J. Cole

J. Cole, born on January 28, 1985, in a military base in Germany, is an acclaimed American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and basketball player. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he first captured attention with his debut mixtape, The Come Up, released in early 2007. His determination to pursue a musical career led him to sign with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009, where he released two more mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, both of which received critical acclaim and expanded his fan base.

His studio albums have consistently topped the US Billboard 200, starting with his debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011, followed by the equally successful Born Sinner in 2013. These albums produced several Billboard Hot 100 top-forty singles, including