J. Cole Discusses Out-Selling Kanye West, “Boring” Criticism & Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” Verse
J. Cole was in Manhattan promoting his involvement with the video game, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, last month, but he got on the phone with Noisey to discuss plenty of topics outside of gaming. Speaking with Ernest Baker, the Roc Nation rapper explained why he still feels like he’s got something to prove, even after out-selling Kanye West’s Yeezus, responded to the criticism that his music is “boring” — taking a blasphemous jab at the hood classic, Soul Plane, in the process — and offered a few words on Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse (for real this time).
On out-selling Kanye West:
I don’t wake up every day like, ‘I got a great status in the rap game.’ No, I feel behind. I don’t feel like I’ve done enough. I only get brief moments to appreciate things. I might get a two minute thought of like, ‘Wow, you really did sell more than Kanye. You currently have sold more records than Kanye West’s album, which came out the same day.’ Then I’m back to focusing on what’s next.
Check out more quotes from J. Cole after the jump…
On “boring” criticism:
It’s funny, but it’s sad. Everybody has their own style of music that they like. I could never let that affect me in the way I make music. The people who like ‘Soul Plane’ are probably gonna think ‘Shawshank Redemption’ is boring. It’s not the end of the world.It’s cool that people care, because five years ago, nobody cared, but I don’t care about the chattering. It’s becoming more and more like noise to me.
On sometimes wanting to be a regular, lazy person:
I’m not a gamer, but in my heart I wish I could be. I got a homeboy that wakes up everyday, smokes, and plays Xbox Live. Sometimes I look at him like, ‘I would pay to be you for 2 days,’ but I would feel guilty like I’m missing out on creativity or something.
On Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse:
That’s rap, man. That’s rap music. That’s a part of the game. It’s natural. It’s fine.
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