J. Cole

                                                                      Jermaine Cole Hero Essay

When people think of heroes who contribute to society, a rapper wouldn't be the first thing that comes to mind due to the bad images society has painted of them in the past. The lyrical genius, J.Cole, has done well to face racial oppression and fight for the lower class. J.Cole has a mixed bringing up, being born in an American military base in Frankfurt,Germany and moving to his hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina  after his parents divorced when he was 8 months old. J.Cole experienced the different social statuses in society growing up, due his mom always changing homes, which allowed him to see all sides of society. J.Cole was introduced to rap at age 12, by his cousin, Cole found a new passion and was inspired by many rappers of that generation. His mother also bought him a sound machine where his skills of producing music were sharpened and he truly engaged in music for the first time. After graduating high school with a 4.2 GPA, he went to St. John's on an academic scholarship where he later graduated with a 3.8 GPA receiving the honor of Magna Cum Laude. Based in New York then to pursue his passion in rap, he learned about one of his inspirations Jay Z being in town. He eventually got signed by Jay Z after Cole's talent was recognized and he went on to make 4 albums which all went double platinum. A hero must possess courage and the ability to stand up for the people that can't. J.Cole is a hero because he has the courage to face the problems people don't choose to face and takes passion into his music to expresses his concerns for society.

J.Cole possesses the heroic quality of courage to face the problems of our society that people choose not to care about. Cole's many music videos and songs alone, always seem to carry a message and try to reason with the listener. This is also a trend throughout his whole career. "In his video for 'G.O.M.D.,' he's acutely self-aware of his mixed-race ness, positioning himself as a house negro who orchestrates an armed slave revolt on a plantation. "He tackles race, fame, wealth and even his place in the rap game (see: 'Fire Squad') from a wide-eyed ground-level perspective, never going macro or unrelatable."(Ex, Kris.  ) J. Cole music has meaning, in these two songs  he speaks about realistic problems in our society. He chooses to speak on racism and celebrities that call themselves heroes in both his songs. Unlike other artists, Cole means to adjust his music lyrically in order to distinguish and recognize the hate and the delusionality of people. J.Cole also captures documentaries of his music making process, which incorporate his hometown and giving lower class citizens spotlight. "HBO will air a film, J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only, on April 15. The film, co-directed by Scott Lazer and Cole, provides more context to the music by capturing the frustrations of lower income residents in Baton Rouge, Atlanta, Ferguson, MO, Jonesboro, AR, and Cole's hometown of Fayetteville, NC. In essence, how residents of those cities are being affected by the current climate." (  J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America." ). Cole cares about his hometown and what is happening to them, trying to fix the society to help where he came from. He truly cares about where he grew up feeling a sense of owing his hometown and returning the favor. This truly shows his courage and kindness, as he tries to solve the problems of even his small hometown. Cole doesn't forget easily, when it comes to where he came up from. J.Cole displays courage when he speaks for what he believes in and stands up to resolve the problems that are not touched upon and need attention.

J.Cole's passion for music results in the shaping of the future of music and speaking to the youth.Cole's hard work and dedication towards the making of his music has resulted in all his albums going Platinum and be recognized as one of the greatest rappers of all time."According to a release, the release, which was distributed through Roc Nation/Interscope on December 9th, 2016, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 363k copies in its first week (492k with album-equivalent units), the third largest weekly sales for an album in 2016. 4 Your Eyez Only was certified gold by the RIAA January 12 earlier this year. All four of J. Cole's albums are now RIAA certified Platinum or higher." (  J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America."  ) Cole's works have all been recognized by critics and the population, truly marking him as one of the greatest rappers of this generation. The recognition he has achieved has helped him speak for what he believes in. His constant involvement in other artist's music also demonstrate his care for the current era of music. Cole's dedication towards his precise lyrics that speaks a message, is a true symbol of his passion."'Rhyme patterns are nothing without meanings to the words," he says. "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.'"( Staff, NPR. ) Cole cares about his music on a different level, more focusing on lyrics to spread his messages in music and connect with the listener on a deeper level. His lyrics always containing intellectually messages which demonstrates his passion for his music. The beat and flow of the song is important, but Cole invests his time in the message of his songs. His lyrics always containing intellectually messages which demonstrates his love for music. Cole's hard work resulted in the recognition of him, yet he still hasn't stopped because of his burning passion for music that pushes him to influence the youth and current society towards better morals.

J.Cole isn't just the typical stereotypical rapper that was laid out for society in the past. He takes courage and writes his music to change the bad ways of people and expresses passion in his music to be involved in the new generations of music. Cole's courage in the music industry to help spread messages in society. Cole inspires me to speak up for the people that can't. His fearless lyrics to tackle the problems of society truly inspire his fans and I. His passion for music pushes the generation of music forward. Cole is a true game changer for our current generation of music. I see him as a true freedom fighter for the people, and he shows me that even those in the lower class, that he once was, can achieve greatness.

Cho, Regina. "J. Cole Ends 2016 On A High Note." The Source, 20 Dec. 2016, thesource.com/2016/12/20/j-cole-ends-2016-on- a-high-note/. Accessed 22 May 2017.