J. Cole famous quotes

Either you play the game or let the game play you and be that broke sucka talkin bout I stayed true
-- J. Cole

#Games #Play #Broke

It's no coincidence that all the greatest rappers - whoever you put in your top five - I guarantee you they are great storytellers.
-- J. Cole

#Rapper #Guarantees #Coincidence

You are perfect exactly as you are. With all your flaws and problems, there's no need to change anything. All you need to change is the thought that you aren't good enough.
-- J. Cole

#Perfect #Needs #Problem

So ahead of my time even when i rhyme about the future I be reminiscing
-- J. Cole

#Reminiscing #Rhyme

While silly ni**as argue over who gon' snatch the crown / Look around my ni**a, white people have snatched the sound / This year I'll probably go to the awards dappered down / Watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile.
-- J. Cole

#Silly #Winning #Awards

To appreciate the sun you gotta know what rain is.
-- J. Cole

#Rain #Appreciate #Sun

I had a lot of resistance, and not just to fame. I was always conscious of not changing.
-- J. Cole

#Resistance #Fame #Conscious

I'ma be here for a while. None of these clowns can hurt me.
-- J. Cole

#Hurt #Hate #Clown

My goal is to have that be a haven for families.
-- J. Cole

#Goal

My fans love me for me, my beats, my rhymes.
-- J. Cole

#Fans #Beats #Rhyme

The same ones you love will bring you pain.
-- J. Cole

#Pain

Keep grindin' boy, your life can change in one year, And even when it's dark out, the sun is shining somewhere
-- J. Cole

#Dark #Boys #Years

Anything's possible, you gotta dream like you never seen obstacles.
-- J. Cole

#Dream #Obstacles #Like You

Don't worry, Even Jesus never saw his real father
-- J. Cole

#Jesus #Father #Real

I seen a baby cry seconds later he laughs... the beauty of life, the pain never lasts.
-- J. Cole

#Baby #Pain #Laughing

Anything I do, I want to do it well.
-- J. Cole

#Want #Wells

If I was to go to sleep before midnight, I would feel weird about myself, like I wasted a day. My most productive hours are between midnight and five.
-- J. Cole

#Sleep #Midnight #Hours

I'm here to spread a message of hope. Follow your heart. Don't follow what you've been told you're supposed to do.
-- J. Cole

#Heart #Messages #Message Of Hope

My real dream is to have a whole, like, buy a whole piece of land. Imagine, like, a long driveway. Like, a cul de sac-type street, with maybe, like, seven houses. Me be right here. Have my mom be able to be right here. My brother over here. My girl's grandmother and family right here. Friends over there. That's my real dream.
-- J. Cole

#Girl #Mom #Dream

Life is a movie, pick your own role, Climb your own ladder or you dig your own hole.
-- J. Cole

#Roles #Ladders #Life Is

I was a super-duper Tupac fan, and I realized later, when I became a huge Nas fan and a huge Eminem fan, I was drawn to the storytellers. They all told stories in different ways, but they were all like the best storytellers.
-- J. Cole

#Fans #Different #Stories

Yeah school girl, cool girl. Your dress is sexy and your momma is a cougar.
-- J. Cole

#Girl #Sexy #School

I actually started off majoring in computer science, but I knew right away I wasn't going to stay with it. It was because I had this one professor who was the loneliest, saddest man I've ever known. He was a programmer, and I knew that I didn't want to do whatever he did.
-- J. Cole

#Men #Want #Computer

Rhyme patterns are nothing without meanings to the words. A lot of rappers can do those flows, but the raps aren't really about anything - which is cool sometimes, but to have the flow and the message is one of my favorite things.
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Messages #Favorites Things

I always feel like it's two key ingredients when it comes to following your dreams, making something happen that the average person deems difficult. If you truly believe it, that's step one. Step two, is, you know, the hard work that goes along with it.
-- J. Cole

#Dream #Believe #Hard Work

I yearn for that livin' large, but mama I ain't done yet/Sit back and watch your son rise, kick back and know your son set
-- J. Cole

#Son #Watches #Done

Promise to my momma I'ma make it to the Top.. So I'ma keep climbing til my heartbeat drop
-- J. Cole

#Climbing #Promise #Heartbeat

In this life ain't no happy endings; Only pure beginnings followed by years of sinning and fake repentance.
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Years #Fake

You hate it before you played it. I already forgave ya.
-- J. Cole

#Hate #Rap

They say time is money but really it's not If we ever go broke, then time is all we got And we can't make that back, no you can't make that back
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Broke #Time Is Money

I have a little bit of that gamer spirit in me. I just don't have the time to be a gamer. But in another life, I would be one.
-- J. Cole

#Would Be #Littles #Spirit

I gotta make a move, I gotta do this now, If they don't know your dreams, they can't shoot 'em down.
-- J. Cole

#Dream #Rap #Moving

I do put a lot of God in my music, but not because I'm super religious. There are a lot of demons in my music, too. I acknowledge both.
-- J. Cole

#Religious #Demon #Acknowledge

I had a rat-tail when I was younger. I had this nice Bobby Brown fade, with a rat-tail that was long enough to wrap around my face. I used to chew on the end and bite it.
-- J. Cole

