J. Cole

About J. Cole

Jermaine Cole grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after being born on a U.S. military base in Frankfurt, Germany. He started posting tracks online at 14 and released The Come Up in early 2007, founding Dreamville Records alongside label president Ibrahim Hamad. After signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009, Cole dropped two more mixtapes—The Warm Up in 2009 and Friday Night Lights in 2010—before his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story hit number one on the Billboard 200 in September 2011 and went platinum.

Cole's second and third albums, Born Sinner (2013) and 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014), established his formula: concept-heavy records with minimal features and Cole handling most of the production himself. 2014 Forest Hills Drive became the first album in 25 years to achieve triple-platinum status with no guest appearances, earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. He continued this streak with 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), KOD (2018), and The Off-Season (2021), achieving six consecutive number-one debuts. Cole is self-taught on piano and has produced for Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, while also running the Dreamville Foundation and providing rent-free housing for single mothers in his hometown.

The Groove Hunter catalog tracks 6 editions across Cole's discography, including Cole World: The Sideline Story, Born Sinner, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only, The Off-Season, and the 2014 Forest Hills Drive 10 Year Anniversary Edition Blue Marbled Vinyl with alternate artwork.