j. cole Archives

Wale Acknowledges The Truth In The Shots J. Cole Sent His Way On “False Prophets” (Video)

In December of 2016, J. Cole released "False Prophets (Be Like This)," an aggressive record that was clearly aimed at someone - though he never dropped a name. Following its release, rumors began to swirl that Cole was addressing Wale, at least in a particular passage. "I got a homie,... Read more

May 8, 2017 Video

J. Cole Gives Logic Blunt Life Advice In A Hard Hitting Hidden Verse (Audio)

While Kendrick Lamar has dominated the Hip-Hop discourse for the last four weeks, there has been some amazing Hip-Hop to drop before, during and after that time. Joey Bada$$, Talib Kweli & Styles P, Brother Ali, Big Sean and Oddisee all have released stellar projects in 2017, just to name... Read more

May 6, 2017 Audio

J. Cole & Ferguson Residents Have A Conversation About How To Fix The System (Video)

On April 15, J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only documentary aired on HBO, but it wasn't a concert film despite sharing the title of his most recent LP. Rather, it served as a visual essay on the album's themes. As its trailer showed, conversations with Black Americans in Baton Rouge,... Read more

May 1, 2017 Lifestyle

J. Cole Keeps It 100% Real. He Shares Footage Of S.W.A.T. Raiding His Home (Video)

Last week, Kendrick Lamar released the song "DUCKWORTH." The 9th Wonder-produced DAMN. track recounts a story of K-Dot's musical mentor, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith plotting to rob his own father many years ago at a fast food restaurant in Los Angeles. In a twist of fate, Lamar's father was spared... Read more

April 17, 2017 Video

J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only Doc Features This New Song 4 Your Earz. (Audio)

In the last six months, J. Cole has released a plethora of great songs. While 10 of those tracks ended up on the platinum, #1 album 4 Your Eyez Only, not all did. Leading up to that Dreamville/Roc Nation LP, Jermaine released two potent singles through his pre-album visual campaign... Read more

April 16, 2017 Audio

Kendrick Lamar’s Album Isn’t Here Yet, But Joey Bada$$’s Is & It’s Amazing (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

April 7, 2017 Audio

Joey Bada$$ & J. Cole Release A Legendary Collabo About Empowering Ourselves & Others (Audio)

Three days away from the release of All Amerikkkan Bada$$, his first album since 2015's B4.DA.$$, and Joey Bada$$ is having a busy week. A performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has been followed swiftly by the apparent leak of what is likely the most anticipated collaboration on his new album: "Legendary,"... Read more

April 4, 2017 Audio

Who Is The Leader Of The New School? (Audio Playlist)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

March 31, 2017 Audio

J. Cole’s New Documentary Aims to Give a Voice Back to the People (Video)

In true J. Cole fashion, he released his most recent LP without much pomp. 4 Your Eyez Only arrived quietly in December of 2016, but the response was emphatic, debuting at number one and becoming his fourth consecutive number-one album. In the months since, he's maintained a low profile, focusing... Read more

March 24, 2017 Video

Drake Releases His More Life Playlist & It’s A Return To More Hard Rapping (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

March 18, 2017 Audio

Joey Bada$$ Recruits Some All-Star Collaborators For His New Album

More than two years ago, when Joey Bada$$ released his album debut B4.Da.$$, the Brooklyn, New Yorker did so largely free of major guests. Peers such as Raury, Maverick Sabre, and BJ The Chicago filled out the MC's debut. Even his Pro Era cohorts, who were instrumental to acclaimed mixtapes,... Read more

March 13, 2017 Fresh

With J. Cole In The Driver’s Seat, J.I.D. Shows He’s 1 Of Atlanta’s Most Promising MCs (Audio)

On March 10, Dreamville's latest signee J.I.D will drop his debut album, The Never Story. The news comes on the heels of his signing to the J. Cole label that is also home to Bas, Cozz, Ari, and Omen. J.I.D hails from Atlanta, and as he proved on a recent... Read more

March 6, 2017 Audio

Jay Lonzo Spits More Knowledge at 17 Years Old Than Many Do In a Lifetime (Video)

Last month, J. Cole acknowledged Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ongoing fight for equality and freedom in the U.S. with "High For Hours," a poignant record that compares 2017 America to chapters in its dark past. As he says in the song, not much has changed, and slavery has... Read more

