J. Cole is an American creative worker.
J. Cole . Raised in Fayetteville , North Carolina , Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape , The Come Up , in early 2007 . Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper , he went on to release two additional mixtapes after signing to Jay Z 's Roc Nation imprint in 2009 . Cole released his debut studio album , Cole World : The Sideline Story , in 2011 . His next two releases , 2013 's Born Sinner and 2014 's 2014 Forest Hills Drive , received mostly positive reviews from critics , while being both certified platinum in the US .