Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007 in which he also founded his record label Dreamville with label president Ibrahim Hamad. Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he went on to release two additional mixtapes The Warm Up in 2009 and Friday Night Lights in 2010, after signing to Jay Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009.
Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, on September 27, 2011, which included the lead single "Work out". It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In June 18, 2013, Cole released his second studio album Born Sinner. Born Sinner sold 297,000 copies in its first week of release, and peaked at number one in it's third week of release. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics. On September 15, 2020, Born Sinner was certified double platinum. The album was supported by the lead single Power Trip with R&B artist Miguel, which was released on February 14.
On December 9, 2014, Cole, released his third studio album "2014 Forest Hills Drive". It was also the first album in 25 years at that time that went 3 times platinum with absolutely no features. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 353,000 copies in its first week and was certified platinum on March 31, 2015. The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. The album was later accompanied by two documentaries "J. Cole: Road to Homecoming" in the period of December 16, 2015 – January 9, 2016 & "Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming" on January 9, 2016.
On 9 December, 2016, Cole released his fourth studio album "4 Your Eyez Only". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with 492,000 album-equivalent units, of which 363,000 were pure album sales, becoming Cole's fourth number one album. On January 12, 2017, the album was certified gold and certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 7, 2017.
On April 20, 2018 Cole released his 5th studio album "KOD", after he revealed the album name two days after and held a couple listening sessions. The album featured his new alter ego kiLL edward under which he released the single "Tidal Wave (just a little reference)" on April 18th, 2018, 2 days before releasing KOD. The album was recieved with positive reviews from critics and debuted atop the US Billboard 200, selling 397,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (174,000 coming from pure sales), earning Cole his fifth consecutive number-one album in the country. The album broke several streaming records at the time of the release. On December 5, 2018 the album was certified platinum.
Cole released a 2 song EP called "Lewis Street" on July 22, 2020, which included the single "The Climb Back", which would later be featured on his 6th studio album. On May 7, 2021, Cole released the lead single "Interlude" one week before releasing his 6th studio album. Cole's 6th studio album "The Off-Season" was released on May 14, 2021. The album sold 282,000 album-equivalent units in its first week and would earn Cole his sixth consecutive number-one album in the country. 4 of the 12 songs debuted on the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, with the song "My Life" featuring 21 Savage & Morray peaking at number 2.
Self-taught on piano, Cole also acts as a producer alongside his hip hop career, producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects. He has also developed other ventures, including Dreamville Records, as well as non-profit organization the Dreamville Foundation. In January 2015, Cole decided to house single mothers rent-free in his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
A Tale of 2 Cities
J. Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look at me my nigga
Fantasize about a white picket fence
With some trees my nigga
Used to want a pathfinder with some tints
Thats all I need my nigga
Throw some 20's on that bitch and get it wrenched
But now I see my nigga
Picked up the paper and they say my nigga Eddie caught a body, I'm convinced
Anybody is a killer, all you gotta do is push 'em to the limps
Fuck being timid in the Civic
Politicin' with the pushers and the pimps
I'm tryna write a story, can I get a glimpse?
Yeah can I get a glimpse?
Last night I had a bad dream
That I was trapped in this city
Then I asked is that really such a bad thing?
They robbin' niggas on the daily
Keep on blamin' nigga that ain't never had things
Guess not, last night they pulled up on my nigga at the light like
Uh, nice watch, run it
Hands in the air now, hands in the air, run it
Small town nigga Hollywood dreams
I know that everything that glitters ain't gold
I know the shits not always good as it seems
But tell me till you get it how could you know
How could you know? How could you know?
Listen up I'm about to go and get rich
Fuck with me my nigga
We gonna slug around the Ville and hit a lick
Cop some tree my nigga
And some powder, bag it up and make it flip
You gon' see my nigga
One day we gon' graduate and cop a brick
And that's the key my nigga
And listen up I'm bout to go and get rich
Stand back and watch if you want to nigga
Me I want my pockets fat about a bitch
Tired of seein' niggas flaunt, I wanna flaunt too nigga
Watch some rollers in the fuckin' Crown Vic
Tryna lock a nigga up, that's what they won't do nigga
Wanna know a funny thing about this shit?
