J. Cole was recently honored alongside The Band Perry, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver for Best New Artist at the 2012 Grammys, but he didn’t expect to get the nod. During an interview with LA Times‘ Pop & Hiss, the Roc Nation rapper explained his surprise in learning of his nomination and that if he doesn’t take home the gramophone, he won’t catch any feelings.
“I wasn’t thinking people had seen what I had done, so I had already kind of prepared myself for the letdown. But it caught me off guard,” he said. “It would be incredible to win. That’s an understatement … since I didn’t even expect to get nominated. But I’m not walking in there with the attitude that I’m the guy [to beat]. But if I won, I’d know why. And if I didn’t win, I’d understand.”
He also spoke on why he thinks his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story struck a chord with mainstream audiences. Cole was unsure if his fans would actually purchase the album, leaving him on edge.
“I don’t think it was one thing. I think it was a combination of putting out quality projects like mixtapes that sounded like albums. We only call them mixtapes because they are free. And I’ve been touring for two and a half years straight. I just put the album out two months ago. I already had a strong foundation of fans, I just wasn’t sure that they would buy the album.”
dude step your lyrical game up your slackin that album was horrible amateur ass nucka
Step it up, You need to “step it up” and get a life man! What are you doing? thats my question…
you caan’t be serious
Obviously this fool here is a Justin Beiber fan
His album was great IMO, I can listen to the whole thing 2-3 times a day witout skipping a single track, what else can I ask for. hopefully he only does better with his next project.
are u trippin? COle World fuckin sucked. This nigga is just riding of Roc Nation media. His next LP might be better and I hope it is, but it will def sell less
rocnation media my ass. J Cole had a number 1 album without a smash single and little to no promotion at all. he deserves best new artist if he gets it. But honestly I think nicki minaj is going to take it.
@anonymous
Justin bieber is a fag but even he would be embarased to release a song as bad as ‘Work Out’
Work Out is still climbing the Billboard 100 and the single is already GOLD! Cole won….keep hating!
so yeah…work out did what it was supposed to do!
jcole is ugly and not creative.
lol NO HE’S NOT.
His album was mediocre. People only like him because he’s light skinned.
shut up
the album was great to me but his mixtapes (the warm up, and fnl) were better to me
Cole World was LOLmatic.
J.Cole who….. how is he nominated for a Grammy for Best Artist. Please every song I listen to is copied by someone — you get agrammy for being creative not for copying other music…. He straight wack!
Aren’t you late for your shift at Burger King?
Cole World was overrated. His mixtapes were better. But I already think hes too mainstream
LOL 2 MANY HATERS ON THIS.. BUT COLE HOPE YOU WIN IT MAN!! YOU DESERVE IT!! COLE WORLD #WIN/WIN = )
Must be doing something right!
dis has been a great year for J.Cole..He’s gotta single/albulm headed towards gold w/out any major radio play or promotion. Ofcourse,his albulm wasnt better than his mixtapes just like Drake,Wiz and other rappers. I think it takes time to make that undeniable classic LP but Cole has the talent to do it. If he wins, it’ll be just another unexpected reward coming his way
Without any major radio play?! I dont know what radio ur listening too but Everytime I turn on power 106 it’s either “niggas in Paris” or “work out” that’s on. They play those 2 songs all day erryday so fuck what u talmbout, much like nicki Minaj, jayz, kanye west, drake, lil wayne and rihanna, jcole gets way more radio play than he deserves.thats why If I’m gonna listen to the radio it’s gonna be 93.5 KDAY, they play nothin but classic hip hop all day. The best radio station in this day and age by far
They’ll have a new nigga next year.
Cole World is a world where you are overrated and niggas dickride you cause of ignorance.
He’s average. Simply that.
“Dickride you cause of ignorance” ? Please, elaborate. Enlighten me, please.
Tell them why you mad, son!
Album was good mixtapes were better, still hope he wins
The album was a recycling of old songs and melodies of other artist. It lacked creativity and it received better sales than it should have considering that.
Another ignorant “hip-hop” fan. Go back to listening to your soft ass Drake music.
Hahahahaha J-Cole is not anything special. Why don’t you go read a book and continue listening to garbage ass recycled hip hop songs.
I like Cole, but Bon Iver is infinitely more talented
He is overated. He sounds like every other main street rapper out there. He nothing special.
Amen…
Prepared??
Nigga you average.
OFF-TOPIC: IS TECH N9NE REALLY GONNA BE ON TYGA’S UPCOMING ALBUM?
WHO THE HELL IS BON IVER?
if you love Bon Iver so much why don’t you marry them/him/her/it.
Bon iver is like j cole, a new rookie rapper to the game except his talent his far superior to any of these other freshmen rappers. Hesan mc and is better than eminem, biggie, PAC, big l & nas put together. He’s the greatest thing to ever happen to hip hop and he will save hip hop one day. U didn’t hear kanyes last album?! Dark fantasy?! Bon iver singlehandedly made that album classic. It should have been Bon Ivers album not kanyes.
Bon iver fuck da world!!!
WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING
you ppl are stupid saying cole is overrated and too mainstream and aversge. he’s a good rapper who’s playing the game to sell records other than the radio songs he has hip hop material somgs on cole world, same exact thing with wale. he’s actually doing good he’s not making pop songs like lil wayne etc
wow @ the j-cole stans not comfortable with dissenting opinions. Cole World was OK but saying it had no backing (jay-z, roc nation?!?!) or radio play is not true. it was an average hip hop release, very radio friendly, not as good as XXX, Relax, Section.80, Well Done…
Why was he expecting too? His shit blows son.
I hated when people say oh he went main stream u dumb fuck hes a brand new artist he gotta make radio friendly songs u think if it was up 2 him he would put these songs out no u dumb fuck u people don’t kno how the game works who doesn’t make maistream songz u gotta have mainstream songs but Cole also has great hiphop music and all of the people on here talking about Cole is too main stream is proli w rake fan witch is the biggest main stream rapper out Cole has mainstream songs because its an album not a mistake period