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The thing about being an artist today is you get to develop right in front of people's eyes before you even put out an album.

J. Cole

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J. Cole
Age: 39
Born: 1985
Born: January 28
Film Director
Film Producer
Music Producer
Rapper
Recording Artist
Singer
Songwriter
Frankfurt/Main
Kill Edward
Jermaine Lamarr Cole
Hollwywood Cole
Today
Album
Right
Albums
Even
Develop
Thing
Fronts
People
Front
Eyes
Eye
Artist

More quotes by J. Cole

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A lot of my music is just self-observation. Like telling you, Oh man. What did I just do? How much did I just pay for this chain? Why did I do that? Wait a minute. Let me talk about that. Or like, the temptation. Let me talk about that. Let me observe myself.
J. Cole
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I want to be like Bruce Springsteen or something, making songs that are relevant.
J. Cole
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I pay attention to lyrics and I know what rap fans care about. I try to write for the average listener and I'm conscious of the mainstream without selling out.
J. Cole
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I was a class clown. At 12, I was definitely clowning. I was making all the jokes. But I was smart, so the teachers didn't know what to do with me.
J. Cole
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I'm not gonna be bad at anything, and I want to actually be the best at anything I'm doing. So if I'm playing basketball, if I'm taking the SATs, like, there's a competitive spirit behind it. With production, it's the same thing.
J. Cole
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I wish I studied more religions, I wish I read the Bible, the Quran. I think as I get older, I will start to really dive into religions, just because I feel like there's truths in all of those books. Clearly. I'm saying there's truths in all of them.
J. Cole
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In my mind, New York was the place where they had the underground rap shows and I could get in on some ciphers and just rap. This whole fantasy world I had created in my head about New York just from listening to the music my whole life, like, I'ma go up there and do that. But when I came up here, there was none of that, that scene was dead.
J. Cole
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My real dream is to have a whole, like, buy a whole piece of land. Imagine, like, a long driveway. Like, a cul de sac-type street, with maybe, like, seven houses. Me be right here. Have my mom be able to be right here. My brother over here. My girl's grandmother and family right here. Friends over there. That's my real dream.
J. Cole
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I'm not a conscious rapper, all those things we talk about, the struggle, the pain, the outlook to the future, keep your head up. I try to put all those positive things into a regular human character, which is myself.
J. Cole
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Barack Obama would not be President if he were dark skin. You know what I mean? That's just the truth. I might not be as successful as I am now if I was dark skin.
J. Cole
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My parents were divorced by the time I was even conscious - like I don't remember them ever being together.
J. Cole
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I'ma be here for a while. None of these clowns can hurt me.
J. Cole
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In hip-hop, there's not a lot of love. There's not a lot of love being spread. It's always like 'I'm stuntin' on you raps, or I'm better than you raps.' It's not a lot of 'Yo man, I idolize you raps.'
J. Cole
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It's no coincidence that all the greatest rappers - whoever you put in your top five - I guarantee you they a great storyteller.
J. Cole
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I was a huge Mike Tyson fan growing up his fights were always on in my house.
J. Cole
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Rhyme patterns are nothing without meanings to the words. A lot of rappers can do those flows, but the raps aren't really about anything - which is cool sometimes, but to have the flow and the message is one of my favorite things.
J. Cole
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I don't live for the accolades. I'm more so about the music. Making it, and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings.
J. Cole
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I didn't even have to be a big fan of someone to enjoy hearing them speak. I remember when Nikki Giovanni came - I wasn't really familiar with her. But she said some things I'll never forget. Like, okay, for example, she was talking about the amount of beef that's in the world. There are so many McDonald's, Burger Kings, Wendy's.
J. Cole
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The same ones you love will bring you pain.
J. Cole
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When you're headlining, people are paying to come see you specifically. It's a different kind of pressure, because you've got to deliver. You've got to give these people what they paid for. It's a different mind state, a different type of mentality, but it's honestly a pretty good problem to have, you know?
J. Cole