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.
Love and War
J. Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You give me love and take it away
I see you like this game that we play-ay-ay-ay
And yo this fighting shit is getting too old
And you're gon find yourself left out in the cold
It's time to straighten up or you can move on on on on yeah
(Yea, it's something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
I don't wanna fight anymore
Can't we just make love, and not war.
Baby there's something about you
You go that good shit I don't wanna give up
It's too good to give it away-ay-ay-ay-ay
Yeah I'm feeling we're just coming too close
Who's wrong or right this is outta control
I'm not perfect but I'm tired of this bullshit
Lets move on
(Yea, it's something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
I don't wanna fight anymore
Can't we just make love, and not war.
White flag, ah-ahaaa-ahaah
White flag, ah-ahaaa-ahaah
I'm waving a white flag ah-ahaaa-ahaah
White flag
Anymore, anymore, anymore, anymore boy
I don't wanna fight anymore
Anymore, anymore, anymore, anymore boy
I don't wanna fight anymore
(Yea, it's something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
I don't wanna fight anymore
Can't we just make love, and not war.
(Yea, it's something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
I don't wanna fight anymore
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
I don't wanna fight anymore
Can't we just make love, and not war.
In "Love and War," Rita Ora expresses frustration with the constant fighting and arguing in her relationship. She acknowledges that there is something about her partner that she can't explain, and that she still loves him despite the difficulties they face. However, she is tired of the fighting and wants to move on from it. She suggests that they make love instead of war, and waves a white flag as a symbol of surrender to the conflict.
The lyrics convey a sense of emotional exhaustion and a desire for peace, as Ora pleads for her partner to put an end to the constant fighting. The use of military imagery, such as references to the navy and waving a white flag, highlights the intensity of the conflict and the need for a truce. Ora's vocals are powerful and emotive, and the melody is catchy and memorable, making this a standout track on her album.
Line by Line Meaning
Theres something bout you I can’t explain
There's an indescribable attraction I feel towards you
You give me love and take it away
You are inconsistent in your affection towards me
I see you like this game that we play-ay-ay-ay
I notice that you enjoy the drama in our relationship
And yo this fighting shit is getting too old
I'm tired of arguing and fighting with you
And you’re gon find yourself left out in the cold
You will end up alone if you don't change your ways
It’s time to straighten up or you can move on on on on yeah
It's time for you to change your behavior or we're done
(Yea, it’s something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
There's a strange dynamic in our relationship where we both create conflict
I don’t wanna fight anymore
I'm tired of arguing and want to move past it
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
Our constant conflict could potentially be what saves us in the end
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
We both get upset easily and sometimes for no reason
Can’t we just make love, and not war.
Let's focus on our love for each other and not engage in constant conflict
Baby there’s something about you
There's an irresistible quality about you
You go that good shit I don’t wanna give up
You have something special that I don't want to lose
It’s too good to give it away-ay-ay-ay-ay
Our love is too valuable to throw away
Yeah I’m feeling we’re just coming too close
I'm realizing how much we mean to each other
Who’s wrong or right this is outta control
Our arguments have spiraled out of control and it's unclear who's in the wrong
I’m not perfect but I’m tired of this bullshit
I acknowledge that I'm not perfect but I'm done with all the drama
Lets move on
It's time to put our conflicts behind us and move forward
White flag, ah-ahaaa-ahaah
I surrender to you
Anymore, anymore, anymore, anymore boy
I can't handle the constant fighting anymore
(Yea, it’s something crazy 'bout the way we love to hate each other)
Our relationship is characterized by a love-hate dynamic that doesn't make sense
(Everyday we fighting like the navy, baby maybe we can save each other)
Our constant conflict may be what ultimately helps us save our relationship
You go off, I go off and you mad of off nothing
We both get unnecessarily angry with each other
Can’t we just make love, and not war.
Let's prioritize our love over our disagreements
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ester Dean, Jermaine L. Cole, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@morganaaidendy1234
Great hit, song, I just love it! <3
@treybro11
We need more collabs from these 2!
@tha_genesys
🔥🔥🔥
@FeMD37
just listened to it and already in love with it!!
@FarrahWaters
this song be on repeat when we do fight <3
@gracelunzunisa4938
One Of the best song i've listened to so far 🔥🔥🔥
@Njm2812
LOVE THIS SONG
@vlorellaQ
I'm so obsessed with this song ! LOVERITA
@carleysnell2504
love this song
@vtecminileon
The hook in this song when j Cole comes in is craaaaazy good!