J. Cole

Caleb Martin Credits J. Cole With Helping Him Make It Onto The Miami Heat

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J. Cole might be sitting pretty with his place on hip-hop Mount Rushmore, but his influence spreads beyond music, too. Cole has always been a very vocal fan of basketball, even going so far as to join a Rwandan team himself in order to play pro basketball in Africa.

Turns out his basketball influence extends to the states, too. Caleb Martin, who recently joined the Miami Heat, told The Charlotte Observer that the rapper was instrumental in getting him in position to be picked up by the team. Cole’s network with NBA contacts and private gym both helped Martin get in position to be signed to Miami.

“Yeah, that’s my man,” Caleb Martin told The Observer. “It shows that even though he’s accomplished a lot of things … and he’s got so many other things to worry about, he worries about his people. And it’s dope he considers me one of his people, that he takes into account and he knew my situation. He saw me working in the gym every day and you could just tell he appreciates guys who grinds like he does and so that’s a blessing for him to lend a hand out there and do what he could.”

Check out the whole profile right here.

One Great Song From Great Hip-Hop Albums in Recent Memory

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Tracks from Tyler, The Creator, Slowthai, Baby Tate, Rod Wave, Conway The Machine, J. Cole and more. Continue reading…

J. Cole Reveals The New Dreamer Jersey Collaboration With Mitchell & Ness

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J. Cole well-documented love for basketball and his understated, ultra-comfy style have come together in his latest collaboration with throwback sportswear designer Mitchell & Ness. He revealed his new Dreamer X Mitchell & Ness throwback jersey collection after teasing it with the help of viral hoop phenom Hansel Enmanuel, who appeared in a video narrated by J. Cole praising the young, one-armed baller’s audacity to dream of a pro hoops career.

The jerseys are designed to look like ’90s-era NBA team jerseys, with the name Dreamer taking the place of the original team names on each. Included in the initial run are looks referencing the old-school aesthetics of the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards (formerly the Baltimore Bullets), Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). Alas, my beloved Clippers are nowhere to be found, nor are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Seattle Supersonics, or any iteration of the Grizzlies (Vancouver or Memphis). I’m not sure if anyone even cares about the Utah Jazz (they can’t read this; they don’t have internet). Cole also posted several throwback jersey photos on Instagram to remind fans of their cultural impact (including the “bootleg” throwback he wore as a kid — an authentic NBA jersey, but not a Mitchell & Ness one, which was the THING back then).

The jerseys retail for $375 and are available on mitchellandness.com (for now, expect them to sell out quick).

J. Cole Co-Signs One-Armed Basketball Sensation Hansel Enmanuel In His New Dreamer Ad

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Anyone who is even sort of plugged into hoop Twitter or follows sports accounts on Instagram has likely learned of Hansel Enmanuel, an 18-year-old basketball player at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida who has become a viral sensation for his play against other top high schoolers. While his flashy passes and dunks would be impressive enough on their own, they are made all the more so by his handicap; due to a childhood accident, the Dominican Republic-born Hansel only has one arm.

It’s a safe bet that’s where J. Cole, a hoops head and inspirational story in his own right, first learned of the young star, and perhaps sensing a kindred, underdog spirit, Cole scooped him up to appear in his latest ad for his Dreamer brand. Produced by Pomp&Clout and directed by Scott Lazer and J. Cole, “The Audacity II” simply features Enmanuel dribbling the ball in front of the camera, changing up the rhythm, tempo, and direction in a drill meant to display his focus and stamina as Cole narrates.

I got to keep it 100 with you. They don’t think you can do it. They look at you and all they see is a man standing in front of a mountain that’s too big to scare. But I believe in you. Sh*t you made me a believer cause I see how much you believe in yourself. Why else would you work this hard? Sh*t, I ain’t gonna lie, they surprised you made it this far. Now, quietly in the back of their minds, there’s a tiny thought that wonders how far you can actually go with this. And I know something they don’t know. That the answer to that question, my boy… is up to you.

Cole could very well have been speaking to himself. A long-shot to play pro ball at 36 years old, Cole was able to parlay his lifetime hoop dream into a role in the Basketball Africa League, where he played three games during the inaugural 2021 season.

Hip-Hop Slang Dictionary for All the References You Need

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A guide for the uninformed. Continue reading…

YG, J. Cole, And Moneybagg Yo’s ‘Scared Money’ Presents A Sinister Approach To Getting Rich

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YG appears to be gearing up to release his upcoming sixth album which would be his first solo full-length effort since 2020’s My Life 4Hunnid. So far, the Compton native has released one single, “Sign Language,” for the potential project, but his latest drop looks to make quite the splash. YG recruits J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo for their new single, “Scared Money.” The new track is a sinister release that presents the rappers’ unabashed approach towards making money and staying rich. The song is also paired with a confident video that captures the trio flexing their wealth by holding stacks of money to their ear in a safe and dancing as more cash falls from the sky.

“Scared Money” serves as the latest entry in J. Cole’s current guest feature run. In recent months, Cole has connected with Wale (“Poke It Out“), Young Thug (“Stressed Out“), “Joyner Lucas (“Your Heart“), and Benny The Butcher (“Johnny P’s Caddy“). Cole’s latest feature run comes after he initially said his 2019 song with Gang Starr would be the “last feature you’ll hear from me,” a statement he retracted after some self-reflection as revealed in his 2020 documentary, Applying Pressure: The Off-Season.

As for Moneybagg Yo, he’s been on a bit of a feature run as well with the Memphis native lacing records with Polo G, French Montana, 2 Chainz, NLE Choppa, and more. He even has a record on Kanye West’s Donda 2 on the way.

You can watch the video for “Scared Money” above.

J. Cole Will Continue His Latest Feature Run With A Track Beside YG And Moneybagg Yo

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Back at the start of 2019, J. Cole announced that “Family And Loyalty,” his collaboration with Gang Starr, would be the “last feature you’ll hear from me.” That claim turned out to be short-lived, as Cole, who typically isolates himself from other artists, is currently in the midst of another feature run. This Friday, YG, J. Cole, and Moneybagg Yo will team up for their new song “Scared Money,” which seems to be the latest single from YG’s upcoming album, following last spring’s “Sign Language.”

J. Cole’s decision comes after he did some self-reflecting around the release of his sixth album, The Off-Season. “Do you really want to look back and be like, ‘You didn’t work with nobody?” Cole said in a documentary that arrived shortly before the release. “You didn’t have no songs with nobody?’ You just cool with that?’ No, OK! So start saying yes to some features.” Thankfully, Cole did just that.

In the past few months, Cole has released songs with Wale (“Poke It Out“), Young Thug (“Stressed Out“), “Joyner Lucas (“Your Heart“), and Benny The Butcher (“Johnny P’s Caddy“). While “Scared Money” will be Cole and YG’s first song together, it will be Cole’s second with Moneybagg Yo, as they worked together back in 2018 on “Say Dat.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J. Cole Declares Himself The GOAT

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In his first verse of 2022, J. Cole is crowning himself king. The North Carolina rapper sent tongues wagging with his featured verse on Benny Butcher’s new song Johnny P’s Caddy. He raps on the track, “ On God, the best rapper alive/Headshot, now go and ask the best rappers that died/They tell you he […]