re a hustler, what would you say?
First of all I made something out of nothing, when you look at the odds for a rapper from Fayetteville, North Carolina to be signed to one of the greatest rappers ever, nobody even knows the city that I’m from but yet I rep like that. Reason number two I masterminded this whole thing, like I seen it like even moving to New York city and going to school.
So you planned it, you had this vision?
I didn’t know exactly how it would play out but I planned it and I made it happen.
If you were going to sign someone right now who would it be?
I’d probably sign Frank Ocean or kings like Lemar these guys they don’t need me, they are super talented but if I had free reign to sign anybody I would love to work with those guys.
Okay. I think Nicki Minaj is hot right but one line she did “You ain’t my son, you are my motherfucking stepson,” how do you feel about being number five on the Best Rappers in life on the Vibe Awards and Nicki was number four?
Nicki had a great year so I can’t hate on her for that.
Some people smoke weed, some don’t smoke it and some smoke and talk about it a lot but you’re like a reformed weed smoker, what’s your take on it?
I had my run, my stint with it but its just not for me. t’s not that I don’t smoke anymore, I still give it a shot here and there but it don’t sit well with me.
You got it under control.
I was never like somebody who woke up blazing but when I was a smoker maybe smoking everyday or a few times a week or whatever it was it just wasn’t sitting right with me. It don’t do the things to me that it does to other people, I feel like it calms everybody down and relaxes them.
So if you were to give someone out there one tip or secret to your success, what would it be?
Just believe and try to keep your mind on the overall bigger picture don’t worry about the smaller stuff, that stuff will fill in itself as long as you got your mind on the greater picture. A lot of people they talk about they want to do big things but they focus on the small details, like if we’re talking about rap, you wanna be the biggest rapper in the game so you say but all you ever talk about is how you can’t get on to the blogs. I got a homeboy always talking about local rappers like man “this man is whack as fuck; at the end of the day he’s a local rapper why you worried about him you need to be worrying about you. So I say keep your mind on the bigger picture.
That can apply to anything.
Yeah that can apply to everything I just used rap but that can apply to any form in life.
You still working as hard as ever now?
Yeah still man, I got a bag full of CDs to go through looking for samples and I gotta phone full of raps you know I’m already working.
I heard you were inspired by Master P, you used to listen to him a lot and that your first raps were inspired by that. I would like to hear how that sounded you know J. Cole sounding like Master P, how would J. Cole have sounded like on No Limit?
I don’t know man. You know what I was young like Lil’ Romeo’s age or something, I used to call the hot line and leave messages like “Yo what’s up man? My name is Jermaine I live in Fayetteville North Carolina I got some ideas for yall, you know I’m a young rapper but I got some video ideas for yall.” I was 13 years old at this time trying to make it happen, I’m trying to get them to call me back leaving my number and all that, still trying to find a way in. I don’t know how it would’ve been if they had called me back and signed me.
Thank you very much for your time J. Cole, next time your back we have to catch up.
To stay on top of what J. Cole’s up to check out his facebook JColeMusic.
