J. Cole
J. Cole is a famous rapper, singer, song writer, and producer. He originally gained recognition from his first mixtape called The Come Up and continued on the fast track to fame with two albums, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights. He then released his first studio album which was recognized as #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. In 2014, J. Cole received his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album.
Rapper J. Cole was born to a white mother and black father and raised in the military town of Fayetteville, N.C. The hip-hop artist says his biracial identity offers him a unique perspective because he’s “seen both sides.” He told XXL magazine, “I can identify with white people, because I know my mother, her side of the family, who I love. I’ve had white friends … But at the end of the day, I never felt white. I don’t know what that feels like. I can identify. But never have I felt like I’m one of them.” J. Cole has used his music as a way of expressing all the emotions he’s felt about his past and releasing how he feels about his present/future.
Although J. Cole has noticed color in his life, he was never ruled by it. Through his music, J. Cole has explained his experiences and his outlook on life because of them. When talking about his skin color Cole said, “I identify more with what I look like, because that’s how I got treated. Not necessarily in a negative way. But when you get pulled over by the police, I can’t pull out my half-White card. Or if I just meet you on the street, you’re not gonna be like, this guy seems half-white.”
Cole continues to produce music that connects with young people all over the United States sharing his message and life lessons.
Alexis Cook – Project RACE Teens Co-President
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Wireima