Even if you let em' kill your dream it'll haunt you nigga
Last night I had a bad dream
That I was trapped in this city
Then I asked is that really such a bad thing?I
I look around like do you want to be another nigga
That ain't never had things
Guess not, last night we pulled up on my nigga at the light like
Uh, nice watch, run it
Hands in the air now, hands in the air, run it
Father forgive me for me, childish ways
I look outside and all the clouds are gray
I need your hands to take me, miles away
Your wish is my command, my command, my command, but
Before you go I've got to, want you now
Whatever goes up surely, must come down
And you get your piece but no peace, won't be found
So why just take me man, take me man, take me man
Your wish is my command, my command, my command
The first verse of J. Cole's "A Tale of 2 Citiez" starts with the rapper sharing his dreams from his younger days when he wanted to be successful and own a white picket fence. He fantasized about owning a car with tinted windows and putting 20s on it. But now he has learned that the world is more significant than just these small material things. J. Cole then goes on to say that he reads about a person named Eddie, who has caught a body, which convinces him that anyone can become a killer; all they need is a push. J. Cole mentions that he doesn't want to be timid and is hanging out with pushers and pimps. He wants to write his story and asks for a glimpse of that vision.
In the second verse, J. Cole discusses his fear of being stuck in a small town but having Hollywood dreams. He knows that the world is not what it seems and that everything that glitters may not be gold. He talks about his plans for the future, which include getting rich, robbing someone, and buying some drugs to resell them for profit. J. Cole then complains about how the police continually target him and his friends. He ends the verse with a dream where he is trapped in his city, and he wonders if that is such a bad thing until he gets robbed by someone who compliments his watch.
Overall, the song is a commentary on life in two cities: one where success is achievable with hard work, and the other where you need to do whatever it takes to survive. J. Cole is not afraid to confront the harsh realities of the world and how young black men are struggling to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Since a youngin' always dreamed of gettin' rich
From a young age, J. Cole had dreams of becoming wealthy.
Look at me my nigga
He is speaking to someone, suggesting that he wants them to see his success.
Fantasize about a white picket fence
With some trees my nigga
He used to have a simple life dream, owning his own house with a yard.
Used to want a pathfinder with some tints
Thats all I need my nigga
Throw some 20's on that bitch and get it wrenched
But now I see my nigga
That the worlds a lot bigger ever since
He used to think that material things like fancy cars were all he needed to be happy. But after experiencing more of the world, he knows there's more to it than that.
Picked up the paper and they say my nigga Eddie caught a body, I'm convinced
Anybody is a killer, all you gotta do is push 'em to the limps
Fuck being timid in the Civic
Politicin' with the pushers and the pimps
I'm tryna write a story, can I get a glimpse?
Yeah can I get a glimpse?
After reading about a friend who killed someone, he realizes that anyone can become violent if pushed to their limits. He doesn't want to live a timid life and wants to write his own story.
Last night I had a bad dream
That I was trapped in this city
Then I asked is that really such a bad thing?
They robbin' niggas on the daily
Keep on blamin' nigga that ain't never had things
Guess not, last night they pulled up on my nigga at the light like
Uh, nice watch, run it
Hands in the air now, hands in the air, run it
He has a nightmare about being stuck in a city where people are constantly getting robbed. He notes that those who have less are often blamed for the city's problems. Then, he recounts a time where some robbers took his friend's watch at gunpoint.
Small town nigga Hollywood dreams
I know that everything that glitters ain't gold
I know the shits not always good as it seems
But tell me till you get it how could you know
How could you know? How could you know?
He grew up in a small town, but has big aspirations to make it in Hollywood. He acknowledges that things may not be as great as they seem, but argues that one can't know until they experience it themselves.
Listen up I'm about to go and get rich
Fuck with me my nigga
We gonna slug around the Ville and hit a lick
Cop some tree my nigga
And some powder, bag it up and make it flip
You gon' see my nigga
One day we gon' graduate and cop a brick
And that's the key my nigga
J. Cole is determined to become wealthy and enlists the help of his friend. They plan to sell drugs and hope to eventually be able to buy a brick (a kilogram of drugs).
And listen up I'm bout to go and get rich
Stand back and watch if you want to nigga
Me I want my pockets fat about a bitch
Tired of seein' niggas flaunt, I wanna flaunt too nigga
Watch some rollers in the fuckin' Crown Vic
Tryna lock a nigga up, that's what they won't do nigga
Wanna know a funny thing about this shit?
Even if you let em' kill your dream it'll haunt you nigga
He again declares his intention to become rich and doesn't care who gets in his way. He wants to have money and show it off. He also notes the police's efforts to arrest drug dealers but insists that if one's dream is killed, it will continue to haunt them.
Father forgive me for me, childish ways
I look outside and all the clouds are gray
I need your hands to take me, miles away
Your wish is my command, my command, my command, but
Before you go I've got to, want you now
Whatever goes up surely, must come down
And you get your piece but no peace, won't be found
So why just take me man, take me man, take me man
Your wish is my command, my command, my command
J. Cole asks for forgiveness for his childish desires, and in a moment of sadness, seeks God's help to leave his current situation behind. He notes that success can have negative consequences, and ultimately begs God to help him escape his current circumstances and make his wishes come true.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jermaine Cole, Anderson Hernandez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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