who is j cole signed by
Producer and MC J. Cole was the first artist signed to Jay-Z âs Roc Nation label. Born in Germany but raised in North Carolina, Cole grew up with a mother who loved rock and folk, while his father was a fan of hardcore hip-hop artists like 2Pac and Ice Cube. Graduating high school, his grades were good enough to earn a scholarship, but hip-hop had taken hold of his life.
J. Cole's story is unusual for a rapper. For starters, he was born in Germany â his father was a G.I., and his mother is German. He didn't grow up in a city, but rather in a suburb in Fayetteville, N.C., an experience the rapper says was informative, influential and sometimes scary.