J. Cole Archives - Page 2 of 78

J. Cole’s Breakout Mixtape ‘The Warm Up’ Is Finally Available On Streaming Platforms

November 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J. Cole’s trip down music memory lane continues. Last week, the “Port Antonio” rapper posted his debut mixtape, The Come Up, Vol. 1, to digital streaming platforms. Yesterday (November 22) another Cole World goodie was shared to streaming.

J. Cole’s sophomore mixtape, 2009’s The Warm Up, is now accessible across Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. While many J. Cole supporters consider The Come Up, Vol. 1 his breakout, The Warm Up was undeniably his breakthrough.

As Cole lore goes, the project’s single, “Lights Please” caught Jay-Z’s attention which lead to a deal with Roc Nation. The rest is hip-hop history.

Following its release, J. Cole’s longtime friend, manager, and business partner Ibrahim ‘Ib’ Hamad took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about the challenges in getting the project onto the music servers.

“Took us 15 years, but I’m so happy we’re able to get this up,” he wrote. “This project is very special to me, shit really put Cole in the game, and we ain’t look back since. Forever grateful for this project, legit changed n****s lives forever.’”

Continue below to view the tracklist and artwork for J. Cole’s The Warm Up.

Tracklist

1. “Intro (The Warm Up)”
2. “Welcome”
3. “Can I Live”
4. “Grown Simba”
5. “Just To Get By”
6. “Lights Please”
7. “Dead Presidents II”
8. “I Get Up”
9. “World Is Empty”
10. “Dreams” featuring Brandon Hines
11. “Royal Flush”
12. “Dollar And A Dream II”
13. “Water Break (Interlude)”
14. “Heartache”
15. “Get Away”
16. “Knock Knock”
17. “Ladies” featuring Lee Fields and The Expressions
18. “Til’ Infinity”
19. “The Badness” featuring Omen
20. “Hold It Down”
21. “Last Call”
22. “Losing My Balance”

Artwork

The Warm Up is on streaming now via Cole World Inc./Interscope. Find more information here.

J Cole Releases Classic Mixtape “The Warm Up” On Streaming

November 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

We knew it was coming. J Cole set a thrilling precedent when he dropped his debut mixtape, The Come Up, Vol. 1 on streaming platforms. The release coincided with Cole’s new podcast, in which he revisits his old material in the lead up to his final album. It didn’t take long for fans to put two and two together, and realize that The Warm Up was coming next. J Cole made good on the hype November 22. The same day Kendrick Lamar dropped his album, GNX, the Dreamville founder treated fans to his first classic release.

We’re happy to report that The Warm Up still holds up incredibly well. The evolution that J Cole makes from his first tape to this one is evident in just about every facet. His rapping is better, as evidenced by the handful of astounding freestyles. His songwriting is better, as evidenced by the signature Cole tune “Lights Please” and the underrated bonus track, “Losing My Balance.” J Cole’s production also takes a quantum leap forward. The beats for “Grown Simba” and “World Is Empty” are evocative of a talent far beyond his years. “Get Away” and “Hold It Down” remain some of the best songs in the rapper’s entire catalog. It’s a beautiful thing to see this mixtape get added to streaming, so fans can revisit it, or enjoy it for the first time.

Let us know what you think of this brand new album, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

J Cole Takes Fans Back With His Breakthrough Release

The Warm Up tracklist:

Intro (The Warm Up)
Welcome
Can I Live
Grown Simba
Just to Get By
Lights Please
Dead Presidents II
I Get Up
World Is Empty
Dreams (featuring Brandon Hines)
Royal Flush
Dollar and a Dream II
Water Break (Interlude)
Heartache
Get Away
Knock Knock
Ladies (featuring Lee Fields & The Expressions)
Til’ Infinity
The Badness (featuring Omen)
Hold It Down
Last Call
Losing My Balance

The post J Cole Releases Classic Mixtape “The Warm Up” On Streaming appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

J Cole Reveals How Listening To Drake For The First Time Changed His Career

November 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole and Drake have quite the complex relationship these days, but their bond and their parallel trajectories have too much history to completely vanish all because of a massive rap beef. Moreover, the former recently praised the latter during the latest episode of his Inevitable audio series with his manager and Dreamville cofounder Ibrahim Hamad, plus filmmaker Scott Lazer. Specifically, the North Carolina rapper compared his skillset to the Toronto superstar’s, and also drew connections between their styles, how Drizzy impacted what Cole wanted to release, and how this all affected his Lights Please and The Warm Up mixtapes.

