I'm half-black, half-white, so I basically put it like this: I can fit in anywhere. That's why I write so many stories from so many different perspectives, because I've seen so many. J. Cole More Quotes by J. Cole More Quotes From J. Cole I don't like to think of it as being fired. Instead, I prefer to think of it as being on indefinite leave with a sabbatical flair. J. Cole sabbatical flair thinking I want to be like Bruce Springsteen or something, making songs that are relevant. J. Cole springsteen want song Touring is very routine. You get to the city, you go to the hotel, you got to be at the hotel by a certain time - it's very routine. I'm not a very structured person, so when I get some structure, it's cool; it's good for me. J. Cole routine structure cities I've got two Rolexes that I'm very proud of - a gold Presidential that was a gift and a white gold one I gifted myself. I'm trying to step my game up and get a few more of those. J. Cole white games two I met Will Smith twice. I didn't talk to him for too long but I was trying to let him know that my age group grew up watching him - he was the coolest guy on television and the coolest guy in movies. J. Cole guy age long I kinda like the idea of having an album that's all me. J. Cole albums ideas I'm the same kid who used to hop the trains with headphones and just go to downtown Manhattan, walk around and listen to music or walk through the city. The fame restricts that. It's a small complaint in comparison to the benefits I get from it, but the restrictive part is what I don't like - and the fact that it's not reversible. J. Cole downtown cities kids I don't live for the accolades. I'm more so about the music. Making it, and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings. J. Cole accolades feelings two I do put a lot of God in my music, but not because I'm super religious. There are a lot of demons in my music, too. I acknowledge both. J. Cole demon acknowledge religious I was a super-duper Tupac fan, and I realized later, when I became a huge Nas fan and a huge Eminem fan, I was drawn to the storytellers. They all told stories in different ways, but they were all like the best storytellers. J. Cole fans different stories I still wanna rap better than everybody else, and I wanna say important things. J. Cole rap stills important Usually I start with a beat, I start making a beat, and my producer side is making the beat. And on a good day, my rapper side will jump in and start the writing process - maybe come up with a hook or start a verse. Sometimes it just happens like that. A song like 'Lights Please' happens like that. J. Cole good-day writing song I just feel like, with rappers, there's so much complacency. It's like, 'Oh, I'm a rapper. I'm successful. I make money. That's all that matters.' But there's a lot of stuff going on in the world. Whether or not you're aware of it, it's happening. J. Cole rapper successful world I don't wanna forget the fact that I wanna be one of the best rappers. I feel like some of the best rappers ever - 2Pac, namely, one of them - could take sub-par beats or average beats and turn them into incredible songs. J. Cole rapper song average When composing music, I just start spilling things out and then wait until they take form, you know what I mean, until I see like a common thread or something. J. Cole common-threads waiting mean You can't take yourself too seriously. Like, yeah, I'm doin' all that, but still I don't feel like I've done anything, really. I feel blessed 'cause I'm doin' all these things, but I'm not satisfied. I still have that feeling like, "Who am I? Who am I to have an ego? Who am I to change up and act like some Hollywood character?" Technically, in the grand scheme of things, I haven't done anything. J. Cole ego blessed character I worked in ad sales. I would call up local businesses and try to get them to buy ads in the paper. The whole time, I felt like I was just scamming people. J. Cole paper trying people When you're headlining, people are paying to come see you specifically. It's a different kind of pressure, because you've got to deliver. You've got to give these people what they paid for. It's a different mind state, a different type of mentality, but it's honestly a pretty good problem to have, you know? J. Cole mind giving people I was a huge Mike Tyson fan growing up; his fights were always on in my house. J. Cole growing-up fighting house I never really told anybody that I'm a rapper. I wasn't walking around being like, "Yo, check out my mixtape!" It was more of a secret grind. J. Cole grind rapper secret