The Evolution of J. Cole | Genius News

Fayetteville, North Carolina’s J. Cole has gone from envisioning himself as one of the greats to calling them his peers. From his first mixtape, 2007’s The Come Up, to his first of three Platinum albums with no features, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole has been charting his own place in the game. Although he’s experienced his own share of bumps along the way (notably his idol Nas reception to Cole’s “Work Out,” which Jermaine addressed on “Let Nas Down”), Cole has stayed true to the only person that mattered: himself.