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.
Intro
J. Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
Free from pain, free from scars
Free to sing, free from bars
Free my dawgs, you're free to go
Block gets shot, the streets is cold
Free to love, to each his own
Free from bills, free from pills
You roll it loud, the speakers blow
Life get hard, you eat your soul
It clears your mind, learn to fly
Then reach the stars, you take your time
To look behind and say, "look where I came"
"Look how far I done came"
They say that dreams come true
And when they do, that there's a beautiful thing
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be
J. Cole's "Intro" is a call to be happy and free. The song's lyrics repeatedly ask the listener, "Do you wanna be happy? Do you wanna be free?" The song's message is to encourage individuals to overcome their struggles, pains, and scars to achieve personal freedom and happiness. J. Cole mentions the hardships of life, such as going through pain, dealing with scars and wounds, and being restricted by societal norms, or being in jail. He aligns freedom with the ability to sing, love, and be free from bills, pills, or any other chains of life. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and determination, saying that life can be challenging, but a person's mind can be cleared. With determination and effort, one can learn to fly, reach the stars, and enjoy the personal satisfaction of progress.
J. Cole's "Intro" is a motivational song that encourages people to become happy and free. Life is a struggle with different challenges that can create scars and pains, yet J. Cole believes there is hope as dreams come true, and there is a beautiful thing to enjoy. This song intends to inspire people to keep pushing towards their dreams, achieve personal freedom, and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Are you seeking something more in life?
Do you wanna be, happy
Are you searching for happiness?
Do you wanna be, free
Do you desire to live a life of freedom?
Free from pain, free from scars
Free from the emotional and physical wounds that hold you back
Free to sing, free from bars
Free to express yourself and live without confinement
Free my dawgs, you're free to go
Freeing those who are unjustly held captive, both literally and figuratively
Block gets shot, the streets is cold
A reflection on the harsh realities of living in a disadvantaged community
Free to love, to each his own
Embracing the diversity of love and relationships without judgment
Free from bills, free from pills
Free from the stress of financial obligations and the harmful effects of addiction
You roll it loud, the speakers blow
Finding release and solace in music
Life get hard, you eat your soul
Enduring difficult times can take a toll on one's mental and emotional well-being
It clears your mind, learn to fly
Finding clarity and perspective can lead to personal growth and freedom
Then reach the stars, you take your time
Success takes time and perseverance, but the journey is worth it
To look behind and say, "look where I came"
Reflecting on one's progress and accomplishments
"Look how far I done came"
Acknowledging personal growth and the strides taken to get where one is today
They say that dreams come true
A common belief that with hard work and determination, anything is possible
And when they do, that there's a beautiful thing
Achieving one's dreams can bring immense joy and fulfillment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUDE ANTHONY COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrisfromclt_9516
As a black man I just wanna say I love y’all I love all races equally despite what’s going on in America today and may y’all be happy and find peace
(Edit: thanks for the 480 likes hope everyone is safe)
(Edit #2: again with everything that’s going on in the world today, I love each and everyone of y’all, hopefully this will make your day, night, etc.) again much love✊🏾❤️
Edit 3: appreciate y’all for 700 likes🙏🏾❤️
Edit 4: I hope everyone is doing well right now mentally physically and spiritually ❤️🙇🏾
@SM-xv6ph
Lyrics:
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
Free from pain, free from scars
Free to sing, free from bars
Free my dawgs, you're free to go
Block gets shot, the streets is cold
Free to love, to each his own
Free from bills, free from pills
You roll it loud, the speakers blow
Life get hard, you eat your soul
It clears your mind, learn to fly
Then reach the stars, you take your time
To look behind and say, "look where I came"
"Look how far I done came"
They say that dreams come true
And when they do, that there's a beautiful thing
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be
@olisamaduegbuna698
Lasse Andersen Wow calm down. I like it and have been listening to it on repeat for 2 days because it's still one of the best out of what new music is out now. But I think the album could have been a lot better.
I'll explain why .
First it's too short for me and he went too Friday Night Lights on us. I wanted more of his Born Sinner sound from songs like Land of Snakes, Forbidden Fruit and Villuminati. Almost all the songs on this LP were the kind of calm soulful types he did on FNL. I like those especially when combined with good storytelling (of which of course a couple tracks did well but not all) BUT not enough upbeat songs for me. A masterpiece needs perfection and that means a bit of variety for me. This album was too narrow-focused to be a masterpiece.
Cole has more than enough skill to do the upbeat battle rap type tracks but doesn't do enough for me. Also he should stop this pretentious bullshit of not featuring other quality socially concious rappers like Kendrick, Drake etc. or not working with classic top notch Hip Hop producers like Timbaland and Kanye West. Working with other great artists doesn't water down your integrity, it only allows you to make better creation. If he doesn't move out of that box of trying to be over-independent I'm afraid he'll never full fill his talent to the level he's supposed to be. He needs to go out of the box of Dreamville and experiment with other great artists in Hip Hop.
Sticking with your core group is okay when you're just starting out but on your 3rd LP I expect a great artist to be rubbing minds with other great artists. I fear this album will sell less than Born Sinner and Cole World.
@ak4u598
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Do you wanna, do you wanna be
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna be, happy
Do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be happy
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be, free
Free from pain, free from scars
Free to sang, free from bars
Free my dawgs, you're free to go
Block is hot, the streets is cold
Free to love, to each his own
Free from bills, free from pills
You roll the loud, the speakers blow
Life get hard, you ease your soul
It cleanse your mind, learn to fly
Then reach the stars, you take the time
And look behind and said, "Look where I came
Look how far I done came"
They say that dreams come true
And when they do, that that's a beautiful thing
Do you wanna, do you wanna be happy?
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be free
I said do you wanna, do you wanna be
@thebeardedgaymer4888
I am from the Fayetteville, NC area born and raised. I was driving to work today and threw Forest Hills Drive on my car's stereo. About thirty seconds into singing the intro, I started to get emotional thinking about the fragile state our country is in right now and how it relates to the message that Jermaine is portraying.
I thought about the senseless killing of Terence Crutcher. I thought about a city from my home state, Charlotte, on fire and broken. I thought about the Orlando massacre and the bombings in Chelsea.
Do you (society) want to be happy? Do you want to be Free?
Free from pain, free from scars
Free to sang, free from bars
Free my dawgs, you're free to go
Block is hot, the streets is cold
Free to love, to each his own
Free from bills, free from pills
You roll the loud, the speakers blow
Life get hard, you ease your soul
It cleanse your mind, learn to fly
Then reach the stars, you take the time
And look behind and said, "Look where I came
Look how far I done came"
They say that dreams come true
And when they do, that that's a beautiful thing
^^^^^ That is the message this country need to hear. ^^^^^
@miguelreyes5813
Shout out to all the people that's going through some rough times. Be happy...
@mahdiesmail1367
Miguel Reyes we try, thanks tho
@roxarte
Miguel Reyes 😔❤
@tylawavy3208
Miguel Reyes bruh it's hard
@lildaddy10001
A
@aboodgameryt7496
Thsnks man 😕
@eduhsuhn
I hope this dude is remembered.
@-S-zo1dv
+Edison Vazquez Oh he will be for sure....
@toxictony1423
He's top 3 at least for this generation
@-S-zo1dv
Sachin Rampersaud Calm yourself.