Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known as J. Cole, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer, originally born in Frankfurt, Germany. His popularity in the music industry began after the release of his debut mixtape in 2007, “The Come Up”, and started dominating Billboard charts shortly thereafter. He has won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, a Billboard Music Award, three Soul Train Music Awards, and eight BET Hip Hop Awards.
J. Cole currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife and son. He was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina and after his childhood home was put up for foreclosure, J. Cole decided to purchase it, as well, and oftentimes visits to give back to the community.
J. Cole isn’t one to flaunt his wealth, although the successful rapper’s career has earned him an estimated net worth of around $60 million. He is a great example of how success in the music industry doesn’t always have to lead to a move to Los Angeles or the Golden State in order to continue making music.
J. Cole and His Rise in the Music Industry
Many fans don’t know about J. Cole’s early years, especially the fact that he was born at a U.S. Army base in Frankfurt, Germany. His father, an African American soldier, left his mother when he was young, and his mother eventually moved him and his older brother to Fayetteville, North Carolina where the family lived in trailer parks for the majority of J. Cole’s early years.
The family struggled to make ends meet, and his mom eventually remarried, so they were able to move to a nicer home. Before J. Cole was about to leave for college, his mother’s marriage had crumbled, losing the nice house they had lived in for a few years.
Cole’s mother had become addicted to crack cocaine under the influence of her new boyfriend, and J. Cole had to find ways to provide for himself. He worked a number of part-time jobs during his teenage years while discovering his passion for music.
Cole joined the Terry Sanford Orchestra in Fayetteville as a violinist, as well as taught himself how to rap and produce. He joined a local group called “Bomm Sheltuh”.
After graduating high school, J. Cole moved to New York where he attended St. John’s University. He graduated magna cum laude in 2007 with a major in communications.
J. Cole came out with a debut mixtape in 2007 called “The Come Up”. It was entirely self-produced and although it didn’t gain much attention, he kept recording and found himself enjoying rapping over beats from Kanye West.
In 2009, Cole came out with a second mixtape, “The Warm Up”, and one of the tracks came to the attention of music producer, Mark Pitts, who then played it for Jay Z. Jay Z was impressed with what he heard on the mixtape, and before he knew it, Cole had signed with Roc Nation Records to appear as a feature on tracks by Wale, Jay Z, and Talib Kweli.
With a few more singles and albums coming out in the next few years, J. Cole finally had the breakthrough he always dreamed of in 2014 with “2014 Forest Hills Drive”. It came in at number 1 on the Billboard 200, winning Billboard Rap Album of the Year later in the year, as well as getting certified double platinum.
His later albums, “4 Your Eyez Only” in 2016 and “KOD” in 2018 received praise in the media and also hit top charts. He now runs the Dreamville Records label, as well as a non-profit established in his hometown called the Dreamville Foundation.
J. Cole’s Humble Abode in Raleigh
With major success over the past decade, J.Cole has earned a net worth of approximately $60 million, although he does not seem to flaunt it whatsoever. With many artists making the move to Los Angeles after reaching the high of their careers, Cole decided to stay in his home state of North Carolina.
J. Cole lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife and son, although not much is known about his primary residence. He keeps to himself, and being in North Carolina instead of California does have its perks of privacy.
After years of living in trailer parks, his mother remarried and the family moved to a 1,600 square foot home on Forest Hills Drive in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He loved the home and has even stated that the home felt like a mansion to him because he finally got his own room.
The marriage did not work out, and J. Cole’s mother lost the home due to foreclosure. However, Cole was able to purchase the home later on, due to his successful career.
The home address is J. Cole’s third album title and he still owns the residence to this day. The popularity of the album has led crowds to be drawn to the home, so a security fence had to be installed to keep people off the property.