Among hip-hop’s latest crop of aspiring stars, rapper J. Cole is being touted as the next big thing in rap. Having drawn comparison’s to rap greats like Nas and Tupac, this Fayetteville, N.C., lyricist seems on the verge of stardom. In a recent interview with pressofatlanticcity.com, Cole discussed his college days, his relationship with Jay-Z and his thoughts on his forthcoming debut album.
In the interview, Cole recalls his days as a student at St. John’s University and although he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communications, he explains that rapping was the only thing ever on his mind.
“I never wanted to do anything else other than this. I never really gave any thought to another career,” explains Cole, adding that his mother influenced his college dreams. “I always knew I was going to go to college. It wasn’t even an option not to go. … Even though she didn’t go, my mother made it seem that important to me.”
“I encourage anybody to go — it’s not just important educationally, but socially,” he says. “It’s four more years of a different kind of growing up,” added Cole.
It’s that hunger for music that originally drew the attention of his Roc Nation boss, Jay-Z, who signed Cole to the label as his first official artist. Although being under the wing of Jay-Z may seem intimidating to others, Cole says that their relationship is pretty easygoing.
“He’s definitely a mentor,” Cole says. “I just appreciate the fact that he lets me learn and grow on my own. When I need information, I can come to him.”
And while Jay-Z may not be pressuring his Roc Nation mentee to complete his long-awaited untitled debut album, Cole knows that audiences are hungry and expectations for his album are high. But he’s confident that his music will satisfy anyone willing to get a taste of his emotionally charged rhymes.
“I only gave a date one time in my career last year, and I smacked myself in the face because it was so unrealistic,” says Cole. “Now I say it’s coming soon, and it’s really true, because we’re in the final stages right now.
What do you think of Cole’s thoughts on education, Jay-Z and his music? –nicholas robinson