“Like, the only one with that perspective, and that sharp of a pen,” J. Cole’s comments began. “And I was like, ‘Yo, that’s gon’ be my thing.’ Like, that’s what’s going to separate me from the pack. So the second I heard that freestyle that Ib is talking about, the Drake freestyle, one, I was blown away because of how good it was. But two, subconsciously, I was like, ‘Ha.’ There was someone else out there the whole time, that was working maybe just as hard as I was working, and was thinking the same things, maybe. Who had the same opportunities to come and occupy a certain space and lane that I never saw any competition for. And right away, I saw, like, ‘Oh, s**t.’ Not only is this n***a nice, but then, when So Far Gone dropped, now it became – Because I didn’t know how big Drake was.”

J Cole Speaks On Drake’s So Far Gone

J. Cole talking about how Drake putting out So Far Gone made him put songs on The Warm Up that he was saving for the album https://t.co/KGLn9AP1ao pic.twitter.com/bSoAzmz5wt

— shead head (@soulqrn) November 21, 2024

“Here’s a n***a that’s been training up in some of the similar areas and also he has his own unique abilities, the same way I have my own unique abilities,” J. Cole said of Drake. “But I’m like, ‘Yo. Not only am I not the only one in this space, I’m now actually starting late.’ My deal with Jay ain’t even done, you know what I mean? Like, I’m not even anybody yet. Like, n***as don’t even know me yet. And this n***a’s off to the races with joints. Like, hits, like, cultural shifting s**t. So, to Ib’s point and what Ib was getting at and where I think we end this was, at that moment, I had to shift my mindset and we had to shift our mindset about what The Warm Up was about to be. It no longer could just – ’cause Drake just changed the game.”

Drake’s So Far Gone was an incredibly influential and pioneering mixtape for how it changed expectations about the nature and quality of tracks one could find on a project of its caliber. J. Cole’s freestyles over classic beats were no longer enough, and it’s wild to see how both their artistic trajectories became so much more.

[via]

The post J Cole Reveals How Listening To Drake For The First Time Changed His Career appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

J Cole Shows That He’s Been Ready To Take Over The Rap Throne On “Simba”

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

While we are all still waiting on The Fall Off to arrive, J Cole still did a pretty cool thing last night. The legendary North Carolina rapper and producer brought his debut mixtape, The Come Up Mixtape Vol. 1 to streaming. The May 2007 release is one of three coveted projects prior to his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. This tape was brought out thanks to MC delivering his new audio series Inevitable. He announced that over the weekend, it’s going to be 10 episodes, and will reveal some cool BTS of Cole’s career leading up to 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

As it stands, fans are speculating that we could be getting all three of these foundational mixtapes. That’s especially because The Come Up was dropped in tandem with the first episode which was also titled after the project. If that’s true, then we will also have The Warm Up on November 22 and Friday Night Lights on November 27. It’s an exciting thought, but for now, we are revisiting one of J Cole’s earliest hits, “Simba.” Here, you are getting him at his hungriest as he likens himself to Simba from The Lion King, as the heir to rap throne, which he believes belonged to his soon-to-be mentor, JAY-Z. Overall, it’s a motivational anthem. Additionally, it’s an early look into how his writing and flows would evolve.

“Simba” – J Cole

Quotable Lyrics:

Man, I’m hungry, does it show? Ain’t nuttin’ funny, f*** a joke
I’m gettin’ money ’til my pockets need a tummy tuck, I hope
You n****s woke now, impermanently send you to hell
You meet the devil, sign a permanent lease, word on the streets
Is I’m the prince n****, check the splendor, and I can’t wait
To be the King, n****: young Simba, word on the streets

[Via]

The post J Cole Shows That He’s Been Ready To Take Over The Rap Throne On “Simba” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Longtime J. Cole Fans Can Finally Stream His Debut Mixtape, ‘The Come Up, Vol. 1’

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

A funny thing about streaming: It’s very hard to stream certain projects from certain artists, particularly from early in those artists’ careers. While anything from politics to rights issues can keep fan-favorite mixtapes and curios off DSPs for interminable periods, J. Cole fans woke up to a treat today; his 2007 debut mixtape, The Come Up, Vol. 1, is finally available to stream, nearly 17 years after its release. While it’s five songs shorter due to Cole’s inability to clear every instrumental from the original 21-track collection, the fact that he produced 12 of those songs himself likely helped.

