Claim: J. Cole signed with Jay Z.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole -LRB- born January 28 , 1985 -RRB- , better known by his stage name J. Cole , is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer . Raised in Fayetteville , North Carolina , Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape , The Come Up , in early 2007 . Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper , he went on to release two additional mixtapes after signing to Jay Z 's Roc Nation imprint in 2009 .   Cole released his debut studio album , Cole World : The Sideline Story , in 2011 . It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 , and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America -LRB- RIAA -RRB- . His next two releases , 2013 's Born Sinner and 2014 's 2014 Forest Hills Drive , received mostly positive reviews from critics , while being both certified platinum in the US . The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album . In December 2016 Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only . The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in April 2017 .   Self-taught on piano , Cole also acts as a producer alongside his hip hop career , producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson , as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects . He has also developed other ventures , including Dreamville Records , as well as non-profit organization the Dreamville Foundation . The Dreamville Foundation is not the only non-profit gesture Cole has put forth ; in January 2015 , he decided to house single mothers rent-free in his childhood home at 2014 Forest Hills Drive , Fayetteville , North Carolina .