Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known as J. Cole, is an American rapper and producer born January 28, 1985. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009. All six of his studio albums have debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, including 'Cole World: The Sideline Story' (2011) and '2014 Forest Hills Drive' (2014). He founded Dreamville Records and is known for conscious hip-hop with introspective lyrics.