What Is J. Cole's Net Worth?
J. Cole is an American hip-hop recording artist, songwriter, and record producer who has a net worth of $60 million. J. Cole was the first artist signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation. He is consistently one of the highest-paid rappers in the world. In a typical year, he earns $30 million. In June 2023, J. Cole became a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets when Michael Jordan sold his share of the team to a group including him and country music artist Eric Church.
He first gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his mixtape "The Come Up" in 2007. Cole continued to build a strong following with subsequent mixtapes, eventually catching the attention of Jay-Z, who signed him to his Roc Nation label in 2009. In 2011, Cole released his debut studio album, "Cole World: The Sideline Story," which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. He has since released five more studio albums, all of which have topped the Billboard 200. Known for his introspective lyrics, storytelling abilities, and socially conscious themes, Cole has become one of the most respected and influential rappers of his generation. He has collaborated with numerous high-profile artists and has earned multiple Grammy nominations.
In addition to his music career, Cole is also the founder of the record label Dreamville Records, which has signed several successful artists. He has also been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including the Dreamville Foundation, which aims to empower youth through education and community outreach programs.
Early Life
J. Cole was born Jermaine Lamarr Cole on January 28, 1985, on an Army base in Frankfurt, West Germany. Cole's father is a U.S. Army veteran who abandoned the family when Cole was young, and his mother, Kay, was a postal worker. When Cole was eight months old, his mother moved him and his older brother, Zach, to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Cole started rapping at the age of 12. By age 14, Cole had notebooks filled with rhymes but no way to record them himself. His mother bought him an 808 beat machine so he could produce music himself. By the age of 17, he was posting songs on various internet forums under the moniker "Therapist." Cole graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA and moved to New York City with a scholarship to St. John's University. He graduated with a 3.8 GPA.
Career
In 2007, Cole received recognition after the release of his debut mixtape, "The Come Up." Shortly after the release, Cole was contacted by American rapper Jay-Z and signed to his record label Roc Nation. In 2009, Cole released his second mixtape, "The Warm Up," which was followed by Cole's third mixtape, "Friday Night Lights," in 2010. In 2011, Cole toured with Drake as a supporting act. He released his debut studio album, "Cole World: The Sideline Story," in 2011, and the album reached #1 on the "Billboard" 200, US Rap, and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts. It was quickly certified Platinum. His second album, "Born Sinner," was released in 2013 and also reached #1 on all three of those charts.
Cole's album "2014 Forest Hills Drive" was released in 2014 and also reached #1 on the "Billboard" 200, US Rap, and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Both "Born Sinner" and "2014 Forest Hills Drive" were certified Platinum, and the latter garnered him his first Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. The 2016 album "4 Your Eyez Only" also reached #1 on all of those charts as well as #1 in Canada and was quickly certified Platinum. Cole released his fifth album, "KOD," in 2018, and it debuted at the top of the "Billboard" 200, making it his fifth #1 album. On January 26, 2020, J. Cole won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for his collaboration with 21 Savage on the song "A Lot."
| J. Cole Career Earnings By Year: | |
| 2014 | $7 million |
| 2015 | $11 million |
| 2016 | $14 million |
| 2017 | $19 million |
| 2018 | $36 million |
| 2019 | $30 million |
| Total: | $117 million |
Cole's most successful singles include the songs "Work Out," "Can't Get Enough" (featuring Trey Songz), "Nobody's Perfect" (featuring Missy Elliott), "Power Trip" (featuring Miguel), "Crooked Smile" (featuring TLC), "Deja Vu," and "Neighbors." Cole has won several BET Hip Hop Awards and has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Between June 2017 and June 2018, J. Cole earned $36 million. J. Cole has cited Tupac Shakur, Jay Z, Eminem, Nas, and Andre 3000 as the biggest influences on his own rapping style. He has been quoted saying that he believes Tupac, The Notorious BIG, Nas, and Jay Z to be the best rappers of all time.
(Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
Other Ventures
Apart from his successful rap career, Cole also works as a producer. He launched his own record label in early 2007 with Ibrahim Hamad called Dreamville Records. Dreamville Records has put out nine albums, three of which have been certified Platinum. J. Cole has produced singles for Janet Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, and many other artists. He's also a minor shareholder of Tidal.
Cole also established a non-profit organization in October 2011, The Dreamville Foundation. The organization runs various philanthropic events for underprivileged youth, such as a back-to-school supply drive and a book club for young men. The Dreamville Foundation also sponsors writing contests and career days. Through the foundation, Cole purchased his childhood home, which had been repossessed from his mother years earlier, in 2014 for $120,000. He purchased the home with the goal of turning it into rent-free housing for single mothers and their kids. He holds the yearly Dreamville Festival concert series, which features local music, artists, culture, and food, as well as big-name acts like Nelly, Big Sean, and 21 Savage. The proceeds benefit the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy in Raleigh, NC, and the Dreamville Foundation.
In 2020, J. Cole announced a multi-year partnership with PUMA as an ambassador for the footwear and apparel brand. Later that year, they released their debut collaboration shoe, the PUMA RS-Dreamer.
In 2022, J. Cole signed a contract with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. This comes after a contract he signed in 2021 with the Patriots Basketball Club of the Basketball Africa League in which he scored five points and had three assists and five rebounds in 45 minutes of play over the length of his three-game contract.
Controversies
Cole and Diddy were involved in an altercation at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in NYC. It started when Diddy confronted Kendrick Lamar about a verse in one of his songs, and Diddy tried to pour a drink on Lamar. Cole intervened and the two got into an altercation, involving their respective crews and resulting in a small brawl. A few months later, Cole and Diddy publicly announced their beef was over.
Cole's songs "Everybody Dies" and "False Prophets" have stirred up controversy in the hip-hop community, and fellow rappers have assumed that Cole was taking shots at rappers Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty. The hip-hop community also has assumed that the first verse of his song "False Prophets" is taking shots at Kanye West. He had a rumored ongoing feud with rapper Lil Pump since April 2018, but the two sat down for an interview together in May 2019 to put the rumors to rest and to indicate to fans that they have put their differences behind them.
Personal Life
Cole is married to Melissa Heholt. They attended St. John's University together, and she is now the Executive Director of the Dreamville Foundation. J. Cole revealed in a May 2018 radio interview that they have a son together, and he announced in July 2019 that the two were expecting another child.
J. Cole holds dual citizenship between Germany and the United States.
