Rapper's Drake and J. Cole attend First Down Friday at Sensu on February 3, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
J. Cole Says Jay-Z Asked Drake to Gift Him a Hit Single Years Ago
Before releasing his debut album, J. Cole was feeling pressure from HOV to drop a commercial single.
J. Cole might be a dominant cultural force now, but in 2011, he was still trying to make sure his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, was a success. Naturally, JAY-Z, who signed Cole to Roc-Nation in 2009, was just as invested, so much so that he asked a young, but established superstar to help Cole reach his goal.
During the latest episode of Cole’s new audio series, Inevitable (“Sideline Story”), his manager, Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, recalled the moment HOV asked Drake to help Cole level up by supplying him with a hit record. The scene apparently unfolded during a LeBron James and Hov-hosted NBA All-Star Weekend party in 2011.
"We're having a conversation. Me, Cole, Drake, Future [the Prince]," explained Ib. "I don’t know who else, but there were a couple more people. So then Jay walks in and he sees all of us together. He goes, 'Yo!' and he looks at Drake and he says, 'Yo, give the boy one.'"
Later in the chat, Cole explains the moment when he approached Jay about his comments, asking HOV if he had someone telling him he needed to chase a hit for Reasonable Doubt.
“In this particular instance, the thing that I respect about JAY, this nigga heard me say that, and he like, thought about it for a second, and he said, ‘You’re right,’” Cole explained.
While it might have been a tense moment, things all worked out, to say the least. After a multitude of gold and platinum plaques, as well as Grammy nominations, Cole went on to be considered one of rap’s “Big 3” alongside Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Check out the latest episode of Inevitable for yourself here.
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