You can't take yourself too seriously. Like, yeah, I'm doin' all that, but still I don't feel like I've done anything, really. I feel blessed 'cause I'm doin' all these things, but I'm not satisfied. I still have that feeling like, "Who am I? Who am I to have an ego? Who am I to change up and act like some Hollywood character?" Technically, in the grand scheme of things, I haven't done anything.
J. ColeRhyme patterns are nothing without meanings to the words. A lot of rappers can do those flows, but the raps aren't really about anything - which is cool sometimes, but to have the flow and the message is one of my favorite things.
J. ColeProducing all my own songs and refusing to go to the hot producer. That's the biggest risk I've taken so far.
J. ColeYou can't reverse fame. You can lose all the money, but you'll never lose people knowing you.
J. ColeI'm a super-duper over-analyzer. You mix that with self-doubt and pressure, and that's never healthy.
J. ColeI feel like I'm a New Yorker because I really know the city. I actually tell the drivers where to go - I have this bad habit, I always question the drivers. I do that all the time because I feel like I know the best way, when really it's like, 'Yo, man, shut up. This dude does this every day of his life.'
J. Cole