Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known as J. Cole, was born on January 28, 1985, on a U.S. military base in Frankfurt, Germany, to American parents. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he began rapping at age 14 under names like Blaza and Therapist, self-taught in production after receiving a beat machine from his mother. He graduated magna cum laude from St. John's University in 2007 with a communications degree and released his debut mixtape, The Come Up, that year, founding Dreamville Records. J. Cole signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 as its first rap artist, following mixtapes The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010). His debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011), topped the Billboard 200, as did Born Sinner (2013). He produces most of his work and has collaborated with artists including Kendrick Lamar. Grammy-nominated, he founded the Dreamville Foundation. Known for dense lyricism addressing personal and social themes in hip-hop, J. Cole performs with high-energy shows emphasizing storytelling and audience engagement.