February 28, 2017 Ready Or Not

J. Cole Announces 4 Your Eyez Only World Tour Dates

In December, J. Cole released his fourth consecutive #1 album. 4 Your Eyez Only, the Roc Nation/Dreamville MC/producer's fourth album overall, featured no significant vocal features. Since its December 9 release, the Interscope-distributed LP has been certified gold. Last October, Cole announced a hiatus from performing while at The Meadlowlands... Read more

February 28, 2017 Fresh

J. Cole’s New Artist Combines Cole’s Lyricism With Devin The Dude’s Swag (Video)

Tony Touch is a DJ known for breaking some important artists. For almost 25 years, the Brooklyn, New York DJ/producer/radio personality handed microphones to MCs without albums out, and let them shine through freestyle. Members of Boot Camp Clik, D.I.T.C., Royce 5'9, Bumpy Knuckles, Wu-Tang Clan, Hurricane G, and others... Read more

February 22, 2017 Video

Cheers. There’s Still Great Hip-Hop Being Made. Here’s A Bunch (Audio Playlist)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with the good stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been before. Not only are we able to go... Read more

February 17, 2017 Audio

Wale Uses Groundhog Day To Show J. Cole He Walks In No One’s Shadow (Video)

In the closing days of 2016, J. Cole shocked the Hip-Hop stratosphere with his song "False Prophets (Be Like This)." While not included in the final cut of 4 Your Eyez Only, the music video did first appear in the album's corresponding documentary. Within, the Roc Nation star, approaching his... Read more

February 2, 2017 Video

Jay Lonzo Spits More Knowledge at 17 Years Old Than Many Do In a Lifetime (Video)

On January 16, J. Cole acknowledged Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ongoing fight for equality and freedom in the U.S. with "High For Hours," a poignant record that compares 2017 America to chapters in its dark past. As he says in the song, not much has changed, and slavery... Read more

January 31, 2017 Video

J. Cole’s New Song Show’s Our American Nightmare Is Far From MLK’s Dream (Audio)

In 2014, J. Cole was one of the most politically-active artists in Hip-Hop. He was one of the first (and only) to go to Ferguson, MO, in the wake of the slaying of Michael Brown. Months later, he marched with the people in the streets of New York after the... Read more

January 16, 2017 Audio

Listen To Some Of The Best Hip-Hop Songs Of 2016 & More In 1 Playlist (Audio)

2016 is officially a wrap. For many it will go down as one of the more challenging years in recent memory, but, no matter what may have transpired, it was a period in which a lot of great music was released. Skillz’s 2016 Rap Up Reminds Us Of The Year’s... Read more

January 7, 2017 Audio

Nas Names His Top 5 MCs Of This Generation & Lists His 3 Favorite Songs (Video)

Last month, Nas was a guest on Revolt TV's Music Talks series, where musical icons sit down for an extended conversation about their careers, influences, life perspectives and more. Hosted by Andre Harrell, founder of Uptown Records (Heavy D, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Guy) and EVP of Revolt, the two... Read more

December 26, 2016 Video

Cole World: In A Historic Week, His Eyez Have Views Even Drake Can’t See

It has been 12 days since J. Cole released his fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only. In that time since the Dreamville/Roc Nation released, it has topped the charts for the fourth consecutive time for the Fayetteville, North Carolina MC/producer. This feat also joined an exclusive, three-artist club in Hip-Hop.... Read more

December 21, 2016 Fresh, News

J. Cole Goes Back-To-Back To The Top Of The Charts With No Features

The album sales charts are in from the December 9 releases. With them, J. Cole's fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only is at the top of the rankings. This is the fourth consecutive time that the Roc Nation MC/producer has achieved a #1, dating back to 2011's debut, Cole World... Read more

December 19, 2016 News

J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only Album Is Great For The Ears Too. (Audio)

This morning (December 9), J. Cole released his fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only. The 10-track, 44 minute effort features no guest verses. This feat is also true of Cole's double-platinum #1 2014 Forest Hills Drive, released two years ago today. Approaching his 32nd birthday next month, 4 Your Eyez...... Read more

December 9, 2016 Audio

Wale Channels Nas & Shows Other MCs What He’s Really Like (Audio & Video)

UPDATE: Less than two days after releasing "Folarin Like" in audio, Wale drops the black-and-white video. Simplistic in its presentation, this may mark a return to early strides for the DMV star: Just a few days after releasing a response to J. Cole's "False Prophets," Wale has emerged with a... Read more

