J. Cole, the Dreamville star, may now stand alongside hip-hop giants like Drake and Kendrick Lamar, but let’s rewind to a pivotal moment when he was striving for recognition not just in the rap game but from his mentor, JAY-Z.
In his new audio series, ‘Inevitable,’ Cole opens up about his early struggles after signing with Roc Nation in 2009. Despite the backing of such a powerhouse, being taken seriously by JAY-Z was no easy feat for the North Carolina rapper. However, everything changed in September 2010.
That’s when Cole dropped ‘Villematic,’ a freestyle over Kanye West’s ‘Devil in a New Dress.’ Known for his tough critiques, JAY-Z surprisingly praised the track, marking a turning point for Cole. In ‘Inevitable,’ he recounts the Yankee Stadium concert with Eminem where he received this rare compliment from JAY-Z.
Cole recalls, “I see Jay coming out of the artist lounge where friends and family be at and he was like, ‘Cole! Yo, n-gga!’ He said, ‘That ‘Villematic’?!’… ‘Woo! That’s my favorite joint I ever heard from you.’ That moment was huge for me.” It was a watershed moment, showing that Cole had earned respect from his idol.
The much-loved ‘Villematic’ ultimately found its way onto the mixtape ‘Friday Night Lights,’ released just a couple of months later. This project, which Cole offered for free, set the stage for his acclaimed debut album, ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story,’ the following year.
Adding to the nostalgia, ‘Friday Night Lights’ was made available on streaming services on November 27, exciting longtime fans. Cole expressed his gratitude on Instagram, acknowledging everyone who kept the project alive even when it wasn’t available on streaming platforms.
Reflecting on the journey, Cole’s manager, Ibrahim ‘Ib’ Hamad, noted, “Around that time there was the joke, ‘There’s no picture of Cole and Jay. Jay don’t f-ck with Cole.’ Which is funny, but you made it a point to be like, ‘I’m not gonna bother this n-gga.’”
J. Cole’s breakthrough with ‘Villematic’ wasn’t just about impressing JAY-Z but marked a vital step in establishing his place in hip-hop. This moment of recognition propelled him forward, laying the groundwork for his future successes.
