J. Cole fans were thrown into a tizzy when earlier this week hip-hip radio personality Angie Martinez took to her IG page to tease a one-on-one she had in the vault with the Dreamville rapper. Anticipation for the interview’s release would only intensify after she delayed the release until Wednesday morning, May 16, and for many, the 94-minute recording proved to be well worth the wait.
Cole spoke on a range of topics that covered his personal life and his professional life as an artist whose voice has become one of the culture’s most respected. He also touched on his pre-performance meditation ritual and past battles with alcoholism, and the Kendrick Lamar collaborations he now says fans may never see, and the envious text message he jokes about receiving from Drake after conquering his Spotify and Apple streaming records.
Perhaps the most intriguing points in the hour-and-a-half long discussion came when the KOD rapper expounded on matters that involved the meshing of his life and art. He disclosed that the mysterious kiLL Edward cameos that peppered his latest project were indeed features from an alter-ego he created to serve as a reflection of some of the demons he inherited from the stepfather he knew as Edward.
On a less intense, but never-the-less personal note, Cole confessed feeling a type of way about Kanye publicizing the fact that they had a private conversation with one another while pressing forward with his latest media blitz.