Jermaine Lamarr Cole born January 28, 1985, better known by his stage name J. Cole, is an American recording hip hop artist and producer. In 2009 he was the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation. His debut album titled Cole World: The Sideline Story is set to be released on September 27, 2011. Cole, was born in Frankfurt, Germany on January 28, 1985. At the age of 8 months old, he relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina where he was raised by his mother, aunt and his cousin. His father is African American and his mother is Caucasian. Cole attended Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville and graduated in 2003. He decided that he had a better chance of getting signed in New York City, so he chose to attend St. John’s University on an academic scholarship where he majored in communication and minored in business, graduating magna cum laude. J. Cole used to believe that you had to go to New York or somewhere where there is a music scene in order to get signed to a record deal. However, with the dawn of the internet and its infinite sources, he now believes anyone can make a name for themselves anywhere.