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Nominated for New Artist of the Year and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at this year’s AMAs, J. Cole’s ride to fame has been a long time coming. In 2009, J. Cole was the first artist to sign to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, later to be followed by Rita Ora, Willow Smith and more.
Since 2009, the hip-hop artist has released multiple mixtapes, including The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010). Acclaimed as one of the most complete and eclectic of mixtapes, Friday Night Lights built a steady following as a precursor to his debut album. A collection of previous leaks and freestyles in addition to new material, FNL also included multiple collaborations featuring Drake, Wale and more.
Check out “In the Morning.” Originally an older work of J. Cole, this new version featuring Drake was released as a part of Friday Night Lights and met with strong praise.
Last year, J. Cole released Cole World: The Sideline Story, which was an immediate success with over 200,000 in album sales in the first week and topping Billboard charts. It’s currently nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the 2012 AMAs.
Since its release as a single last summer in anticipation of Cole World, “Work Out” quickly became a favorite that expanded his fan base.
The North Carolinian artist is known for unexpectedly dropping freestyles and mixes, and fans can always expect new material that exhibits his growth, both as an artist and individual. This summer, J. Cole released “The Cure,” where he first hints at his upcoming album.
A year after the release of Cole World, J. Cole is already hard at work on his sophomore album, titled Born Sinner, due early 2013. “Miss America,” released this Tuesday is the first single off his next album and available on iTunes.
What song by J. Cole is your favorite? Let us know down below!
