Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has collaborated with a number of notable artists. He's widely considered one of today's most important rappers. On a German military base, and in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he was reared.
In early 2007, Cole's debut mixtape, The Come Up, helped him establish notoriety as a rapper. After signing to Jay-Roc Z's Nation label in 2009, he released two more mixtapes, The Warm-Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010), both of which received critical praise.
Cole World: The Sideline Story was Cole's first studio album published in 2011. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in the United States. Born Sinner (2013), his second album, likewise debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2015 Grammys. On 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), his jazz-influenced fourth album, he earned number one on the Billboard 200.
The Beatles had previously held the record for the number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at six at the same time, but this was Cole's fifth number one album, KOD (2018)..
A year after the release of The Off-Season in May 2021, he achieved his sixth number one record.
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Early Life
As a child on an Army installation in Frankfurt, Jermaine Lamarr Cole was given the name Jermaine Lamar Cole by his mother. For several years, Kay worked as a mail clerk while Cole's father enlisted in the United States Army.
He began rapping at the age of 12 after his mother moved him and his elder brother Zach to Fayetteville in North Carolina when Cole was just eight months old.
Cole's notebooks were full of rhymes by the time he was 14, but he had no method to transcribe them. She purchased him an 808 rhythm machine so he could make his own songs.
At the age of 17, he began uploading songs under the pseudonym “Therapist” to various internet communities.
Upon graduating from high school, Cole was awarded a scholarship to attend St. John's University in New York City and immediately relocated to the Big Apple. His final grade point average was a 3.8, which was good enough to get him a diploma.
Career
In 2007, Cole received recognition after the release of his debut mixtape “The Come Up”. Shortly after the release, Cole was contacted by American rapper Jay-Z and signed to his record label Roc Nation.
In 2009, Cole released his second mixtape, “The Warm Up”, which was itself followed by Cole's third mixtape, “Friday Night Lights”, in 2010. In 2011, Cole toured with Drake as a supporting act. He released his debut studio album Cole World: The Sideline Story in 2011 and the album reached #1 on the Billboard 200, US Rap, and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts. It was quickly certified platinum.
His second album Born Sinner was released in 2013 and also reached #1 on all three of those charts. Cole's album 2014 Forest Hills Drive was released in 2014 and also reached #1 on the Billboard 200, US Rap, and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
Both Born Sinner and Forest Hills Drive were certified platinum, and the latter garnered him his first Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. His 2016 album 4 Your Eyez Only also reached #1 on all of those charts as well as #1 in Canada and was quickly certified platinum.
Cole released his fifth album, KOD, in 2018, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, making it his fifth No. 1 album.
On January 26, 2020, J. Cole won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for his collaboration with 21 Savage on the song “A Lot”
J. Cole's Net Worth
J. Cole is a well-known hip-hop recording artist, songwriter, and record producer from the United States, and he has a net worth of sixty million dollars. J. Cole was the first artist to be signed to Roc Nation, which is owned and operated by Jay-Z.
It is not an exaggeration to say that he is perennially one of the highest-paid rappers in the world. He brings about $30 million on a yearly basis, on average.
Other Ventures
Apart from his successful rap career, Cole also works as a producer. He began his own record label in early 2007 with Ibrahim Hamad called Dreamville Records.
Dreamville Records has put out nine albums, three of which have been certified platinum. J. Cole has produced singles for Janet Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, and many other artists. He's also a minor shareholder of Tidal.
Cole also established a non-profit organization in October 2011, The Dreamville Foundation. The organization runs various philanthropic events for underprivileged youth such as a back-to-school supply drive and a book club for young men. The Dreamville Foundation also sponsors writing contests and career days.
Through the foundation, Cole purchased his childhood home, which had been repossessed from his mother years earlier, in 2014 for $120,000. He purchased the home with the goal to turn it into rent-free housing for single mothers and their kids.
He holds the yearly Dreamville Festival concert series, which features local music, artists, culture, and food, as well as big-name acts like Nelly, Big Sean, and 21 Savage. The proceeds benefit the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy in Raleigh, NC, and the Dreamville Foundation.
Controversies
Cole and Diddy got embroiled in an argument during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in NYC. It started when Diddy approached Kendrick Lamar about a lyric in one of his songs and Diddy tried to dump a drink on Lamar.
Both groups were involved in an incident that resulted in a brief scuffle after Cole interfered. Cole and Diddy publicly ended their feud a few months later.
Personal Life
Melissa Holt is Cole's wife. As a result of their time at St. John's, she is now the Executive Director of Dreamville Foundation. One of J. Cole's first public statements about their relationship was in May 2018, when they announced that they were expecting their first child together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is J. Cole Still Married?
Cole and St. John's University appear to have met in college. Soon after they met, they became inseparable, and have been together since. According to reports, the pair got engaged in 2015 and wed the following year.
How Did J. Cole Get Famous?
Cole was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he released his first mixtape, The Come Up, in 2007. After signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label in 2009, he went on to record two more mixtapes as a solo artist.
