J. Cole looks out at the crowd at the 2018 Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, London.
Cole hit the charts running at the beginning of his career. His debut studio album, ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story,’ peaked at No. 1 on the ‘Billboard 200’ list in 2011. It wouldn’t be Cole’s first album to take the top spot on the chart, as his four succeeding albums — “Born Sinner” (2013), “2014 Forest Hills Drive” (2014), “4 Your Eyez Only” (2016) and “KOD” (2018) — all did just that. His singles have also found success on the charts, with five tracks peaking in the top 10 spots on Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’ chart: “Middle Child,” “ATM,” “Deja Vu,” “Kevin’s Heart” and “KOD.”
As a testament to Cole’s talent, JAY-Z signed to the Germany-born rapper to his label, Roc Nation, in 2009. Cole also has also received seven Grammy nominations over the years, beginning in 2011. His 2014 record, “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” was honored as the “Top Rap Album” at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.
