J. Cole
For most up-and-coming emcees, the prospect of stepping onstage in front of 10 thousand-plus fans to spit a verse alongside the great Jay-Z would sound like nothing more than a nice dream (or a nightmare, if you’re performing in your underwear). For J. Cole, however, this incredible scenario has become a reality. The Fayetteville, N.C.-bred, NYC-based emcee had just a single mixtape (‘07’s The Come Up) to his name at the time of his signing, but one listen to current single “Lights Please” was enough to convince
Jay-Z to choose Cole as the flagship artist of his newly-launched Roc Nation label, even giving him a guest verse on Blueprint 3 track “A Star Is Born.” Now, J. is preparing to prove that the aforementioned record’s title is much more than simple coincidence – it’s destiny .
With “Grown Simba” and “Heartache,” both included on recently-released sophomore mixtape The Warm Up, J. Cole left Booth readers and staff fully convinced of his artist-to-watch status, and “Lights Please” only deepened that impression, earning an impressive four-star average rating. Fans can currently catch the rising star on a nationwide college tour with Hova and fellow buzzmaker Wale, running till late November. Once off the road, Cole will devote his full energy to recording his yet-untitled debut album, set to hit stores sometime in 2010.
In an exclusive interview with our own DZ “Z,” J. Cole steps into the Booth to discuss taking the stage alongside his legendary label boss for the first time, the pros and cons of being a beatsmith as well as an emcee and his unorthodox approach to phone bills and student loan payments.
