J. Cole Net Worth

J Cole Net Worth and Life Story

J. Cole is an American rapper and record producer who has a net worth of $60 million. He was born on Jermaine Lamarr Cole on January 28, 1985, in Frankfurt, Germany to African-American parents. His parents divorced and their family moved to North Carolina.

J. Cole Education

In his youth, J Cole participated in the Terry Sanford Orchestra and was the first chair violinist.. Cole graduated from Terry Sanford High School in 2003 and then went on to study at St. John’s University on a partial scholarship. First, he enrolled as a computer science major. However, after, he changed his major to communication and business. J Cole graduated summa cum laude. However, he didn’t receive his diploma until 2015 due to unpaid library fees.

J. Cole Style

J. Cole is one of the most influential artists of his generation. His rapping style has been described as introspective and personal, with lyrics that touch on subjects such as his childhood, racism, and other social issues.

He is well known for his honest and personal lyrics, which often deal with themes of struggle, love, and morality. Cole began rapping at the age of 12 and cites Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z as his biggest influences.

Rap Career

J Cole first produced music under the name Therapist. However, he later changed his stage name to J. Cole. J cole received recognition for his work on the debut mixtape The Warm Up. In 2009, J. Cole was signed to Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation after J Cole was posting songs and they were picked up. He then released his second mixtape, The Warm Up, in 2009. 

Cole released a total of five studio albums. The album Cole World is his debut studio album released on September 27, 2011.  The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Cole has released four additional studio albums: Born Sinner (2013), 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014), 4 Your Eyez Only (2016), and K but dropped out after just two years to pursue a career in music.” Born Sinner” (2013), “2014 Forest Hills Drive” (2014), “4 Your Eyez Only” (2016), and “KOD” (2018). He has also released various other projects such as the mixtapes “The Warm Up” (2009), “Friday Night Lights” (2010), and “Return of Simba” (2017).

In addition to his solo work, Cole is a member of the hip-hop group Dreamville Records along with artists such as Bas, J.I.D., Ari Lennox, Cozz, and Omen. The label released its first compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III in 2019 which peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. Cole has won multiple BET Hip Hop Awards and multiple Grammy Awards during his career.

Collaborations

He’s worked with names like Kanye West, Trey Songz, Missy Elliot, Kendrick Lamar, and Janet Jackson.

J. Cole Tours

J. Cole has gone on four headlining tours in support of his albums. His first was the What Dreams May Come Tour which took place in 2013 and 2014 for Cole World Sidelines. It spanned over 60 dates across North America, Europe, and Australia. The Forest Hills Drive Tour followed in 2015 and 2016 with over 70 shows across the same continents. 4 Your Eyez Only World Tour took place in 2017 and 2018 with over 100 shows in total. Finally, The Off-Season World Tour is set to begin in May 2021 with over 30 dates booked so far.

J. Cole Festivals

J. Cole has performed at a number of festivals throughout his career including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Coachella. He headlined the second day of Bonnaroo in 2014 and returned to headline the festival again in 2017. Cole also headlined Lollapalooza in 2015 and 2018. He was set to headline Coachella in 2020 but the festival was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

J. Cole Charity Work

In 2016, J. Cole founded the Dreamville Foundation which is a non-profit organization that provides resources for underprivileged youth in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The foundation offers programs such as after-school tutoring, college prep, and music production classes. They also provide scholarships to local students. In 2019, Cole held a benefit concert called Dreamville Festival which raised over $1 million for the foundation.

J. Cole has also partnered with various other charities throughout his career including Make-A-Wish Foundation, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Human Rights Watch.

Basketball Career

In addition to his music career, J.Cole is also an accomplished basketball player. He played on his high school team and was offered a scholarship to play at St. John’s University. He ultimately decided to focus on music but has continued to play basketball recreationally throughout his life. In 2019, Cole signed a deal with the Puma brand to be an ambassador for their basketball line. He also has his own line of sneakers with the brand called the RS-Dreamer.

He also signed a contract with the Patriots Basketball Club, a Rwanda team in the Basketball Africa League

J. Cole Movies

Cole has appeared in a few movies throughout his career including “The Carter Effect” (2017) and “Angels in America” (2003). He has also executive produced two documentaries: “Eyez” (2017) and “4 Your Eyez Only” (2016).

Personal Life

Cole married his longtime girlfriend Melissa Heholt in 2015. The couple has two children together, a son born in 2016 and a daughter born in 2018. Cole purchased a $2.8 million home in San Antonio, Texas in 2019. He also owns property in New York City and Los Angeles.

In 2020, Cole was ranked number one on Forbes’ list of the “5 Richest Rappers Alive.” 

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