J.Cole recently sat down with Angie Martinez for an exclusive interview where he opened up about everything from his love for meditation to his break from social media to the huge success of his new album, “KOD.”
Here are 5 things we learned about the 33-year-old rapper in his 94-minute interview:
He felt “used” by Kanye West:
Cole was just one of the rappers dragged into Kanye’s recent social media rants, and when he saw Kanye post their personal conversation on Instagram, he admits it made him “feel a certain type way.” “I told him that , ‘It felt like you just used my name in that very quick conversation for social media,'” Cole added.
Throughout the interview he treads lightly on the state of their current friendship, but admits he can’t get down with most of Kanye’s recent sentiments.”When you empower a demographic of people whose whole intent is to suppress people, it’s like bro, I can’t rock with that.”
He feels a connection with Cardi B.:
After hearing her interview on The Breakfast Club, Cole reimmerged on Twitter to give the young rapper some advice:
“People were like what’s next? What about the album? I know what it’s like to be in those shoes. And it’s like I wanted to just say something, “Yo, you already won. You can drop an album that don’t do nothing, but she didn’t; you dropped an album and it killed.”
He uses meditation to counter his anxiety:
Cole revealed that he actually meditated right before the interview with Angie to calm his nerves. It’s a technique he first brought into his life to “be present” before going on stage and still his mind. “I try to do my mediation before I go on. I have a style and a technique before I go.” He admits that he doesn’t do it every day, but is trying to find the discipline to it daily, as to not be a “slave to my thoughts.”
In 2015 he decided to give up alcohol:
Cole opened about drinking being a challenge in his life he had to over come. “I was in a point in my life that I felt like I had to, when I would go out it was natural, ‘Let’s get a drink!’ When we were on tour every day, ‘Let’s get a drink’. I started to ask myself, ‘Why am I doing this?.'” He admits the transition took some time, and although he has not completely given up the bottle, it’s a work in progress. “I didn’t like the way it made me feel. I attacked it head on. Every time I said, ‘No’ and was successful, I felt more empowered.”
Fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a Kendrick Lamar/ J.Cole Album:
Sorry, guys, but it’s finally time to squash those joint album rumors! Cole mentions a Kendrick collaboration by saying they have thrown around the idea for years, but “it’s not something that’s actively happening.”
