LIFESTYLE
As his fame grew in 2011-14, J. Cole stayed connected to Fayetteville
Beth HutsonFayetteville Observer
Aug. 28, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET
- Between 2011 and 2014, Fayetteville-raised rapper J. Cole released three albums, including his No. 1 debut “Cole World: The Sideline Story.”
- Cole received his first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2011.
- The rapper frequently returned to his hometown for events with his Dreamville Foundation, including book clubs and school supply giveaways.
The year was 2011
Terry Sanford High School graduate Jermaine Cole had established himself as up-and-coming hip-hop star J. Cole
It was a pivotal year for the Fayetteville-raised rapper. That fall, he released his highly anticipated debut album, “Cole World: The Sideline Story.” He followed it with two more albums, “Born Sinner” in 2013 and “2014 Forest Hills Drive” in 2014, cementing his place among hip-hop’s biggest stars
Ahead of J. Cole’s first hometown concert in 11 years, The Fayetteville Observer is revisiting its reporting on the Fayetteville-raised rapper, from his time at Terry Sanford High School to global hip-hop fame
This installment looks back at 2011-2014. Links to full stories are included where available
Read our retrospective of Cole’s high school years and early music career, from 1999-2009, here, and revisit coverage of his breakout year, 2010, here
Next week, we’ll continue the series with a look at 2015-2018, beginning with the year Cole returned to Fayetteville for his last sold-out show at the Crown
Cole gets loud, July 14
Less than two months before the release of his debut album, “Cole World: A Sideline Story,” Cole spoke by phone with The Fayetteville Observer while on the “Loud” tour with Rihanna
“I get so excited when I realize how impacting I think it’s going to be,” he said
Cole responded to critics’ suggestions that his debut album was long overdue
“I understand it’s a marathon and not a sprint,” he said. “The world may not understand that getting signed and putting out an album is not an easy process, but I’ve progressed more than I ever have in the last year. I’ve actually done more than a lot of artists who dropped albums.”
He also spoke about plans to return to Fayetteville in August
“I have to sacrifice coming home often. There’s no business back at home right now. But my thoughts and mind are always on Fayetteville,” he said
And he referenced his time working at the Round-A-Bout Skating Center
“I’ll be at the skating rink,” he said with a laugh. “Everyone who knows me knows I was raised in a skating rink. And I worked there throughout high school. I haven’t found anything like a Fayetteville skating rink.”
Fayetteville rapper J. Cole’s debut album out today, Sept. 27
This story, published the day Cole’s debut album was released, noted that critics were already praising “Cole World: A Sideline Story.”
Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+ and wrote, “Bigger names in hip-hop have released albums this year, but few trump this debut. … ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’ is a well-rounded effort and deeper than most.”
JP DelaCuesta, a critic from AllHipHop.com, gave the album a positive critique after attending an industry listening party in August. “Overall, J. Cole has created an album that is new, fresh, and true to not just himself but to hip-hop,” DelaCuesta wrote. “This is what the people have been anxiously awaiting. There is no shortage of the Cole that fans are used to, and equally as much growth can be found in the album’s lyrics, content, and top-notch production. … I personally believe that it will live up to the expectations and even surpass them once it has time to be digested the right way.”
Locally, Kalim Hasan, program director at 104.5 FM, said fans frequently requested Cole’s music, especially “Work Out” and “Mr. Nice Watch,” featuring Jay-Z
“I think he’ll do well. This album could definitely be a classic,” Hasan said. “This is one of Fayetteville’s most anticipated artists and albums, and a lot of people want to hear what J. Cole has to offer as an artist under Roc Nation.”
Album Signing on Fort Bragg: Crowd welcomes J. Cole back home, Sept. 29
Just a day after the album release, Cole returned to the area for a meet-and-greet and album-signing at Sports USA on Fort Bragg
Eveliz Roca was among a crowd of teens waiting hours ahead of Cole’s appearance
“I love him,” the 16-year-old gushed. “I got here to make sure I didn’t have to wait in line to see him.”
DJ Ike G Da, who entertained the waiting crowd, said the local support played a significant role in Cole’s success
“You know it’s only right that Cole come to see us, being that he’s from here,” he said
The story noted that Cole appeared stunned when he walked into the crowded venue, surrounded by raised phones taking photos and fans screaming. Cole still appeared stunned when he walked into the crowded venue
The line of fans waiting to meet Cole had grown significantly since the early afternoon, stretching outside and around the building, but Cole still managed to spend a bit of time with each person
One of those fans was 17-year-old Tristian Corbin
“I liked his music ever since ‘The Come Up,'” Corbin said. “I like that he’s different, and he talks about things I can relate to. He’s coming from where I’m coming from.”
