Up-and-coming rapper J. Cole said he wants to live up to his title of Jay-Z's protege.
Attending his star-studded listening party at U Street Music Hall Monday night, J. Cole said he wants to ride his newfound fame right to the top.
“This is my time," said the 25-year-old artist who was born in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, N.C. "I’m ready for it all. I want to make great albums, produce hits -- maybe even a movie."
“Ten years from now I want to be on top.”
The who's who of Washington D.C.'s hip hop industry came out to U Street Music Hall on Monday night to support the Roc Nation artist. Celebrity D.J.’s Quicksilva, Jay Claxton, Rapper Greenspan, and two of the Districts top hip hop publicist Kimberly Natasha and Candice Nicole were all spotted inside the listening session for the rising star.
“I’m different from most artists out there,” he said. “My sound is different, my music is different and, most importantly, my story is different.”
Cole began his meteoric rise after be became the first artist signed by Jay-Z to his label Roc Nation. “That was a great moment for me and one I’ll never forget,” he said.
"Music has been my passion for years," he said. "I started rapping at the age of 12, and I haven't really stopped since then.”
Unlike the majority of rising artists, Cole exclaims that he is not obsessed with stardom, but ready to be successful. “I hope this album will show that I really have something important to say,” he said, “ and I’m ready for the world to hear it.” Just this week, MTV awarded Cole with the “Who Got Next” Award, which he humbly accepted.
Cole’s album is set to drop later this Fall.
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