Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985), better known by his stage nam… Read Full Bio ↴Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985), better known by his stage name J. Cole, is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole posted songs on various internet forums at the age of 14 under the name "Blaza", but later switched to the name "Therapist".

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.

Get It
J. Cole Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got to get my groove back, you know
Been a minute
Yeah ( i don't know what i'm doin')
Yeah
Uh

Label me greedy but see me finish what petey started
From carolina where nigg's spray like graffiti artist

The south nigg them nigg use to think we retarded
And slow as hell but well well
Look now we regarded as the nigg's
I fuck with non-rappin nigg's, non-clappin nigg's
Nigg's is real, yall action figures
Ain't into actin bigger than i really am
Ain't no two ways around it, motherfucka i'm the man
Where the beef at
Back in the days I ain't even go out for recess
A nigg don't play
Man i been livin o.k.
Been up in queens where they rid of those foes
And nigg's gats got bodies like video hoes
This J. COLE
You not fuckin with just any ol' flow
I'm like the '95 penny, you like penny '04
No disrespect to my favorite player ,niggas pray a nigg
Never see the day a nigg rich so i'm slayin nigg's

(Chorus)
This is for my nigg's tryna make it
Watch out for them evil ass nigg's tryna take it (uh)
They love to see a nigg dead or in jail
Livin in a world where we set up to fail
But, Ima get, nigga i'm finna get it (uh)
Ima get it, nigga im finna get it (yeah)
Ima get it, nigga i'm finna get it (yeah)
Ima get it (yeah), nigga i got to get it

Niggas in the street know
Nigga blessed peace, i got that preist flow ( Heavenly)
You gon' crossover if he reach for the rock
Just a figure of speach for the glock
From the ville where the police know the heat blow alot

Like a beach, know it's hot niggas laid out
Call them fake niggs center fielders cuz they played out
Watch our boys fade out
Niggas tryna hate
I he only knew my dick in his dane mouth
Just made out
Came out the woodworks
Now they tryna peep a nigga footwork
I'm getin real green, yall niggs playin on some good turf
Fake money, scared money never make money
And a nigga fear nothin but god
Fuck a facade
I'm just focused on stuff in my pocket
What up with them wads and shit
Hundred thousand dollar deposit shit
Been dreamin bout millions since a nigga was 5 or 6
And so strive, ima god, this some bible shit

(Chorus)

Tell em geppetos my niggas is ghetto with scarface dreams
At the block with that hard rate, that's all they seen
Niggas killin niggas on broad day on all they screams
Watching cops love car chase scened
Niggas arrested
Treat us like roaches, the prison niggas infected
They hate to see the day we ain't slain, niggas invested
All created equal, looks like to a less than
Depending on your race or depending on your adress man
I been blessed, was given less and but still progress man
I hate to see the position my niggas left in
Slay dope or nigga you slave for minimum wage
Ashamed
But we livin in a cage, so nigga get paid
How could i tell a nigga not to hustle
Yea it's a better life my nigga, but its not for us though
Instead they wanted us to break
They never wanted us to make it yea

To my niggas smart enough to be smart enough to take it
NIGGA!

Overall Meaning

In J. Cole's song "Get It," he talks about his determination to succeed and make it big despite the odds against him. The song starts with J. Cole saying that he needs to get back into his groove, it's been a minute. He talks about how people may label him greedy but he is just finishing what Petey started. Petey Pablo, another rapper from North Carolina, paved the way for J. Cole and other artists from the state. J. Cole talks about how growing up in the South, people used to think they were slow and retarded, but now they are regarded as some of the best rappers in the game. He mentions that he is not into acting bigger than he is, and while there may not be two ways around it, he is the man.

In the chorus, J. Cole addresses his fellow black people who are trying to make it but are being set up to fail. He warns them to watch out for evil people who are trying to take their success away, and he emphasizes that he is determined and will not let anyone hold him down.

The second verse continues with J. Cole talking about his experiences growing up in a violent neighborhood where police knew that people had guns. Until he made it big in the rap industry, he dreamed of making millions and is now driven to succeed. He discusses the inequality that exists in society, where people's opportunities depend on their race or address, and he hates seeing his fellow black people being left behind. Despite the difficulties and obstacles that he and his fellow black people may face, J. Cole encourages them to strive for success and not let anyone keep them down.

Line by Line Meaning

I got to get my groove back, you know
I need to regain my sense of purpose and motivation.

Label me greedy but see me finish what petey started
People may accuse me of wanting too much, but I am determined to see my goals through to the end.

From carolina where nigg's spray like graffiti artist
I come from a place where street art is common and prevalent.

Where the beef at
I am asking where the conflict or struggle is, ready to face it head-on.

A nigg don't play
I am not one to shy away from challenges or back down easily.

Been up in queens where they rid of those foes
I have spent time in Queens, a place known for eliminating its enemies and competition.

This J. COLE
I am introducing myself as J. Cole, the artist and performer.

No disrespect to my favorite player, niggas pray a nigg
I mean no offense to my favorite basketball player, but other people are praying for my failure.

This is for my nigg's tryna make it
This song is dedicated to those who are striving to succeed in life.

Watch out for them evil ass nigg's tryna take it (uh)
Be aware of those who will try to sabotage or take away your success.

Livin in a world where we set up to fail
We are often put in situations where success is unlikely or difficult to achieve.

Niggas in the street know
Those who are familiar with the realities of the streets understand.

Fake money, scared money never make money
Money that is counterfeit, or earned through fear or hesitation, will not lead to lasting financial success.

Fuck a facade
I do not care about appearances or fake personas.

How could i tell a nigga not to hustle
I cannot criticize someone for trying to make money through hard work and determination.

To my niggas smart enough to be smart enough to take it
I am encouraging those who are intelligent and capable of success to pursue it.

Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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