Jacques: J. Cole is one of the leading figures in the rap game today.
From his deep lyrics to his outlook on life, he's influenced a generation.
So we decided to hit up his, and my alma mater, St. John's University, and see how
well some of his fans know his music.
Jacques: Did you know J. Cole went to St. John's?
Speaker 3: I did.
I found out when I first transferred here.
Speaker 4: I definitely did, and I did live in his dorm building.
Jacques: Are you all fans of J Cole?
Speaker 5: Of course.
Speaker 6: Yes. 100%
Speaker 7: His storytelling, it's the best in the game.
Speaker 8: I have a tattoo, actually.
Jacques: Can you show it to us?
Speaker 8: Yeah.
"No such thing as a life that's better than yours."
Jacques: Where's that from?
Speaker 8: Love Yours.
Jacques: So how do you think y'all are going to do?
Speaker 8: I think I'll do pretty well.
Speaker 4: I have faith in us.
Jacques: You're wearing a Dreamville shirt, so I'm going to go a little hard on you.
Where was J. Cole born: Fayetteville, North Carolina, or Frankfurt, Germany?
Speaker 5: North Carolina.
Speaker 3: North Carolina.
Speaker 4: Germany.
You got to get with it.
His father was in the military.
Yeah, backstories.
J. Cole fan.
Jacques: What was J. Cole's first rap name: Blaza or the Therapist?
Speaker 6: Is it the Therapist?
Speaker 8: Yeah, I say the Therapist.
Speaker 10: Oh, he used both.
Blaza.
Speaker 11: The therapist?
Thank you, thank you.
It was a good shot.
Speaker 12: I'm pretty sure it was Blaza.
The Therapist came after.
Speaker 10: What is the name of J. Cole's first mix tape: 'The Warm Up' or 'The Come Up?'
Speaker 13: The Come Up.
Speaker 3: The Come Up.
Let's go.
Jacques: What was J. Cole's first project to go platinum with no features:
'For Eyez Only,' or '2014 Forest Hills Drive?'
Speaker 6: Is it For Your Eyes Only?
Speaker 7: 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
Group: 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
Speaker 8: Forest Hills Drive.
For Your Eyes Only was after.
Duh.
Jacques: Finish the following lyric: "First things first..."
Speaker 13: "Rest in peace, Uncle Phil."
Jacques: "First things first..."
Speaker 3: "I'm the realist."
Speakers 4 & 5: "Rest in peace, Uncle Phil."
Speaker 5: I can't even believe I didn't get that.
Group: "Rest in peace, Uncle Phil."
Speaker 8: "First things first, rest in peace, Uncle Phil."
Speaker 8: For real.
J. Cole: (singing) Jacques: What St. John's dorm room is J. Cole
rapping in, in this video?
Speaker 14: I'm going to say, Donovan?
Speaker 15: Hollis?
Speaker 16: That's Hollis 503.
Speaker 6: If you lived in Hollis... because I lived in Hollis, and people like, "Yo, J.
Cole lived here."
So, it's like, "I lived here!"
Jacques: What song did Nas hear, that caused them to be disappointed in Cole, which eventually
led to the song "Let Nas Down?" "Crooked Smile," or "Work Out?"
Speaker 3: I should know this, shouldn't I?
Jacques: You should know this.
Speaker 3: Definitely.
Crooked Smile.
Speaker 17: I want say Work Out.
Speaker 13: I'm going to guess it's Work Out.
Speaker 7: Work Out.
Speaker 13: Jay-Z wanted a radio song, because he's starting to come up, and so he made on,
and it did good on the radio but Nas is like, "What is this shit?"
Speaker 7: J Cole waited out in the cold to get beats to which rapper: Nas, or Jay-Z?
Speaker 3: I'd say Nas.
Speaker 5: Nas.
Speaker 4: Jay-Z.
Speaker 5: Oh, wow.
See? I suck at this.
Speaker 3: It was Jay-Z.
Jacques: For the next 10 seconds, name as many members of Dreamville Records as you can.
Ready?
Go.
Speaker 15: Lute, Cozz...
Speaker 4: Ari.
Speaker 5: Ari.
Speaker 6: You said Bas?
Speaker 8: Oh, no. I didn't.
Speaker 4: J.I.D., No Disrespect.
Speaker 3: I'm so sorry.
I have no clue.
Speaker 13: Fucking Earthgang.
Speaker 15: Omen.
Speaker 7: Omen, Lute, J.I.D., Ari Lennox, Earthgang, Bas, Cozz...
Damn, did I miss anybody?
Jacques: And J. Cole.
Speaker 7: And J. Cole, yeah.
Jacques: So, how do you think you did?
Speaker 3: Pretty bad.
Pretty freaking bad.
Speaker 14: A 4.0 GPA.
I think we did well.
Speaker 4: We should've done better.
I'm very disappointed.
Speaker 16: Oh we passed.
Speaker 17: Yeah.
Passing grade.
Jacques: Cole's St John's fans really put on for their fellow alum.
How'd you do?
Let us know in the comments.
I'm Jacques Morel with Genius News, bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music.
Peace.