J. Cole

J. Cole (born Jermaine Lamarr Cole; January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer.
Early life
Cole was born at a United States Army base in Frankfurt, West Germany. His father is an African American who served in the United States Army. Cole's mother is white. Eight months later, Cole moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he was raised by his mother, aunt and cousin. His father left the family when Cole was still young.
Discography
Cole began gaining popularity after his first mixtape, The Come Up, was released in 2007. In 2009, he was signed to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation. Cole released two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up in 2009 and Friday Night Lights in 2010.
Albums
Cole released his first studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200. His next two albums, Born Sinner (2013) and 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014), also topped the Billboard 200. 2014 Forest Hills Drive earned Cole a Best Rap Album nomination at the 2015 Grammy Awards.
His fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. Cole's other albums, KOD (2018) and The Off-Season (2021), also topped the Billboard 200. Altogether, Cole has earned six number-one album on the Billboard 200.
As producer
As a producer, he has worked with famous musicians such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson.
Dreamville Records
He founded his own record label Dreamville Records. The label's compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019) charted at number one on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Awards and nominations
Cole has won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Album, three Soul Train Music Awards, and eight BET Hip Hop Awards.
American Music Awards
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|rowspan=2|2012
|Himself
|New Artist of the Year
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|Cole World: The Sideline Story
|rowspan=2|Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album
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|2015
|2014 Forest Hills Drive
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BET Awards
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|2011
|rowspan=2|Himself
|Best New Artist
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|rowspan=2|2012
|Best Male Hip Hop Artist
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|rowspan=2|
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|"Party (Remix)" (with Beyonce)
|Best Collaboration
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|2014
|rowspan=3|Himself
|rowspan=3|Best Male Hip Hop Artist
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|2016
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|rowspan=2|2017
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|rowspan=2|
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|4 Your Eyez Only
|Album of the Year
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|2018
|Himself
|Best Male Hip Hop Artist
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|rowspan=4|2019
|Himself
|Best Male Hip Hop Artist
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|rowspan=4|
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|rowspan=2|"A Lot" (with 21 Savage)
|Video of the Year
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|Best Collaboration
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|"Middle Child"
|Viewers' Choice Award
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|rowspan=1|2021
|Himself
|Best Male Hip Hop Artist
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BET Hip Hop Awards
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|2011
|Friday Night Lights
|Best Mixtape
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|rowspan="6"|2012
|Cole World: The Sideline Story
|CD of the Year
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|rowspan="6"|
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|rowspan="4"|Himself
|MVP of the Year
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|Producer of the Year
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|Lyricist of the Year
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|Best Live Performer
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|"Nobody's Perfect"
|Reese's Perfect Combo Award (Best collaboration)
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|rowspan="10"|2013
|Born Sinner
|Album of the Year
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|rowspan="10"|
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|rowspan="4"|"Power Trip"
|Best Collabo, Duo or Group
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|Best Hip-Hop Video
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|Track of the Year
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|People's Champ Award
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|rowspan="4"|Himself
|MVP of the Year
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|Producer of the Year
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|Lyricist of the Year
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|Best Live Performer
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|rowspan="2"|"Crooked Smile"
|Impact Track
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|rowspan="2"|2014
|Best Hip Hop Video
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|rowspan="2"|
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|rowspan="6"|Himself
|rowspan="2"|Lyricist of the Year
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|rowspan="8"|2015
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|rowspan="8"|
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|MVP of the Year
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|Producer of the Year
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|Best Live Performer
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|Hustler of the Year
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|2014 Forest Hills Drive
|Album of the Year
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|"Apparently"
|rowspan="3"|Impact Track
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|"Be Free"
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|rowspan="3"|2016
|"Love Yourz"
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|rowspan="3"|
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|rowspan="2"|Himself
|Hot Ticket Performer
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|Lyricist of the Year
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|rowspan="3"|2017
|4 Your Eyez Only
|Album of the Year
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|rowspan="3"|
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|rowspan="2"|Himself
|Hot Ticket Performer
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|Lyricist of the Year
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|rowspan="3"|2018
|KOD
|Album of the Year
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|rowspan="3"|
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|rowspan="4"|Himself
|MVP of the Year
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|rowspan="2"|Lyricist of the Year
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|rowspan="8"|2019
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|rowspan="8"|
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|MVP of the Year
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|Revenge of the Dreamers III
|Album of the Year
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|rowspan="4"|"A Lot" (with 21 Savage)
|Best Hip Hop Video
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|Best Collabo, Duo or Group
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|Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
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|rowspan="2"|Impact Track
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|"Middle Child"
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|rowspan="2"|2020
|Himself
|Lyricist of the Year
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|rowspan="2"|
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|"Snow on tha Bluff"
|Impact Track
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|rowspan="3"|2021
|rowspan="2"|Himself
|Artist of the Year
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|rowspan="3"|
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|Lyricist of the Year
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|The Off-Season
| Album of the Year
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Billboard Music Awards
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||2014
|Born Sinner
|rowspan="2"|Top Rap Album
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|rowspan="2"|2015
|2014 Forest Hills Drive
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|rowspan="2"|
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|rowspan="2"|Himself
|rowspan="2"|Top Rap Artist
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|rowspan=2|2017
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|rowspan=2|
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|4 Your Eyez Only
|Top Rap Album
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|2018
|4 Your Eyez Only World Tour
|rowspan=2|Top Rap Tour
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|2022
|The Off-Season Tour
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Grammy Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
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|2018
|Wireless Festival
|Best World Stage
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|2019
|Himself
|Best Hip-Hop
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MTV Video Music Awards
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|2013
|"Power Trip"
|Best Hip Hop
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|2014
|"Crooked Smile"
|Best Video with a Social Message
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|rowspan="2"|2018
|rowspan="2"|"ATM (Addicted to Money)"
|Best Art Direction
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|rowspan="2"|
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|rowspan="2"| Best Hip Hop
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|rowspan="3"|2019
|rowspan="2"|"A Lot" (with 21 Savage)
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|rowspan="3"|
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|Video of the Year
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|"The London" (with Travis Scott and Young Thug)
|Song of the Summer
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MTVU Woodie Awards
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|2012
|Himself
|Woodie of the Year: Series of Popular Mixtapes
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NAACP Image Awards
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|rowspan="3"|2016
|rowspan="3"|"No Sleeep" (with Janet Jackson)
|Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
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|rowspan="3"|
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|Outstanding Music Video
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|Outstanding Song, Contemporary
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|rowspan="1"|2020
|"Shea Butter Baby" (with Ari Lennox)
| Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
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|rowspan="1"|
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|rowspan="2"|2022
|Himself
|Outstanding Male Artist
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|rowspan="2"|
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|"My Life" (with 21 Savage)
|Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
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Soul Train Music Awards
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|2012
|Himself
|Best New Artist
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|rowspan=3|2013
|rowspan=2"|Power Trip" featuring Miguel
|Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year
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|rowspan=3|
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|Best Collaboration
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|"Crooked Smile" featuring TLC
|The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award
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|2015
|"Apparently"
|The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award
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|rowspan=4|2019
| "A Lot" (with 21 Savage)
|rowspan=2|Best Hip-Hop Song Of The Year
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|rowspan=4|
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|"Middle Child"
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| "Shea Butter Baby" (with Ari Lennox)
|rowspan=2|Best Collaboration Performance
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| "Purple Emoji" (with Ty Dolla Sign)
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References
Other websites
J. Cole on MTV.com
Basketball Africa League profile
1985 births
Living people
African-American rappers
American record producers
Rappers from North Carolina
People from Frankfurt