J. Cole recently shared a moment from 2011 that left him frustrated. On an episode of his Inevitable audio series, he recalled when Jay-Z, in front of Drake and others, suggested that Drake give him a hit record.
During the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, Cole, Drake, and Future were chatting when Jay-Z walked in, pointed at Cole, and said, “Give the boy one!” Cole admitted he was “hot” about the suggestion. Even Future appeared uncomfortable with the remark.
Despite feeling embarrassed, Cole used the moment as motivation. He reminded Jay-Z that his own debut Reasonable Doubt didn’t rely on commercial hits, but authenticity.
Cole then worked on songs like “Work Out” (No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100) and “Can’t Get Enough” (No. 52), which helped pave the way for his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story.
Jay-Z’s comment pushed Cole to prove his worth, and it clearly paid off.
