J. Cole, is a German-American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He has been hailed as one of the most respected and influential rappers of his generation.Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010), after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint in 2009. He is consistently one of the highest-paid rappers in the world. In a typical year, he earns $30 million.
Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.His next album, Born Sinner (2013), also topped the Billboard 200. Moving into more conscious themes, 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) topped the Billboard 200 and earned Cole a Best Rap Album nomination at the 2015 Grammy Awards.His jazz-influenced fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Cole’s fifth album, KOD (2018), became his fifth number-one album on the Billboard 200 and featured a then-record six simultaneous top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, tying The Beatles.
