J. Cole, KOD

Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape The Come up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up (2009)and Friday Night Lights (2010) both to critical acclaim, after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint in 2009.