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.
FRIENDS
J. Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
I got thoughts, can't control
Got me down, got me low
Rest my mind, rest my soul
When I blow, when I blow
Am I wrong, let them know
Feels so right to let things go
Don't think twice, this is me
This is how I should be
But I'm aggravated without it
My saddest days are without it
My Saturdays are the loudest
I'm blowing strong
Some niggas graduated with powder
I dabble later, I doubt it
My database of narcotics
It's growing long
But I'm aggravated without it
My saddest days are without it
My Saturdays are the loudest
I'm blowing strong
Some niggas graduated with powder
I dabble later, I doubt it
My database of narcotics
It's growing long
I wrote this shit to talk about the word addiction
To my nigga, I hope you listening
I hope you listening
This is for the whole fucking Ville I hope you're listening
Smoking medical grade, but I ain't got perscription
All the way in Cali where they ain't got precipi-
-tation, feeling like the only one that made it
And I hate it for my niggas 'cause they ain't got ambition
Fuck did you expect, you can blame it on condition
Blame it on crack, you can blame it on the system
Blame it on the fact that 12 got jurisdiction
To ride around in neighborhoods that they ain't ever lived in
Blame it on the strain that you feel when daddy missing
Blame it on Trump shit, blame it on Clinton
Blame it on trap music and the politicians
Or the fact that every black boy wanna be Pippen
But they only got twelve slots on the Pistons
Blame it on the rain, Milli Vanilli with the disk skip
What I'm tryna say is the blame can go deep as seas
Just to blame 'em all I would need like twenty CD's
There's all sorts of trauma from drama that children see
Type of shit that normally would call for therapy
But you know just how it go in our community
Keep that shit inside it don't matter how hard it be
Fast forward, them kids is grown and they blowing trees
And popping pills due to chronic anxiety
I been saw the problem but stay silent 'cause I ain't Jesus
This ain't no trial if you desire go higher please
But fuck that now I'm older I love you 'cause you my friend
Without the drugs I want you be comfortable in your skin
I know you so I know you still keep a lot of shit in
You running from yourself and you buying product again
I know you say it helps and no I'm not trying to offend
But I know depression and drug addiction don't blend
Reality distorts and then you get lost in the wind
And I done seen the combo take niggas off the deep end
One thing about your demons they bound to catch up one day
I'd rather see you stand up and face them than run away
I understand this message is not the coolest to say
But if you down to try it I know of a better way
Meditate
Meditate, meditate, meditate, meditate
Don't medicate, medicate, don't medicate, medicate
Meditate, meditate, meditate, meditate
Don't medicate, medicate, don't medicate, medicate
I got thoughts, can't control
Got me down, got me low
Rest my mind, rest my soul
When I blow, when I blow
Am I wrong, let them know
Feels so right to let things go
Don't think twice, this is me
This is how I should be
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
Cop another bag of smoke today
The song "FRIENDS" by J. Cole is an introspective and heartfelt exploration of addiction and its impact on individuals and communities. The lyrics depict the inner struggle of the artist as he copes with his addiction to drugs, particularly smoking, and his realization that he needs to find a better way to deal with his emotions and trauma. He expresses empathy and compassion for his friends and the people in his community who are also addicted to drugs, recognizing that this is often a coping mechanism for deeper issues such as depression and anxiety. However, he also acknowledges that this path can lead to a dangerous cycle of addiction and dependency that further perpetuates the cycle of trauma and struggle.
J. Cole emphasizes the importance of facing one's demons and finding healthier ways to cope, such as meditation. He challenges the societal narrative that blames individuals for their addiction and instead points to the complex and multi-layered factors that contribute to it, including systemic issues such as poverty, racial inequality, and lack of access to resources.
