Stoglin pointed out that during COVID, many players had their careers halted and were waiting for an opportunity to play again. “For a guy who has so much money and has another career to just come here and average, like, one point a game and still get glorified is very disrespectful to the game. It’s disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their whole lives for this.” While speaking with Angie Martinez, Cole not only denied the existence of a sex tape but also shut down rumors that the pair was even dating. He confirmed having a long-time girlfriend and joked that she didn’t handle the Rihanna rumors too well. In a later interview with Vulture, J. Cole spoke in-depth about how getting married and having his first child changed his lifestyle. “Family can literally be the thing you always needed, bring balance and meaning and fuel your creativity, give you purpose,” he said.
Career statistics
He has since helped his fellow rappers with their addictions. The magnitude of this mission necessitates an array of relationships and thus characters. Cole enlists his mom, a fleet of drug-addled rappers, a cheating partner, a social media user, freeloading friends, and even himself to explore addiction. Unlike 2016’s 4 Your Eyez Only, where Cole often melded his perspective with those of others, on KOD the points of view are discrete and distinct.
- Logic is a great example of choosing a path of addiction treatment, despite being raised in an environment that harbored drug use and addiction.
- The album has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
- “After Pharrell and I came up with the hook trying to write the song, I remember the struggles at that time of like, ‘What the fuck do I have to offer on a song like this?
- In 2019, he congratulated Cardi B after her Grammy win and gave a message to other artists who may feel overlooked.
J. Cole Plays Unreleased Songs Featuring Kendrick Lamar on ‘Inevitable’ Podcast
The 33-year-old lyricist grew up on music by Tupac Shakur, OutKast, Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem, so naturally the ability to weave together vivid, graphic stories on wax is embedded in his musical DNA. Over the course of his career, the Dreamville frontman has developed and honed his ability to detail narratives thanks to a wide range of life experiences and risk-taking techniques. Puff seemed to be, as they say, wildin’ for respect around that time. One year later, he had a dust-up with Drake outside of the club LIV in Miami. Drake’s “0-100,” a song we think of now as one of his best loosie releases but, allegedly, a beat that originally “belonged” to Puffy, who had contracted Drake to write some verses for him.
Personal life
His 2009 album, Relapse, was a direct result of a relapse following the death of his best friend, rapper Proof. After becoming sober, Eminem reemerged with Recovery, his incredibly successful seventh album chronicling his journey to sobriety. It was a deeply personal album that separated him from his Slim j cole sober Shady alter ego. On the hit single “Not Afraid,” Eminem raps, “It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me.” The hip hop icon celebrated his 15th year of sobriety earlier this year.
The seed for K.O.D. was planted one night in Detroit last year, at a Kendrick Lamar concert. Cole had performed a night earlier and hung out an extra day to support his longtime friend on the DAMN. Watching Lamar’s show, the energy that swept over the Palace of Auburn Hills reminded him of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. He recounted his journey from a young boy to a 35-year-old who made his dreams come true. While telling his personal story of growth, he also confirmed that he was now a father of two young sons.
J. Cole Debuts Unreleased Pharrell Collab Featuring ‘Cancel’-Worthy Bar
Initially, his mother — who is now sober — felt uneasy about these personal moments being broadcasted to his fans. She told Vulture, “For him to tell it — does it hurt, it is a bit embarrassing? Yes, but Jermaine was given a gift.” She’s described her son as coming from a place of compassion Substance abuse and unconditional love. “Humans have been self-medicating since the beginning of time, but let’s talk why,” she explained.
In the following year, Cole published a personal essay in The Players Tribune about his growing love for basketball and how he’s been able to balance honing his craft and making time for a personal life. In 2019, he congratulated Cardi B after her Grammy win and gave a message to other artists who may feel overlooked. “I went through a lot of heart break the first half of my career, maybe even longer, cuz deep down I needed that validation that I thought the awards could bring,” he tweeted. “No award show could ever get it all the way right. Especially one that ain’t run by us,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet. In a genre famous for braggadocious lyrics and over-the-top images, Cole has separated himself from the pack by remaining humble and true to himself. For an emcee whose music pulls from his real life, there’s still a lot that remains unknown about J.
- “That’s why I write so many stories from so many different perspectives, because I’ve seen so many,” he explained.
- In addition, early on September 25, two days before his album’s release, Cole released the music video for the iTunes bonus track “Daddy’s Little Girl”.
- Then another Jay-Z cut, “A Million and One Questions.” “Haven’t heard this one in a while,” he says.
- By the story’s end Cole is again forced to reckon with the limits of his means, emotionally and fiscally.
The Off-Season received positive reviews from critics and topped the US Billboard 200. It sold 282,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, earning Cole his sixth consecutive number-one album in the country. At the time of its release, The Off-Season achieved the largest streaming week of 2021, accumulating over 325.5 million streams.