December 6, 2016 Audio, Video

F A Feature. J. Cole Is Rolling Solo Again

Less than a week after a fourth J. Cole album was announced, fans have more information. This week's 4 Your Eyez Only (December 9) will be a 10-track effort, as originally reported after a pre-order posted. Based on the rear album artwork insert, it appears that like 2014 Forest Hills... Read more

December 5, 2016 Fresh

Wale Fires Back At J. Cole And He Names Names (Audio)

In the last 48 hours, J. Cole not only announced an album, he released a documentary leading up to 4 Your Eyez Only. Then, music heard in the doc' released on its own, in the form of two critical video singles, "False Prophets (Be Like This)" and "Everybody Gotta Die." Both... Read more

December 3, 2016 Audio

J. Cole Comes Out Blasting. It Sounds Like Kanye & Drake Are The Targets (Videos)

2016 may be saving its best for last. On the first day of December, it appeared that J. Cole unveiled his plans surrounding his fourth album release. December 9's 4 Your Eyez Only pre-orders hit the web, then quickly and mysteriously disappeared (they are back now). By the time the... Read more

December 2, 2016 Video

J. Cole’s Eyez Documentary Gives The First Taste Of Music From His New Album (Video)

Yesterday (December 1), seemingly out of nowhere a new J. Cole album, to be released December 9, was posted for pre-order. The album came with no announcement, no single and no marketing at all. Later, the pre-order was pulled, leading to speculation that reports were pre-mature, but now, TIDAL has... Read more

December 2, 2016 Video

J. Cole Has An Album Coming… In Less Than 10 Days

UPDATE: Hours after the report (December 1) below, the pre-order links to J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only have been removed. According to Billboard, a rep for Apple (who posted the title and artwork) declined to comment. J. Cole and reps have yet to release a statement. When J. Cole... Read more

December 1, 2016 News

J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive Is The 1st Rap Album In 25 Years To Reach 2X Platinum With No Guests

At the time of its release, J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive was an outlier to a trend in Hip-Hop. The late 2014 Roc Nation/Columbia Records release contained 13 tracks and no feature verses of any kind. At the time of release, the North Carolina MC/producer earned his third consecutive... Read more

October 21, 2016 News

Hip-Hop Stood Tall In July. Here’s Some Of The Best Of The Month (Audio Playlist)

July was a tense and complicated month. The killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police, both captured on film, led to national protests, heated discourse and some misguided shootings of police officers, presumably in retaliation. Political conventions held by the Democratic and Republican parties further divided the nation... Read more

August 2, 2016 Audio

J. Cole’s Key To Success Is Don’t Sell Your Soul To Record Labels (Audio)

2016 has been relatively quiet for J. Cole. The Fayetteville, NC MC started the year off at an apex, with a stellar concert special and documentary, care of HBO. Since then, Cole has laid low, save for his support of his Dreamville artists, like Bas. J. Cole & Bas Are... Read more

July 30, 2016 Audio

Nia Long Reveals How Phife & “Oochie Wally” Affected Her Career & Taste In Lingerie (Video)

In the canon of Hip-Hop lyrics, many MCs have professed their attraction to celebrities. Whether Royce 5'9" breaking his focus to woo Rihanna during a 2011 BET Cypher or Nas recounting Halle Berry's air-kiss at a Barbara Streisand concert, these moments have colored the folklore of Rap music. Whether the... Read more

June 28, 2016 Video

President Obama Invites Some Of Rap’s Biggest & Brightest To Keep Giving “The Message”

On Friday April 15, President Obama invited a group to the White House in order to better understand and bring awareness to his "My Brother's Keeper" initiative. According to The Root, that meeting group included several handfuls of Hip-Hop acts, including J. Cole, Chance The Rapper, Ludacris, Nicki Minaj, Pusha... Read more

April 19, 2016 News

J. Cole & Bas Are Working Late While Other MCs Keep Sleepin’ (Video)

Queens, New York rapper Bas is nearly two full years out from the release of his debut album, 2014's Last Winter, and he's keeping the momentum up with Too High to Riot, released on March 4. The Dreamville Records signee - born Abbas Hammad - has naturally established a strong relationship... Read more

