USA TODAY International Edition
Breakout rapper J. Cole no longer on the sideline
‘ Anything is possible,’ new nominee says
Rapper J. Cole isn’t sure if he’ll win the Grammy Award for best new artist, but he plans on looking the part for the ceremony Feb. 12.
“I’m going to be looking very nice in a good suit,” says Cole ( aka Jermaine Cole), 27, who’ll be competing for the honor with The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex. “I’m going to bring my family and friends and celebrate. I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll win, but I’ve learned that anything is possible.”
Cole, the first signee to Jay- Z’s Roc Nation label, was surprised that he had garnered enough attention with his gold- selling debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, to even earn a nomination in December.
“I was kind of in disbelief,” says the native of Fayetteville, N. C., whose hit Work Out has sold nearly 1.2 million downloads. “The day before, I was trying to prepare for disappointment because I honestly didn’t think it would happen.”
The Sideline Story sold 218,000 copies when it made its debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart in September, after nearly two years of anticipation. Cole had already been featured on Jay- Z’s Blueprint 3, released three mix tapes, toured with Jay- Z, Wale, Drake and Rihanna, and made hiphop magazine covers, but what he didn’t have was a radio hit.
Like Drake, whose Thank Me Later had come out a year earlier, Cole had a strong Internet following and avoided the typical gun and drug talk in his often emotional rhymes.
His patience eventually paid off, and the former high school basketball player was finally able to tell the story of his upbringing and how after college he struggled to get somebody in the industry to listen to his music.
His break came via music executive Mark Pitts, who once managed the Notorious B. I. G., and worked with Usher and Chris Brown. The song Lights Please piqued Jay- Z’s interest and ultimately led to his signing.
Jermaine Hall, editor in chief of Vibe magazine, says Cole’s lengthy wait and work ethic are keys to his appeal.
“J. Cole is very much an everyman’s rapper,” Hall says. “A lot of people can relate to what he is going through. He’s also been touring for 2 ½ years and has a huge digital following. He’s a workhorse who has grinded his way to the top, and he’s done it without a heavy co- sign from Jay- Z.”
Cole had been dreaming of a rap career since he was 12, when a visiting older cousin taught him to compose rhymes. He asked his mother for a beat machine and taught himself to make tracks.
He earned a communications degree at St. John’s University in New York, but his primary goal there was to make connections. Even after graduating, he took minimum- wage jobs to pay the rent and eat as he focused on getting his foot in the music industry door.
The title Sideline Story is analogous to an athlete waiting for his chance to get off the bench and show what he can do.
“I never ever once considered going to get a real job with my degree,” he says. “I felt like if I did that, I was defeating myself and throwing in the towel on my dream.”
Once the Grammys are over, Cole says, he’ll return to the studio to continue working on his second album, which he hopes to get out this year. He plans to go back out on the road at the end of March or early April.
“I’m just excited and blessed, but I feel like I’ve got a long way to go,” Cole says. “I’m happy about the Grammy nomination, though my mind is already on to the next thing.”