Cop a gander of J. Cole!
The Hip-Hop titan has been unveiled as GQ magazine’s April cover star.
It serves as an interesting pivot for the notoriously introvert star. One, his feature piece, highlights is part of a broader shift happening within the man himself.
Now 34, the Charlotte native has largely achieved success on his terms – flouting the traditional means of promotion and “celebrity” in favor of carving a path that is definitively “him.”
It appears the wins he’s amassed by doing so (see: five-Platinum albums and citations as one of the greatest rappers of his generation) has seen armored Cole with a willingness to embrace what he once felt an aversion to. That and the changes in his personal life, which include getting married and becoming a father to a son.
Head below for insights into the mind of one of modern Rap’s most gifted talents…
On How Changes In His Personal Life Have Affected His Approach To His Career:
“I never wanna do excursions. It feels like work. It’s like, I ain’t trying to get up at 6 A.M., take the three-hour drive to where we’re going hiking. [But now] I got somebody I care about saying, ‘Come on, like, we need to do this.’ I realize, like, memories come from getting out of my comfort zone—great memories.
[Relating this to work] I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m like, ‘How long am I gonna be doing this for?’ I’m starting to realize like, oh shit—let’s say I stopped this year. I would feel like I missed out on certain experiences, you know? Working with certain artists, being more collaborative, making more friends out of peers, making certain memories that I feel like if I don’t, I’m gonna regret it one day.”
On Not Being Driven By Awards:
“I’m not supposed to have a Grammy, you know what I mean? At least not right now, and maybe never. And if that happens, then that’s just how it was supposed to be.”
On The Colin Kaepernick / NFL Fall-Out & Settlement:
“Listen, justice was served. This man got his money, know what I mean? Plus, he’ll probably play again.”
On Becoming A Father:
“For a while, I felt a little weird about it. Like, nah. I felt, ‘Did I miss something?’ ‘Cause I didn’t feel the change that people talk about. And then I figured out what it was. I changed my life in order to get ready to have a family and to have a son. I literally changed my life, where I was living, the things that I was doing. I changed. So because of that, when my son came, I was ready. I already made room.”
Check out J. Cole’s latest release ‘Middle Child’ (which has thus far peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100) below…
The weekend,,,who should work with Drake on the album inste Why you stealing his look the weekend wore his hair nasty now all y’all wannabe… Why is it ok for Blackman tovwear nappy hair but they don’t celebrate their woman with same hair,
He does celebrate black women with natural hair. He has talked about it in his music. In his song Motiv8 he said he used to like her hair permed now I like it natural actual factual naps and sh*t! Also TGT, he’s Fromm Fayetteville. His pictures show me that he kind of was forced to wear that stuff for the magazine. He’s such a t-shirt and basketball shorts kind of dude.
Mess
he is such a talent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_RG1O5BhBU
He looks good.
Why he look like a kid that just got popped for being bad?
J. Cole is power top bae. ♥️♥️♥️
JCOLE is an attractive man, but these shots & wardrobe are not at all flattering. He looks out of his element & all around TERRIBLE from the neck down in each shot.
I really do like him but I wish he would cut off those god awful dreads. It looks dirty and he looks better with a fro.
I agree 2000%
The locks totally take away from his appeal.
I love him
Jermaine cole is from FAYETVILLE NOT CHARLOTTE. FANTASIA IS NATIVE TO THAT AREA WHICH IS HIGH POINT. Please fix that.