J. Cole was the most recent guest on the No Bars Off podcast, which drops in full tomorrow (Monday, September 7). In a preview clip from the show, Cole spoke about playing early records like "Wet Dreamz" for Jay-Z five years before it came out, and revealed he's actually grateful for Hov not pushing a commercial breakthrough early on.
The Dreamville MC said he wanted to get a deal early on, and he thought he was ready for it. Now, though, he feels grateful he didn't blow up until later, revealing an on-stage moment during his The Fall-Off tour made him think about his first meeting with Jay.
"I played 'Wet Dreamz' for Jay-Z [at] my first meeting for him," the North Carolina rapper remarked, as caught by Caleb on Twitter. "In my mind, I'm like, 'He had to have known what this was, right?' I didn't put it out until five years later... Thank God he didn't go, 'Oh my God, let's take that to radio right now... He's ready now.' Whether he thought that song was ready or not, he probably knew, 'He needs some more development.' Thank God he thought that.
J. Cole Speaks On Jay-Z
"Even when I signed to him at 24, if I'd have blew at 24, even with the material I had, I couldn't have came back from that," he continued. "I could've dropped a real classic at 24, 25, with the stockpile of songs I had... I had a pure classic on my hands at 24, 25. If I would've blew off of that, and dropped that, I genuinely feel like I would've had nothing to rap about. I would've went and lived a whole crazy life. I wouldn't be married, wouldn't have kids. And then, I would've just been one of them n***as where they like, 'What happened to him?'"
J. Cole and Jay-Z's relationship has been scrutinized by fans in the past. But it's clear they have a lot of mutual respect and appreciation regarding their history.
Elsewhere, J. Cole sadly dealt with tragedy as a driver for his tour passed away in a car crash. It was a heartbreaking development in what has otherwise been a heartening trek.
