Seems like J. Cole is always under fire about something.
Despite whatever the critics have to say, J. Cole proved many of them wrong when he released his sophomore album, Born Sinner.
The sophomore effort debuted at number two on the charts slightly under-selling Kanye West’s polarizing Yeezus album, but unbeknownst to the music world, Born Sinner wasn’t finished making a mark on the music charts. The album went on to top the number one spot two weeks after its release, and eventually outsold Kanye’s Yeezus.
In an interview with Noisey, J. Cole discussed how he felt when he realized he outsold Kanye West.
“I don’t wake up every day like, ‘I got a great status in the rap game.’ No, I feel behind. I don’t feel like I’ve done enough. I only get brief moments to appreciate things. I might get a two minute thought of like, ‘Wow, you really did sell more than Kanye. You currently have sold more records than Kanye West’s album, which came out the same day.’ Then I’m back to focusing on what’s next.”
When asked about his thoughts on the perception of him being “boring,” J. Cole responded:
“It’s funny, but it’s sad. Everybody has their own style of music that they like. I could never let that affect me in the way I make music. The people who like ‘Soul Plane’ are probably gonna think ‘Shawshank Redemption’ is boring. It’s not the end of the world. It’s cool that people care, because five years ago, nobody cared, but I don’t care about the chattering. It’s becoming more and more like noise to me.”
Many people have been waiting on J. Cole’s opinion on Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse, and after staying mum for over a month now, the “She Knows” rapper finally spoke, stating:
“That’s rap, man. That’s rap music. That’s a part of the game. It’s natural. It’s fine.”
It’s not a real grandiose statement or anything special, but J. Cole said what he thought.
Over the past few years, fans have learned that J. Cole loves to create thought-provoking music. The North Carolina native released an emotional video for his Born Sinner single “Crooked Smile,” which was inspired by the death of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones.
Cole and Wale are currently on “What Dreams May Come” tour.
SOURCE: Noisey | PHOTO CREDIT: WENN