#Nice #Long #Rats

I'm the same kid who used to hop the trains with headphones and just go to downtown Manhattan, walk around and listen to music or walk through the city. The fame restricts that. It's a small complaint in comparison to the benefits I get from it, but the restrictive part is what I don't like - and the fact that it's not reversible.
-- J. Cole

#Kids #Cities #Manhattan

When I was in college my girl got me a job at the doctor's office she was working at. I was a file clerk. No disrespect but I don't think a man can do that job. It takes so much meticulous and precise file-keeping.
-- J. Cole

#Girl #Jobs #Men

Sold my soul to Satan. I've been dancing with the devil. So when you get to hell you can say you know me. I'm easily attracted by the dark side. Devil keep following.
-- J. Cole

#Dark #Dancing #Soul

Sometimes I try a Mai Tai. It's so fruity. It's a little embarrassing, but I like it.
-- J. Cole

#Trying #Littles #Sometimes

Usually I start with a beat, I start making a beat, and my producer side is making the beat. And on a good day, my rapper side will jump in and start the writing process - maybe come up with a hook or start a verse. Sometimes it just happens like that. A song like 'Lights Please' happens like that.
-- J. Cole

#Song #Writing #Good Day

I'm half-black, half-white, so I basically put it like this: I can fit in anywhere. That's why I write so many stories from so many different perspectives, because I've seen so many.
-- J. Cole

#Writing #White #Perspective

If I lost your respect...I'm just hope you don't look at me as something you regret.
-- J. Cole

#Regret #Looks #Lost

Touring is very routine. You get to the city, you go to the hotel, you got to be at the hotel by a certain time - it's very routine. I'm not a very structured person, so when I get some structure, it's cool; it's good for me.
-- J. Cole

#Cities #Routine #Structure

Barack Obama would not be President if he were dark skin. You know what I mean? That's just the truth. I might not be as successful as I am now if I was dark skin.
-- J. Cole

#Mean #Successful #Dark

I'm not gonna be bad at anything, and I want to actually be the best at anything I'm doing. So if I'm playing basketball, if I'm taking the SATs, like, there's a competitive spirit behind it. With production, it's the same thing.
-- J. Cole

#Basketball #Want #Spirit

There was the time I bought three cars in the span of three or four weeks. It was crazy; it wasn't greedy. It was mine, my girl's, my mom's. I got Benzes for my ladies. But I felt crazy. You have to understand I come from a world where we're very modest. But that's not greedy. That's nice, right?
-- J. Cole

#Girl #Mom #Crazy

I want people to follow their dreams, yes but I'm not interested in telling young black kids how to be rappers I want to show them that there's so many other paths you can take, besides a rapper or basketball player.
-- J. Cole

#Basketball #Dream #Kids

You can't reverse fame. You can lose all the money, but you'll never lose people knowing you.
-- J. Cole

#Knowing #People #Fame

I've got two Rolexes that I'm very proud of - a gold Presidential that was a gift and a white gold one I gifted myself. I'm trying to step my game up and get a few more of those.
-- J. Cole

#Games #Two #White

When you're headlining, people are paying to come see you specifically. It's a different kind of pressure, because you've got to deliver. You've got to give these people what they paid for. It's a different mind state, a different type of mentality, but it's honestly a pretty good problem to have, you know?
-- J. Cole

#People #Giving #Mind

I now possess the tools as a producer and a songwriter to really just go out and make smashes all day long. I could make an album full of smash records that got pop appeal. But my heart is in hip-hop. My heart is in telling stories. And it's like therapy for me.
-- J. Cole

#Heart #Long #Hip Hop

I worked in ad sales. I would call up local businesses and try to get them to buy ads in the paper. The whole time, I felt like I was just scamming people.
-- J. Cole

#People #Trying #Paper

One day, I'll be listening to a bunch of Ray Charles, the next day it's nothing but Red Hot Chili Peppers. The next day it might be Tupac all day.
-- J. Cole

#Listening #One Day #Rays

I feel like this: Whatever is in your path and in your heart, you need to do.
-- J. Cole

#Heart #Needs #Path

I struggled with being a broke college graduate, and while all my friends were getting career jobs, I was working horrible part-time jobs. That's why now, even when I get tired, I think, 'This is what I asked for.'
-- J. Cole

#Jobs #Tired #College

I want to be like Bruce Springsteen or something, making songs that are relevant.
-- J. Cole

#Song #Want #Springsteen

I don't live for the accolades. I'm more so about the music. Making it, and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings.
-- J. Cole

#Two #Feelings #Accolades

Believe in God like the sun up in the sky, see science can tell us how but it can't tell us why. I seen a baby cry then seconds later she laughed, the beauty of life the pain never lasts.
-- J. Cole

#Baby #Pain #Believe

I met Will Smith twice. I didn't talk to him for too long but I was trying to let him know that my age group grew up watching him - he was the coolest guy on television and the coolest guy in movies.
-- J. Cole