Another fan, Josh Rotsaert, said Cole’s rise to fame hadn’t changed him
“He used to live next door to my brother,” Rotsaert said. “And he wasn’t different. He wasn’t really arrogant. I think it’s really good that he got on and (is) doing good.”
Native son takes top spot, Oct. 6
Cole officially became Fayetteville’s first music artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts with the release of “Cole World: The Sideline Story.”
He sold 218,000 copies in the first week, knocking Tony Bennett’s “Duets II” from the top spot and finished ahead of Blink-182. He was also No. 1 on the iTunes charts the previous week
Cole took to social media to share the happy news:
“Thanks to yall (sic), we shook the game up,” he tweeted. “Thanks to every fan that held me down, every friend, every blog, magazine, tv, radio station, dj’s and pd’s. I feel like we ALL won.”
Foxy 99 Program Director Mike Tech told the Observer that Cole surprised the music world
“Trust me, I wasn’t expecting him to do all this. No one in the industry or anyone I spoke to or even J. Cole himself thought he’d do as well as he’s done,” he said
Fayetteville State Homecoming Concert: On home stage, it’s J. Cole’s world, Oct. 12
Cole was back at Fayetteville State University for homecoming, performing for a crowd of nearly 3,000
“Fayetteville, I’m still a new artist, so allow me to introduce myself,” Cole said to the crowd. “I come from this city, and no matter where I am, I put on for Fayetteville!”
Homecoming offers J. Cole time to reminisce, Oct. 20
Backstage after the Fayetteville State University Homecoming concert, J. Cole flipped through a rare local rap compilation, “Fayettenam Bommuhs Chapter One,” which featured some of his earliest recordings under the name Therapist. Studying photos of himself and his Fayetteville rap crew from a decade earlier, Cole reflected on his roots
“These were the days,” he said
The project brought together memories of the hometown rappers and friends who helped shape his early career. Despite the success of “Cole World: The Sideline Story,” which had just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, Cole appeared most absorbed by stories from his Fayetteville days, joking and reminiscing with longtime friends backstage
Best New Artist Grammy nomination: Hometown rapper gets nod, Dec. 2, 2011
On Nov. 30, Cole got his first Grammy nod in the Best New Artist category
Shortly after learning the news, Cole tweeted: “I come from Fayetteville, NC. … Thank you for the love. See you at the Grammy’s.”
Brion Unger, one of Cole’s mentors in Fayetteville, was ecstatic
“It’s something that we used to joke about — ‘We’re going to the Grammys!’ It was something he definitely dreamed about for a long time,” Unger said
2012
Best new artist? Feb. 9
Ahead of the 54th annual Grammys, where he was up for Best New Artist, Cole spoke to the Observer by phone. (Indie folk artist Bon Iver ultimately won the award)
“I wasn’t even expecting that … so the fact that I got it was a real shocker,” said Cole, 27, in a phone interview. “Not that I think I didn’t deserve it, just I don’t know if they recognized, but they did, so I appreciate them for that.”
He was all set for the ceremony
“I got a suit ready to go. Definitely will be fresh for the Grammys,” Cole said. “Got my mom coming. Got everybody coming out.”
And he acknowledged what a win it would be for Fayetteville, too
“I just think it just shows that anything is possible,” he said. “That’s what I lived by anyway. But I feel like it just verifies that even more. Not even a win, I think the nomination does that. And putting an album out does that for everybody back home to see somebody that’s coming from the city we’re all from.”
Grammy-nominated rapper J. Cole returns to his native Fayetteville for visits to E.E. Smith and his alma mater, March 2
Just weeks after the Grammys, Cole was back in his hometown of Fayetteville, making stops at both E.E. Smith and his alma mater, Terry Sanford
In a special ceremony at Terry Sanford, where he was an honor student and played on the basketball team, Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans proclaimed March 1, 2012, as “J. Cole Day” in Cumberland County
“The world is much bigger than Fort Bragg Road; I want you all to go grab your dreams,” Cole told the crowd of students, who erupted in cheers when he first entered the gym
“But before you can do that, you have to want to be something,” said Cole, who admitted to the crowd that he crammed the night before. “I couldn’t sleep last night because I knew I was giving this speech. I spent four hours on this (at the last minute); my teachers would be proud of me.”
