J. Cole is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint in 2009. Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Birth Name
Jermaine Lamarr Cole
Nickname
J. Cole, Blaza, Therapist
Profession
Rapper, Singer, Record Producer, Songwriter
Genre
Hip Hop
Instruments
Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Labels
Columbia Records, ByStorm (Former), Interscope, Dreamville Records, Roc Nation
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
J. Cole was born on January 28, 1985 in Frankfurt, Hesse, West Germany.
Age
Cole is currently 34 years old.
Residence
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Ethnicity
Multiracial
On his father’s side, he is of American African origin, whereas his mother is of White German descent.
Religion
His religious views aren’t known.
Education
J. Cole graduated from Terry Sanford High School with 4.2 GPA, which helped him get a scholarship from St. John’s University in New York City. By then, Cole was already planning to move to New York City for the sake of his music career, so he joined St. John’s. Initially, he had selected computer science as his major. But after getting unnerved by his computer science professor’s lonely existence, he decided to major in communication and business. In 2007, he graduated from the university with 3.8 GPA.
Family Details
- Father – was a former US army veteran.
- Mother – worked as a postal worker for the United States Postal Service
- Siblings – Zach Cole (Brother)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
J. Cole has dated –
- Melissa Heholt (2015-Present) – J. Cole started going out with wedding planner Melissa Heholt while studying at St. John’s University. They have had a very tumultuous relationship with rumors flying around that Cole had cheated on his girlfriend several times. Also, Cole has proposed to Melissa on three different occasions. The first proposal came in 2010 when he couldn’t afford a ring for her. He then proposed to her via Twitter. The final proposal came in 2015 with a four-carat diamond ring. Also in a May 2018 interview with radio host Angie Martinez, Cole stated that he and his wife have a son together.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 6 feet 2 inches
- In centimeters – 188 cm
- In meters – 1.88 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 84 kg
- In Pounds – 185 lbs
Body Measurements
His body statistics are unknown.
Body Build
Athletic
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
J. Cole wears a size 11.5 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
The great commercial success and critical acclaim he got for Born Sinner and 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
Album Debut
In September 2011, he released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. It reached #1 on Billboard 200 with 772,000 album sales in the US.
Film Debut
He made his film debut in a comedy documentary Dave Chappelle‘s Block Party as himself in 2005. His role was uncredited. His first appearance in a theatrical film was in the 2009 release Spicy Mac Project for his role as Genius Wrapper.
Television Debut
Apart from award shows and concerts, J. Cole made his TV show debut in the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2012 as himself.
Brand Endorsements
J. Cole has been seen in commercials about Adidas, Nike, Hillary Clinton (2016), Sprite, etc.
J. Cole Favorites
- Favorite Rappers – Tupac Shakur, Nas, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Eminem
- Favorite Drink – Hennessy, Coke
- Favorite Food – Lobster mac and cheese at Catch Restaurant on Ninth Avenue
J. Cole Net worth
J. Cole has an estimated net worth of $30 million dollars as of 2019.
Social Media Portfolio
- Facebook – J. Cole
- Instagram – realcoleworld
- Twitter – J. Cole
- YouTube Channel – J. Cole
Some Lesser Known Facts About J. Cole
- He aspired to become a rapper at a young age and by 12, he began rapping by joining small time groups in his neighborhood.
- J. Cole started rapping at the age of 15 by joining a rap group, Bomm Sheltuh. His group members, Nervous Reck and FilthE Ritch became his mentors.
- He started producing music at the age of 15 after his mother gifted him an ASR-X musical on a Christmas Eve.
- Cole did a number of odd jobs such as a file clerk, a bill collector, an advert salesman, and a mascot at a skating rink before cracking it big in the music scene.
- Cole had rapping monikers like Blaza and Therapist during his early career.
- He has been unsuccessful many times trying to meet Jay Z to give a demo of his work. Finally, after many unsuccessful attempts, he became the first rapper signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2009.
- In 2010, Beyond Race magazine named him as one of the “50 great breakthrough artists”.
- In 2010, he co-founded Dreamville Records in collaboration with Ibrahim Hamad.
- J. Cole is the first rap artist to simultaneously debut three songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with “ATM” (at 6), “Kevin’s Heart” (8) and “KOD” (10).
- His rapping influences include Tupac Shakur, Jay Z, Eminem, Nas and Andre 3000.
- He has own record label called Dreamvile Records, launched in 2007.
- In October 2011, he established The Dreamville Foundation, a charitable organization which focusses on empowering Fayetteville youth and supporting them to get better career opportunities. His wife serves as its executive director.
- In January 20, 2019, Cole cleared his Instagram page, the next day Cole cryptically posted a series of posts, they read: I’m Counting My Bullets, I’m Loading My Clips, I’m Writing Down Names and I’m Making A List, Cole later deleted the tweets.
- In April 6, 2019, Cole organised a musical feast called Dreamville Festival, which held at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.