The timing of the release is fortuitous, although some might call it convenient. After alienating some fans with his “7 Minute Drill” pump fake earlier this year, Cole’s been working overtime to get back in their good graces. Deleting the ill-advised battle rap track from streamers may not have earned him many fans, but his recent moves seem geared toward shoring up the remaining support he has from his hardliners. After sharing “Port Antonio,” which addresses his reasons for removing “7 Minute Drill” from DSPs, he announced a podcast, Inevitable, a collection of conversations between Cole and his longtime business partners Ibrahim Hamad and Scott Lazer detailing his creative process.

You can officially listen to The Come Up, Vol. 1 on your favorite DSPs, including Apple, Spotify, and Tidal.

J. Cole Launches Season 1 of “Inevitable” Audio Series, Releases ‘The Come Up’ Mixtape

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Together with longtime business and creative partners Ibrahim Hamad (who also serves as Cole’s manager and cofounder of Dreamville) and Scott Lazer (Filmmaker, Creative Director), J. Cole released a new limited audio series titled “Inevitable.” It will take listeners on an unfiltered voyage through his life, career, and personal evolution, using both released and unreleased music to guide the story.

Check out the first episode of Season 1 and purchase the full series HERE

Titled “The Come Up” after J. Cole’s debut mixtape, the first episode dropped yesterday evening followed by the project’s release on official streaming platforms. This is the first time the mixtape has been made available on DSPs since its debut in 2007.

Tracklisting:

Intro

Simba

I’m The Man

School Daze

Dollar And A Dream

Quote Me

College Boy

Split You Up

Plain

The Come Up

Dead Presidents

Lil Ghetto Nigga

Homecoming

Carolina On My Mind (feat. Deacon)

Can’t Cry

Goin’ Off

Rags To Riches (At The Beep)

The post J. Cole Launches Season 1 of “Inevitable” Audio Series, Releases ‘The Come Up’ Mixtape appeared first on .

J Cole Praises “Favorite Artist” Kanye West Amidst Ongoing Feud

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole is taking stock of his career and his place in the rap game. The Dreamville founder recently launched the podcast Inevitable. It will give Cole the chance to talk about the making of his most iconic songs, as well as build anticipation for his final album, The Fall Off. Naturally, the rapper kicked things off by discussing his debut mixtape, The Warm Up, Vol. 1. It was during the discussion of this tape that Cole decided to wax poetic on the importance of Kanye West. An artist who has mocked him repeatedly in the last eight months.

Kanye West’s influence on J Cole has never been a secret. The latter rapped on three West beats for The Warm Up, Vol. 1. Cole also used Ye’s classic “Last Call” as the template for his 2009 mixtape, The Warm Up, as well as his 2014 album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. J Cole is, and always will be, a son of Kanye West, and he said as much during the first episode of Inevitable. “He became my favorite artist,” Cole recalled. “He kinda cracked my mind open. Kanye was the first time I saw myself in somebody.” J Cole went on to praise West for expanding the parameters for what a hip hop song could.

J Cole Credits Kanye West With Changing His Life

“He just made it possible to talk about your life or regular perspectives in a way that’s appealing,” J Cole added. “I didn’t know how to talk about my life. And then, f**king Kanye West happened.” It was touching to hear the Dreamville honcho reflect on such a formative moment in his career. It’s also a somewhat odd time to share this information. After all, Kanye West insulted J Cole on the “Like That” remix in April. “Play J Cole, get the p**sy dry,” he rapped. Play this sh*t back a hundred-thirty times.” West doubled down on this stance during an appearance on The Download podcast.

West felt that Cole was a “p**sy” for apologizing to Kendrick Lamar amidst the Big Three beef. “F*ck all that sh*t. Because, like that n**ga J Cole went on tour with Drake, he know what it is. You can’t put Cole and ‘up’ in the same sentence.” J Cole’s comments on the Inevitable podcast mark the first time he has spoken about Kanye West since these insults were made. Obviously, the rapper is opting to take the high ground and focus on cementing his legacy.