Evans, also a Terry Sanford alum, said he was proud of Cole
“It’s exciting to see a young man who doesn’t fit the model of a regular rapper, and who talks about the benefits of education,” Evans said. “I’m glad we’re honoring him with J. Cole Day. If we can’t recognize our own, who can we?”
Cole talked about life after being nominated for a Grammy
“Going to the Grammys was an incredible experience. I brought my mom, and she was loving it because Brian Wilson was sitting behind us,” said Cole
That relationship with his mom was also a topic at Find-A-Friend, which Cole visited just after appearing at Terry Sanford
“I’m not rich enough yet, but I want to take care of my mom; I don’t want her to work anymore,” he told the group of about 30 12- to 18-year-olds
Winners enjoy a perfect day, June 16
The winners of the “Nobody’s Perfect” writing contest organized by J. Cole’s Dreamville Foundation had a brunch at Holiday Inn Bordeaux, courtesy of Cole.
While they didn’t get to meet the man himself, his mother, Kay Cole, was on hand to congratulate them. And Cole offered his congratulations in a statement:
“Although I couldn’t make it to the brunch due to touring schedule, I was there in spirit and am happy that I got to share my mother with the winners and the women in their lives,” J. Cole said in a statement.
Summer camp kids get visit from a friend, July 26
Elementary-aged children in Fayetteville Urban Ministry’s Find-A-Friend program got a surprise July 17 when J. Cole stopped by the indoor climbing gym where they were spending the day
“It was a dream,” said six-grader Jaheim Williams. “He is a nice person.”
Later, Cole surprised Find-A-Friend’s high-school and middle-school students in the game room at Fayetteville State University’s student center. He and his staff ultimately took 45 kids on a trip to Carowinds.
J. Cole’s new music: Aug. 3
J. Cole dropped a new song, “The Cure,” on July 26, which referenced his recent visit to Fayetteville — and his hometown newspaper.
“Took kids to Carowinds, which I’m sure you never heard of
‘Cause I didn’t tell the news or The Fayetteville Observer.
I don’t do it for the press, I’m blessed. I made it out.”
2013
J. Cole stresses education, effort, March 8
Cole continued to show love for his hometown, returning for his second-annual Dreamville Weekend.
Cole kicked it off at Westover High School’s library, having a book discussion with about 20 male students from E.E. Smith and Westover high schools — the Dreamville Foundation Boys Reading Club.
Some students expressed an interest in music careers, and Cole told them reading would help them accomplish anything they wanted to do.
“If you want to be a comedian, there’s a comedy club somewhere in Fayetteville,” Cole said. “If you want to be a doctor, there’s a doctor somewhere in Fayetteville that can tell you what you need to do to get there.”
Read the full story here
J. Cole’s lasting impact, March 9
Dreamville Weekend continued with a stop at Fayetteville Urban Ministry’s Find-A-Friend home on Rowan Street, followed by a stop at Round-A-Bout Skating Center later that day, where hundreds of kids were lined up by 7 p.m. waiting for Cole to make an appearance.
While many teens at the skating event were excited just to catch a glimpse of J. Cole, his interactions with youth from the Find-A-Friend program stood out.
He helped one child after a fall, shared skating tips and spent time talking one-on-one with participants. Eleven-year-old Estrella M. said she had already gotten her chance to meet Cole, allowing her to focus on skating while other teens gathered around him.
Read the full story here
Cole’s ‘Power Trip’ video shot in Fayetteville, April 19
Cole was back in town to shoot another video, this time for “Power Trip,” which premiered April 8, 2013, on MTV.
The video, which follows Cole’s pursuit of a long-time crush through Fayetteville, was shot just after his second annual Dreamville Weekend in March
Read the full story here
World is watching, July 29
Myron Pitts writes about Cole’s latest album, “Born Sinner,” which was released June 18, 2013, and, like his debut, hit No. 1.
But Cole also faced criticism over insensitive lyrics, using an offensive word for people on the autism spectrum in the single “Jodeci Freestyle.”
Cole didn’t push back, though, taking to his blog to apologize and say he was “instantly embarrassed” that he would be so “ignorant” as to use the word in his lyrics.
