J. Cole Archives - Rolling Out

J. Cole released a surprise single in the midst of the uprising that’s occurring globally following the untimely death of George Floyd. Cole’s song, “Snow on Tha Bluff” became a trending topic during the early morning hours of June 17 due to its lyrical content. The song came two weeks after Chicago-based rapper, Noname, posted…

Nearly a week after the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, protests have erupted across the country. Starting Friday, May 30, and continuing throughout the weekend, thousands of people congregated in cities across the country to protest police brutality. Many Americans peacefully demonstrated with Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery…

The family of an 11-year-old cancer patient helped the young boy FaceTime with his favorite hip-hop and R&B stars just days before he passed away from the disease. Rap superstars Drake, 33 and J. Cole, 35, along with singer The Weeknd, 30, hopped on a face-to-face conversation with Elijah Patrick Williams, 11, for a few…

The legendary hip-hop group Gang Starr released One of the Best Yet and it is a welcome addition to an overall underwhelming 2019. DJ Premier is the only surviving member of Gang Starr, as Keith Edward Elam also known as GURU (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), died on April 10, 2010. This project comes 16 years…

It’s another New Music Friday and if Pete Rock & Skyzoo don’t do it for you, perhaps Lil Boosie and Zaytoven will? They both delivered projects that hit the mark with quality tracks and outstanding production. Beyond that, we tossed in some hidden gems, playlist-ready singles and a song that marks the resurrection of Gang…

Ari Lennox performs ‘Shea Butter Baby’ at House of BET during Essence Festival. Fans also share their thoughts on the performance.

Rolling out recently caught up with Zahara Noel, aka ZaZa, a talented 4-year-old whose dance moves to hits by Lil Nas X, ScHoolboy Q, Lil Keed and others have gone viral. She recently stopped by the studio to discuss who she admires in the rap game and what she’d like to be when she grows…

Kanye West has never exemplified trepidation about mixing it up when he believes a fellow rapper or well-heeled critic has come for him. That’s why it took hip-hop fans by surprise when it appeared that J. Cole threw shade at him with his hit joint “False Prophets” without a Kanye comeback. Well, it turns out…

Hip-hop artist Rapsody discussed the impact of Nipsey Hussle, performing at J Cole‘s Dreamville Fest, and honoring female MCs of the past on the red carpet of the Tribeca Film Festival in this exclusive interview

Name: Squallè (Squah-LAY) City: Athens, Georgia Genre: Hip-hop Favorite artists: J. Cole and Meek Mill What does your artist name mean to you? Everything. My “artist name” reflects who I am as an artist and a person. The translation alone is a direct definition that sums up how others view me and my experiences. I learned a…

J. Cole said he “loves” that Donald Trump is in the White House. But before you grab your torches and sic the villagers and hound dogs on the star rapper, singer, songwriter and producer, there’s a deeper meaning behind that “love” of having someone like Trump in office. The entertainer born in Frankfurt, Germany, as…

J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival has set up a relief support team to help assist with families affected by Hurricane Florence. The 33-year-old rapper was set to play the inaugural festival in Fayetteville, North Carolina, last weekend, but the event was axed as the category 4 storm wreaked havoc on the city days before. Now his…

Jay-Z has been named the highest-paid hip-hop star of 2018. The “99 Problems” hitmaker has overtaken Diddy — who has taken the top slot for the last three years — to place first on Forbes’ annual Cash Kings list with estimated earnings of $76.5 million after touring in support of his album 4:44 last year and…

Bas and J. Cole travel through Miami’s Lil Haiti for the latter’s new “Tribe” video. Are you feeling it?

With summer in full effect, it is only right for us to list the hottest trending songs right now. With “Boo’d Up” and “Big Bank” trending, and the release of Drake’s album, Scorpion, there is no room to get bored. Whether you are taking a road trip, on vacation, or simply enjoying some “me time,”…

We get it: There’s a part of you that would really like to dismiss the outbursts of Kanye West as either performance art, or someone still mourning the loss of his mother. But after more than a decade of trying to grapple with the dichotomy of Kanye the artist and Kanye the person, the ability to…

To the dismay of many, Post Malone’s album Beerbongs & Bentleys went platinum within just days of his release. Is there anything about the album that screams masterpiece? No. He’s the type of artist that you listen to when space is needed for your mind to wander. In the U.S. people of color scrutinize each other’s blackness at…

Global music icon Janet Jackson – this years BBMA’s Icon Award Recipient – graces the latest cover of Billboard magazine. She opens up to Billboard on new music, motherhood, Michael Jackson and her return. Here’s the interview in part. On her creative process as she prepares new music: “The truth is that I don’t try…

Great artists can present more than music, they help to shape ideas. With his latest album, KOD, J. Cole sent a wake up call to a generation that is often influenced by money, power, and drugs. Those themes are consistent in the music of the some artists who are on the bill for Rolling Loud.…

J. Cole performs “KOD” at Rolling Loud Festival.