Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known professionally as J. Cole, is one of the most commercially successful and critically respected rappers of his generation. Born on a US military base in Frankfurt, West Germany on January 28, 1985, Cole was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina — the same city that shaped his worldview and became the centerpiece of his most celebrated work.
Cole began rapping in his teens, releasing his debut mixtape The Come Up in 2007. After relocating to New York City and attending St. John’s University, he released The Warm Up in 2009, which caught Jay-Z’s attention and led to Cole becoming the first artist signed to Roc Nation. His major label debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2011.
“2014 Forest Hills Drive is named after his childhood address in Fayetteville, NC. It debuted at #1 with 353,000 units, became the first rap album in 25 years certified platinum with no guest features, and has charted on the Billboard 200 for over 550 weeks — the longest-charting rap album by a solo artist in chart history.”
— Billboard · RIAA · 2025Beyond his own recordings, Cole founded Dreamville Records, home to Bas, EarthGang, J.I.D, Omen, and Cozz. He handles much of his own production. His most recent album, The Fall Off, released February 6, 2026 and debuted at #1. The Fall Off Tour runs Summer 2026 with dates across North America including two Charlotte Spectrum Center shows and two Madison Square Garden nights.
