J. Cole Recalls the Moment Jay-Z Dissed Him & Claims It Changed His Life

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rapper J. Cole is all set to drop his new studio album, “Born Sinner,” on the same day Kanye will be officially dropping “Yeezus” (June 18), so the up and coming artist hopes by competing with Kanye in sales, he’ll get more exposure and sell even more records than he has previously. J. Cole is signed to Roc Nation, but he claims it was a diss from his mentor Jay-Z that changed his life and perspective on how to get on in the Hip Hop game. In a recent interview with Power 106, he recalls the moment he tried to give Jay-Z a demo tape and got his feelings hurt:

“I was like, ‘Yo, he’s not done yet. I can go make beats right now and get on this album ’cause I know where the studio is at. So I went home, made two beats, one was called ‘Top of the World,’ put a hook on it and everything. Burned my CD. Put the CD in the Jay-Z Vol. 3 […Life And Times Of S. Carter] case, maybe Vol. 2 […Hard Knock Life] case, closed it up, took the train to the city, stood outside the studio, me and partner E, for like three hours, with a bottle of E&J [Brandy], just like passing time waiting on Jay-Z to pull up. The Phantom finally comes around the corner. It’s raining by the way. We’ve been in the rain. The Phantom finally pulls around the corner. Someone get out the car in front of him just to open his door. That was their job, to get out their car, come to his car and open his door. He hops out. I’m froze. I don’t really know what to say. I’m like, ‘Yo, Jay I got this for you.’ He’s like, ‘What is that? What are you doing?’ I’m like, American Gangster, beat CD.’ I can’t really speak and he’s like, ‘Man I don’t want that sh*t, man. Give that to one of those guys.’ He said it. ‘I’m like, “Oh you mother… Don’t you know I’ve been out here for three hours?”

Despite the snub from Jay-Z when he was just trying to get on, considering he did end up getting a deal with Roc Nation, J. Cole admits the diss was a lesson learned he will never forget:

“It took me 15 minutes to get over it, but I realized, ‘You’re not gonna get on like that. That’s not how its gonna happen.’ But when people come up to me, they give me their CDs, chances are I’m never going to listen just ’cause I’m busy. But I do take it, just to give em that extra boost. They go home like, ‘Yo, he took my CD.’ That might give ’em three more months of like inspiration.”