North Carolina based rapper J.Cole has gained critical acclaim almost instantaneously after bursting on the scene in 2007 with his debut mixtape The Come Up. His popularity has only heightened with the release of his 2009 mash-up mixtape The Warm Up and the deal he inked with the live events company Live Nation. Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z signed Cole after hearing the record Lights Please. Although from a southern background, J.Cole has a very gritty New York, early 90′s flow, almost reminiscent of a young AZ. His calloused yet intelligent street message is articulated skillfully, with exaggerated bravado and flare. Even without an album, he seems to have the musical direction of a seasoned rapper, attacking subjects that plague the inner city, from an intelligently empirical standpoint. J. Cole also graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. John’s University in 2007. We look forward to the debut album.

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Listen and Download: Lights Please by J. Cole