The post J Cole Praises “Favorite Artist” Kanye West Amidst Ongoing Feud appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

J Cole Rereleases Debut Mixtape “The Come Up, Vol. 1” On Streaming

November 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J Cole is preparing fans for The Fall Off. The rapper has been teasing his final album, and subsequent retirement, for a couple years now. Cole’s decision to launch a podcast series on November 18 has made this seem like concrete, however. The rapper launched Inevitable on streaming platforms, which details the making of each of his projects. Naturally, he kicked things off with his first mixtape, The Come Up, Vol. 1. What fans didn’t expect, though, is that the podcast would coincide with the streaming debut of the 2007 tape.

J Cole delighted fans around the world on Tuesday, when he uploaded his very first project to Apple Music and Spotify for the first time ever. The Come Up, Vol. 1 sees him establish a lot of the song titles and trends that he would perfect in the years to come, such “Dollar and a Dream” and “Simba.” The tape also sees Cole work out his talents while emulating the rap icons who came before him. JAY-Z and Kanye West influence is all over The Come Up, Vol. 1. J Cole freestyles over three classic West beats, as well as JAY’s “Dead Presidents.” Fans also get to hear Cole’s first batch of instrumentals under his own name, as opposed to his original moniker, Therapist. It’s great to see The Come Up, Vol. 1 on streaming.

J. Cole Reminds Fans Of His Musical Origins

Intro
Simba
I’m the Man
School Daze
Dollar and a Dream
Throw It Up
Quote Me
College Boy
Split You Up
Plain (Skit)
The Come Up
Mighty Crazy
Dead Presidents
Lil Ghetto N**ga
Homecoming
Carolina on My Mind (featuring Deacon)
Can’t Cry
Goin’ Off
Rags to Riches (At the Beep)
Get It
I Do My Thing

The post J Cole Rereleases Debut Mixtape “The Come Up, Vol. 1” On Streaming appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

J. Cole Is Taking Fans On An ‘Unfiltered Voyage’ With ‘Inevitable,’ The New ‘Limited Audio Series’ He Just Announced

November 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

J. Cole die-hards are in for a real treat: The rapper just announced Inevitable, which sounds like a new podcast, even if Cole isn’t specifically calling it that.

A synopsis for the show reads, “In this raw and reflective limited audio series, Jermaine Cole takes listeners on an unfiltered voyage through his life, career, and personal evolution, using both released and unreleased music to guide the story. Through conversation with Ibrahim Hamad and Scott Lazer, Season 1 finds Cole recounting his journey from his early days as a young, aspiring rapper to finally seeing his dreams become a reality, despite the many hurdles and pitfalls he faces along the way.”

Cole went into more depth in an Instagram post, writing:

“It’s hard to write a caption to describe what this is. I really don’t even know what to call it. We settled on calling it an ‘audio series’ but to me it plays like a movie in the form of a conversation.

First, me and Ib spent mad days talking to Scott, recapping the whole journey up to present day. Front to back. It was new, it was fun, it was emotional and more than anything, it was therapeutic.

After that Scott took the conversation and did his thing with it… then it was time to listen back. When I heard it with fresh ears, I was glued to the story as if it was somebody else’s. At times I could feel my adrenaline rush when hearing about the ups and the many downs and how it all played out in the end.

I got so much clarity from it, and I understood more than ever the power of having a dream, the power of fueling that dream with strong vision, the magic that happens when we stay in alignment with God, and the darkness that can come in the times that we don’t.

As the years of my career grew I found myself much more hesitant to share details of my life with the world. Even as I type this, I feel the last little bit of resistance. ‘You sure you want to do this?’ But if I was a younger version of myself, I know that I would get so much fuel from hearing this from somebody that went for theirs and ‘made it.’ For that reason, I think it’s worth sharing.

So, if you rocked with me at any point so far on my journey, I hope this will give you even more perspective and fill in a lot of blanks. If you have your own dream in life that you hope to achieve, in any field, I hope that this will feed your spirit, giving you confidence to believe in that dream and the encouragement to push through the tough times. To go for it even when you may be afraid to.

Please enjoy Season 1 of ‘Inevitable’

First episode available 11/18 @ 6pm ET.

www.inevitable.live.”

Learn more about the show here.