“To the parents who are fighting through the frustrations that must come with raising a child with severe autism, finding strength and patience that they never knew they had; to the college student with Asperger’s syndrome; to all those overcoming autism: You deserve medals, not disrespect. I hope you accept my sincere apology.”
Myron argued that Cole’s apology highlighted a contradiction in his public image: while he is often praised for thoughtful, emotionally nuanced music, he sometimes falls back on elements of older hip-hop culture that critics view as misogynistic, homophobic or insensitive. He said Cole’s success has created higher expectations for his behavior and lyrics, and concluded that the situation reflected a broader challenge for mainstream hip-hop artists.
Read the full story here
J. Cole hands out school supplies, Aug. 25
“Hip-hop artist J. Cole has good taste in backpacks,” reads a Fayetteville Observer story about the rapper’s return to his hometown. He was back in Fayetteville with his Dreamville Foundation to hand out free school supplies at E.E. Smith High School’s gymnasium.
People started lining up at 7 a.m. for the event, which drew hundreds of students and their families eager for supplies and a chance to meet Cole.
“It feels amazing to be out here today and talk with parents and kids who appreciate what we’re doing,” said Cole, 28. “It’s always the worst to be at school on the first day and not have what you need. We want to give kids confidence and help them be prepared for the school year.”
Jamaica Warren, like Cole, a graduate of Terry Sanford High School, said it was exactly what she needed as a busy mom of five working full time as a paralegal while also attending school full-time at Fayetteville State University.
“This was a real blessing,” Warren said. “I had bought my kids clothes for school but hadn’t been able to get supplies yet. I really respect J. Cole for doing this. Some people get famous and forget where they came from, but not him.”
Cole’s mother, Kay Cole, traveled from her home in South Carolina to volunteer alongside her son.
“It’s great to hear parents speak so highly of him as they’re going through the line,” Kay Cole said. “But he’s always been charitable. When he was very young, he once told me that he wanted to be rich when he grew up so he could open a farm for homeless animals. He’s just got a great heart.”
Read the full story here
2014
Dreamville Book Club: J. Cole seems like one of the boys, March 7
You couldn’t keep J. Cole away from Fayetteville. He was back in town in March 2014 for a visit to Westover High School, where he talked about books, ate pizza and joked with the more than two dozen male students from Westover and E.E. Smith.
“I’m just a member of the book club,” said Cole. “When I come here, I like to experience it just like they do.”
Cole was in town for his foundation’s third annual Dreamville Weekend.
“I want to start the process of showing them there are other options besides what’s on the screen,” Cole said. “They don’t have to be a rapper or an athlete, there are people who manage the rappers, who book the shows. There are so many jobs you can do, this is about expanding their minds to those possibilities.”
Read the full story here
J. Cole reaches out to students, March 9
Continuing with the Dreamville Weekend activities, on March 8, Cole spoke with high school students about social issues.
The discussion stemmed from a screening of “Fruitvale Station,” which chronicles the final day in the life of Oscar Grant III. He was a 22-year-old Black man who was shot to death by a White police officer in Oakland, California, on New Year’s Day 2009. The officer served 11 months in prison.
Cole offered up his thoughts to the 150 students assembled at the Crown Theatre.
“It’s got me questioning if the police are on our side,” Cole said. “The rules and the laws give them a lot of power.”
He said that even he falls victim to stereotyping.
“If I see two black dudes in hoodies coming toward me on Murchison Avenue, I’m going to scope them out and feel out the situation,” he said. “I’m trained to do that because even the way we view each other is flawed.”
Cole told the students change is possible if they empower themselves through learning.
Westover High School student Jaalin Stackhouse agreed.
“It’s up to us to change the stereotypes,” Stackhouse said. “I think we are making strides. And if we continue to recognize this problem and make changes, things will be better in the future.”
Read the full story here
Street where rapper lived is remembered, Nov. 18
Cole announced his upcoming third album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” would be released Dec. 9, 2014. It was named for the address of the house he lived in off Cain Road and shows the rapper sitting on the roof of the house he lived in with his mother and brother off Cain Road in Fayetteville.
He announced on his website that he’d “be having a little get together” at the home on Nov. 29-30, where “fans in the neighborhood will be able to come hang out and listen to new music.”
A video accompanying the announcement about the album showed Cole at the house, the Market House, an arcade and a skating rink.
Read the full story here
News Director Beth Hutson can be reached at bhutson@fayobserver.com
