J. Cole - Next To Blow?

Ever since I first heard this guy I was in love with his voice, style, delivery and mature subject matter.  I later discovered he was signed to Roc Nation, by head honcho Jay-Z, and this kid was the next to blow.  After hearing several mixtapes like The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, as well as, tracks with featured artists like Drake and Big Sean, I knew it was only a matter of time before everyone knew his name.

The North Carolina native's first track released off his upcoming debut LP Cole World: The Sideline Story was Who Dat, which featured a school band drum line beat equipped with horns to create a new sound that I had never heard before.  J. Cole is known for ghost writing Diddy's Coming Home track off the Last Train To Paris and is also known for his appearance on Jay-Z's A Star Is Born from The Blueprint 3. 

Cole has a degree from St. John's University, which he attended on an academic scholarship studying communication and minoring in business, graduating magna cum laude.  Cole explains that he only sought highter education as a path to get a record deal.  However, after years of no record deal, he obtained his degree and continued to pursue his dream to be a rap superstar.  After sitting outside of Jay-Z's offices for hours in an attempt to have him listen to his beat, he was ignored, but later called by an associate explaining Jay wanted to meet him after hearing his track Lights Please, from one of his mixtapes.  Lights Please is a cool and mellow track where Cole is speaking to a young lady whom he is fond of, but is perplexed by her preoccupation with sex, instead of getting to know him better or talking about things with more substance.  Check some of the lyrics:

So I tried to show her
About the world and about just who we really are
And where we've come and how we still have to go really far
Like baby look at how we live broke on the boulevard
But all she ever want me to do is unhook her bra
Then all I really want is for her to go down low
Before you know it she wet enough to get drowned slow
And all that deep shit I was previously down for
Replaced by freak shit I am currently down for

...

 So now we in the hotel
Mirrors on the ceilin'
She say she wanna blow L's
I hear her and I'm willin'
But everytime I smoke well a nigga mind gone
So that every word I spoke well I'm tryin' to put her on
But she couldn't hear me
I told her all about how we been livin' a lie
And that they'd love to see us all go to prison or die
Like baby look at how they show us on the TV screen
But all she ever want me to do is unzip her jeans
Then all I really want is for her to get on top
Before you know it she workin' jerkin' it non stop
And all that next shit I was previously talkin'
Is now that wet shit that I'm currently lost in

...

I'm findin' the more I grow the more y'all stay the same
Don't even know the rules but yet y'all tryin' to play the game
And ain't it shameful how niggas blame hoes for givin' birth
To a baby that took two to make
Coward nigga you a fake
How gon' look in your sons face and turn your back
Then go start another family dog what type of shit is that?
She said it's okay
Rubbed my head and told me to relax
Laid a nigga down proper like she was recordin' tracks
Said I know you wanna change the world
But for the night please
Just reach over and hit the lights please
DEEP RIGHT?

J. Cole has been patiently waiting for his time to blow; Watching peers like Drake and Big Sean hit pay dirt with their debut albums.  I've been waiting on him to drop a track that would capture the ears of the diverse Hip Hop community and would showcase his talent and staying power.  I think he's finally done it with his new single and video Work Out.  But don't take my word for it, see for yourself.

Here is my fav! His video for Who Dat:

Here is his video for the song he did with Drake, In The Morning:

The debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story hits stores September 27th.  Cole has been on tour all summer with Rihanna and Cee-Lo Green for the Loud Tour and just released the dates for his world tour Cole World and will be performing with Tini Tempah in the UK:

COLE WORLD…WORLD TOUR
August 23rd Vancouver, BC (Vogue)
August 25th Edmonton, AB (Edmonton Events Centre)
August 27th Calgary, AB (Flames Central)
August 30th Saskatoon, SK (Odeon Theatre)
August 31st Winnipeg, MB (Garrick Center)
September 3rd Toronto, ON (Sound Academy)
September 6th London, ON (Music Hall London)
September 7th Montreal, QC (Club Soda)
September 10th Orlando, FL (The Beacham Theatre)
September 11th Miami, FL (Revolutions)
September 14th Houston, TX (Warehouse Live)
September 15th New Orleans, LA (House of Blues)
September 16th Dallas, TX (Southside Music Hall)
September 17th Austin, TX (Emos)
September 19th Denver, CO (The Ogden)
September 20th Albuquerque, NM (Sunshine Theater)
September 21st Phoenix, AZ (The Venue)
September 22nd Los Angeles, CA (Club Nokia)
September 23rd San Francisco, CA (Regency)
September 29th Winston Salem, NC (Winston Salem State University)
October 2nd Atlanta, GA (Tabernacle)
October 4th Cleveland, OH (House of Blues)
October 6th Kalamazoo, MI (Kalamazoo State Theatre)
October 7th Detroit, MI (Royal Oak)
October 8th Milwaukee, WI (The Rave)
October 9th Chicago, IL (House of Blues)
October 12th Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory)
October 13th Charlotte, NC (Fillmore)
October 14th Norfolk, VA (Old Dominion University)
October 15th Elizabeth City, NC (Elizabeth City State University)
October 16th Myrtle Beach, SC (House of Blues)
October 19th Washington, DC (Fillmore)
October 20th Baltimore, MD (Sound Stage)
October 21st Albany, NY (Armory)
October 22nd Worcester, MA (Palladium)
October 23rd Providence, RI (Lupo’s)
October 25th New York, NY (Best Buy Theatre)
October 31st Liverpool, UK (Echo Arena/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 1st New Castle, UK (Metro Radio Arena/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 2nd Glasgow, UK (SECC/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 4th London, UK (O2 Arena/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 5th Bournemouth, UK (BIC/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 6th Birmingham, UK (LG Arena/TinieTempah UK Arena Tour)
November 7th Manchester, UK (MEN Arena/Tinie Tempah UK Arena Tour)
November 8th Cardiff, UK (Motorpoint Arena/ Tinie Tempah UK Arena Tour)
November 11th London, UK (Electric Ballroom)
November 12th Birmingham, UK (Institute)
November 13th Cardiff, UK (Solus)
November 14th South Hampton, UK (University)
November 17th Glasgow, UK (ABC)
November 18th Liverpool, UK (Academy)
November 19th Sheffield, UK (Academy)
November 20th Manchester, UK (Academy 2)
November 22nd Cambridge, UK (Junction)
November 24th Bristol, UK (Academy)
November 26th Norway (Waterfront / UEA)
November 30th Brussels, Belgium (VK*)
December 1st Amsterdam, Holland (Melkweg)
December 2nd Germany (TBD)
December 3rd Copenhagen, Denmark (VEGA)
December 4th Malmo, Sweden (Babel)
December 6th Gothenburg, Sweden (Parken)
December 7th Stockholm, Sweden (Nalen)
December 8th Oslo, Norway (Rockefeller)
December 10th Berlin, Germany (TBD)
December 12th Paris, France (La Cigale)

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I'm excited to see what this newcomer has to bring to the Hip Hop table and hopes he can continue keeping things fresh and new as he has for the past 3+ years.  You all should definitely keep your eye on this guy.  I'm sure the album will be worth the wait.

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