Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83
J. Cole is prepping to hit us with his next album, The Off-Season, but could it be “Grown Simba’s” last roar as a rapper?
The North Carolina Hip-Hop star made history on Tuesday (May 11), becoming the first rapper to cover the basketball bible, Slam Magazine, which makes sense that he is currently moonlighting as a hooper. In the cover feature, the “No Role Modelz” crafter hinted at the idea of retiring from the Rap game.
The 36-year-old Dreamville general revealed that everything he is doing is laying down the groundwork, so if he does decide to put down the microphone, he will have no qualms about it while also saying he won’t ever put a period on his “retirement.” “Oh, bro, I’m super comfortable with the potential of being done with this sh*t. But I’m never going to say, Oh, this is my last album,” Cole states. “Because I never know how I’m going to feel two years, three years, four years down the line, 10 years down the line, but please believe, I’m doing all this work for a reason.”
He further revealed, “I’m doing all this work to be at peace with, If I never did another album, I’m cool. That’s the reason for all of this, so I know that I put everything on the table. I left everything on the table, and I’m good with that. Because there’s a lot of shit I want to do with my life and in my life that, because I have such an intense love and passion for the craft, if I don’t let that go, I’m not going to be able to get to these other things that I also want to learn and grow and be good at. So it’s like, No, let me get everything out on this craft, to where I feel at peace. And then, guess what? If I’m inspired, and I feel like doing it again, cool. But if not, I know I left it all on the table.”
It sounds like Cole isn’t going to make the same retirement claims as his mentor JAY-Z did, who had his fans going through the motions telling them his Black Album would be his last and even had a farewell concert documented in the classic Fade To Black docufilm before subsequently coming back to the game.
J. Cole has been the talk of the internet lately, specifically when it comes to pursuing his hoop dreams. He now has his own popular signature basketball sneaker with PUMA and will hoop professionally in the Basketball Africa League.
Cole’s priorities are definitely shifting.
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Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83
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