In a recent episode of their audio series, J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad shared an intriguing story that has caught the attention of fans: Jay-Z once told Drake to give Cole a hit single. This moment reportedly took place during the Two Kings dinner hosted by Jay-Z and LeBron James at NBA All-Star Weekend in 2011, as Cole was looking to find a successful track ahead of his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story.
During the discussion, Ibrahim recounted the atmosphere of the dinner. “We were having a conversation with Cole, Drake, Future, and a few others when Jay walked in. He saw us together and exclaimed, ‘Yo!’ He looked at Drake and said, ‘Give the boy one,’ pointing at Cole, basically telling Drake to hand him a hit. We were all taken aback, and I could see Future’s face, which was a mix of surprise and embarrassment.”
J. Cole added, “He was looking at Drake and pointing at me, saying, ‘Give him a hit, give my boy a hit.’” Reflecting on the moment, Ibrahim noted, “After that, I looked over at Cole, and he seemed really annoyed.” At the time, both rappers were in a highly competitive space, having just collaborated on the track “In the Morning.” Cole had not yet released a hit single despite prior efforts like “Blow Up” and “Higher,” which may have added to his frustration.
Interestingly, later that evening, J. Cole confronted Jay-Z about the situation, questioning the hypocrisy of asking for a hit single when Jay’s own album, Reasonable Doubt, didn’t have that same expectation. Ironically, Cole World: The Sideline Story eventually became J. Cole’s most successful album at that point, and the single “Work Out” went on to become a major hit.
J Cole & Jay-Z Performing In 2014
In the end, it seems that the pressure to produce a hit worked out in Cole’s favor.
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