Overall, "FRIENDS" is a powerful commentary on the toll of addiction on individuals and communities, as well as a call to action for acknowledging and addressing the underlying issues that lead to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Cop another bag of smoke today
Getting more drugs to cope with my thoughts
I got thoughts, can't control
My mind is consumed with thoughts I can't manage
Got me down, got me low
These thoughts are making me feel really bad
Rest my mind, rest my soul
I need to find peace and quiet my inner turmoil
When I blow, when I blow
When I smoke weed, it relieves my anxiety and stress
Am I wrong, let them know
I'm not sure if using drugs is the right thing, but I don't want to hear criticism
Feels so right to let things go
Escaping my worries with drugs feels good, even if it's temporary
Don't think twice, this is me
I'm going to keep doing what I want, regardless of what anyone else thinks
But I'm aggravated without it
I feel annoyed and restless when I'm not high
My saddest days are without it
I feel the lowest when I'm not able to use drugs to cope
My Saturdays are the loudest
Weekends are when I go the hardest with drug use
I'm blowing strong
I'm smoking a lot
Some niggas graduated with powder
Some people I know are successful drug dealers
I dabble later, I doubt it
I don't really sell drugs myself
My database of narcotics
I have a lot of knowledge about drugs and how they work
It's growing long
I keep learning more about drugs and their effects
I wrote this shit to talk about the word addiction
This song is about addiction and how it affects people I know
To my nigga, I hope you listening
I hope my friend understands what I'm saying in this song
This is for the whole fucking Ville I hope you're listening
This is a message for everyone in my community
Smoking medical grade, but I ain't got perscription
I'm smoking high-quality weed that I don't have a prescription for
All the way in Cali where they ain't got precipi-tation
I'm smoking weed from California, where it's legal
Feeling like the only one that made it
I feel like I'm the only one who made it out of our community
And I hate it for my niggas 'cause they ain't got ambition
I feel sorry for my friends who don't have the same drive and motivation as me
Fuck did you expect, you can blame it on condition
I can't blame my friends for their lack of motivation because of our circumstances
Blame it on crack, you can blame it on the system
The drug epidemic and the systematic issues in our community contribute to this problem
Blame it on the fact that 12 got jurisdiction
Police have the power to control and target our community
To ride around in neighborhoods that they ain't ever lived in
Police don't understand the struggles of our community and don't belong in our neighborhoods
Blame it on the strain that you feel when daddy missing
The absence of a father figure can cause emotional pain and trauma
Blame it on Trump shit, blame it on Clinton
Political figures have contributed to the issues we face in our community
Blame it on trap music and the politicians
Media and music glorify drug culture and politicians ignore our struggles
Or the fact that every black boy wanna be Pippen
Society makes black men feel like they need to be successful athletes to be valued
But they only got twelve slots on the Pistons
There are only so many opportunities for success, and not everyone can achieve them
Blame it on the rain, Milli Vanilli with the disk skip
There are so many factors that contribute to the issues we face, it's like a broken record
What I'm tryna say is the blame can go deep as seas
The root causes of our issues are complicated and difficult to solve
Just to blame 'em all I would need like twenty CD's
It would take a lot more than a few songs to detail all the issues we face
There's all sorts of trauma from drama that children see
Growing up in our community comes with a lot of emotional trauma
Type of shit that normally would call for therapy
The kind of trauma we experience requires professional help
But you know just how it go in our community
Our community doesn't have access to the resources needed to heal from trauma
Keep that shit inside it don't matter how hard it be
We're taught to keep our emotional pain to ourselves, even if it's hard to handle alone
Fast forward, them kids is grown and they blowing trees
The kids who experienced trauma are now adults and using drugs to cope
And popping pills due to chronic anxiety
Drug use is in part due to deep-rooted anxiety from childhood trauma
I been saw the problem but stay silent 'cause I ain't Jesus
I know the issue, but I don't have the power to change it alone
This ain't no trial if you desire go higher please
I'm not trying to force anyone to change, but if you want to improve your life, I support you
But fuck that now I'm older I love you 'cause you my friend
I care for my friends and want the best for them
Without the drugs I want you be comfortable in your skin
I want my friends to be able to find happiness without resorting to drug use
I know you so I know you still keep a lot of shit in
I understand my friend's struggles and know they keep their pain hidden
You running from yourself and you buying product again
My friend is using drugs to avoid facing their inner demons
I know you say it helps and no I'm not trying to offend
My friend believes drugs help them cope, and I don't want to upset them
But I know depression and drug addiction don't blend
Drug use may provide temporary relief from depression, but ultimately, it can exacerbate the issue
Reality distorts and then you get lost in the wind
Drugs can cause a distorted sense of reality and lead to confusion and chaos
And I done seen the combo take niggas off the deep end
I've seen drug addiction ruin lives and cause people to spiral out of control
One thing about your demons they bound to catch up one day
Avoiding your inner turmoil won't make it go away forever
I'd rather see you stand up and face them than run away
Confronting your issues is the only way to overcome them
I understand this message is not the coolest to say
My message may not be popular, but it's important
But if you down to try it I know of a better way
I believe meditation could be a healthier way to cope with your issues
Meditate, meditate, meditate, meditate
Meditation can help calm your mind and bring peace
Don't medicate, medicate, don't medicate, medicate
Using drugs to cope may provide temporary relief, but it's not a long-term solution
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Missing Link Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jermaine Cole, John Dankworth, Jasmin Charles, Margaux Whitney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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