March 8, 2016 Video

J. Cole Lives The “Dream” In The Video For Love Yourz (Video)

J. Cole's "Love Yourz" is one of the songs at the center of the mid-2010s Hip-Hop "love movement." Cole, and collaborator Kendrick Lamar (and another Cole collaborator, Oddisee) have all made made anthems urging one another to love themselves on a deeper, focused level. From 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole... Read more

January 29, 2016 Video

J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive vs. Madvillain’s Madvillainy. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

January 28, 2016 Finding the GOAT

J. Cole & Ryan Coogler Show Why They Are 2 of the Most Important Voices Of Their Generation (Video)

"This is just two young Black men having intelligent dialogue," summarized J. Cole at this week's #MLKNOW event (January 18) in New York City. The heralded MC/producer was interviewed by filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed). Together, the two artists engaged in a conversation about race, police brutality, and promoting... Read more

January 22, 2016 Video

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop Of December 2015 In One Playlist (Audio)

The number of Hip-Hop releases in December slowed, but the quality did not. In fact, it was one of the densest months of the year in terms of audio dope. Here's a playlist of the best the month had to offer. You'll hear music from PRhyme (DJ Premier & Royce... Read more

January 4, 2016 Audio

J. Cole Explains Keeping Friday Night Lights A Shining Part Of His Career (Video)

In the last year, J. Cole has stacked his career accolades with a gold-certified, #1 charting album with no features in 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The Roc Nation MC continues to complement his benchmarks with a steadfast connection to his fans and causes. When marches and protests have taken place,... Read more

December 30, 2015 Video

These Videos Made Us Feel Like We Could Fly In 2015 (Video)

2015 might very well be remembered as the year the video took over the song in Hip-Hop. While audio platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music are growing in strength, high profile mixtapes decreased in number, and an increasing amount of releases were presented as videos even before the audio-only... Read more

December 28, 2015 Video

Here Are Ambrosia For Heads’ Picks For The Best Music Videos Of 2015

2015 might very well be remembered as the year the video took over the song in Hip-Hop. While audio platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music are growing in strength, high profile mixtapes decreased in number, and an increasing amount of releases were presented as videos even before the audio-only... Read more

December 23, 2015 Video

Hip-Hop’s Shining Moments of 2015: The Big, The Small, & The Revolutionary

Each and every year, there is no shortage of moments in time which crystallize the development of Hip-Hop's growth, and 2015 is no different. Over the course of the previous 12 months, the culture played larger-than-life roles in film, health, politics, television, and of course, music history. Here are just... Read more

December 21, 2015 Food for Thought

This Film Shows The Amazing Story of The Release Of J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive (Video)

On November 17, 2014, J. Cole posted to social media that he was releasing an album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, in less than a month. He did so with no single, no video and no clear idea of how he was going to roll out the new project. Here's an... Read more

December 16, 2015 TV

J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive vs. Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

December 15, 2015 Finding the GOAT

J. Cole Is Brewing Brilliant Lyricism In This Caffeinated Moment Of Clarity (Audio)

Although many may associate dreaming with sleeping, Cole's compilation inclusion is "the best part of waking up." A song called "Folgers Crystals" finds the Roc Nation star in his finest form, showing both passion and thought in his delivery. This song is an inclusion from the surprise-early release of Revenge... Read more

December 7, 2015 Audio

J. Cole’s Record-Breaking Forest Hills Drive Tour is Getting the HBO Treatment (Video)

Since releasing his platinum-selling and universally acclaimed album 2014 Forest Hills Drive last year, J. Cole has continued to claim his rightful place as one of this generation's brightest stars. Not only applauded for his lyrical abilities and his production work - he recently flipped an A Tribe Called Quest... Read more

December 6, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Listen To The Best Hip-Hop Of November 2015 In One Playlist (Audio)

As the year winds to a close, the good music shows no signs of slowing down. November brought great Hip-Hop from start to finish. Here's a playlist that features the best the month had to offer. You'll hear tracks featuring Nas, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, KRS-One, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, Logic,... Read more

December 1, 2015 Mixes

J. Cole Takes Kendrick’s Beat For A Black Friday Freestyle And It’s More Than Alright (Audio)

While many are out spending on the day after Thanksgiving, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar are still giving. The two have coordinated a "Black Friday" double barrel attack, with Kendrick taking over Cole's "A Tale of Two Citiez" track and Jermaine commandeering K. Dot's "Alright." On Cole's version of "Black... Read more

November 27, 2015 Audio