#Long #Guy #Trying

I've always been an underdog. I feel like I beat the odds.
-- J. Cole

#Odds #Underdog #Beats

Tupac was just so passionate about what he believes in and not afraid to say anything.
-- J. Cole

#Believe #Say Anything #Passionate

I was a class clown. At 12, I was definitely clowning. I was making all the jokes. But I was smart, so the teachers didn't know what to do with me.
-- J. Cole

#Teacher #Smart #Class

I think if I did something in the pop world right now, it would be for Rihanna. I'd love to do something production wise for her.
-- J. Cole

#Wise #Thinking #Would Be

I kinda like the idea of having an album that's all me.
-- J. Cole

#Ideas #Albums

No rapper in the world from Jay-Z to Tupac to Biggie has 100 percent love on everything they do.
-- J. Cole

#Rapper #Biggie #World

I was a huge Mike Tyson fan growing up; his fights were always on in my house.
-- J. Cole

#Growing Up #Fighting #House

I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think something's not good enough, and I won't stop until I feel like I've made it. I'm never satisfied.
-- J. Cole

#Thinking #Not Good Enough #Pressure

I still wanna rap better than everybody else, and I wanna say important things.
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Important #Stills

In hip-hop, there's not a lot of love. There's not a lot of love being spread. It's always like 'I'm stuntin' on you raps, or I'm better than you raps.' It's not a lot of 'Yo man, I idolize you raps.'
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Love Is #Men

The thing about being an artist today is you get to develop right in front of people's eyes before you even put out an album.
-- J. Cole

#Eye #Artist #People

I pay attention to lyrics and I know what rap fans care about. I try to write for the average listener and I'm conscious of the mainstream without selling out.
-- J. Cole

#Rap #Writing #Average

College isn't in everyone's hearts. I am living proof, though, that school doesn't mess up your plans. It gives you more experiences to write about.
-- J. Cole

#Writing #Heart #School

Producing all my own songs and refusing to go to the hot producer. That's the biggest risk I've taken so far.
-- J. Cole

#Song #Taken #Risk

I feel like I'm a New Yorker because I really know the city. I actually tell the drivers where to go - I have this bad habit, I always question the drivers. I do that all the time because I feel like I know the best way, when really it's like, 'Yo, man, shut up. This dude does this every day of his life.'
-- J. Cole

#Men #Cities #Doe

History repeats itself and that’s just how it goes,
-- J. Cole

#History Repeats Itself #Repeating History

No need to fix what God already put his paint brush on
-- J. Cole

#Needs #Paint #Brushes

Even my momma asked what I'mma do. Decisions, decisions/ In case this is war, then I load up on all ammunition/ If a n----a want problems, my trigger's on auto.
-- J. Cole

#War #Mma #Decision

We got dreams and we got the right to chase 'em, Look at the nation, that's a crooked smile braces couldn't even straighten.
-- J. Cole

#Dream #Looks #Ems

I'll be dammed if I sit around another year, Dreamin' dreams hopin' somehow that they just appear.
-- J. Cole

#Dream #Years #Another Year

I'm already hot, you could say I'm pre-heated. If money talks, mine's telling your's to 'be seated
-- J. Cole

#Hot #Money Talks

It's not necessarily a church theme and it's not really about church. I like my album themes to be metaphors because it gives me the freedom to speak about something else that's going on in my life, so the Born Sinner thing is not about church, it's not even about religion. It's using that as canvas to get other messages across and that's what the album will be.
-- J. Cole

#Giving #Church #Albums

If you ain't aim too high, then you aim too low!
-- J. Cole

#Lows #Aim

Far from the richest rapper, but my biggest personal achievement thus far in my life has been retiring my mom early from her job at the Post Office. It's a tiny payback for the sacrifices she made that allowed me to chase a far-fetched dream of becoming a successful artist. I'm forever grateful,
-- J. Cole

#Mom #Dream #Jobs

I was just a goofy little funny kid, who was always getting sent to the principal. It wasn't serious because I was smart. I wasn't like a true troublemaker, just rambunctious - like, talkative and trying to be funny. That was me in middle-school.
-- J. Cole

#Smart #School #Kids

As much as it might look like, to someone else, that I'm successful, I never feel like I'm anywhere. The further I go, I still feel equally further from my eventual goal. Because as I grow, I get more goals. I'm never content.
-- J. Cole

#Successful #Goal #Looks

I just feel like, with rappers, there's so much complacency. It's like, 'Oh, I'm a rapper. I'm successful. I make money. That's all that matters.' But there's a lot of stuff going on in the world. Whether or not you're aware of it, it's happening.
-- J. Cole

#Successful #Rapper #World

I'm a super-duper over-analyzer. You mix that with self-doubt and pressure, and that's never healthy.
-- J. Cole

#Self #Healthy #Doubt

My parents were divorced by the time I was even conscious - like, I don't remember them ever being together.
-- J. Cole

#Parent #Together #Remember

One thing you should know about me is I never play to lose, Always aim high and rarely obey the rules.
-- J. Cole

#Play #Should #Aim High

Hard to move on when you always regret one.
-- J. Cole

#Regret #Moving

Get on yo job little man this ain't Saturday
-- J. Cole

#Jobs #Men #Littles