(AllHipHop News) J. Cole is making a risky move with the release of his third studio album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The Fayetteville, North Carolina emcee is putting the project out with any singles or major marketing plan.
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While other acts like Beyoncé, The Lox, and Kid Cudi have tried this approach in recent months, an artist choosing not to promote their work before it hits stores could affect the album’s sales numbers. Or that “no promo” tactic could actually be an effective promotional idea.
Cole may not be doing a lot of press over the next few weeks, but he did conduct an interview with Complex. The Q&A included the Roc Nation signee talking about various subjects. Read some of J. Cole’s quotes below.
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On starting Dreamville Records:
I always wanted to be f**king Berry Gordy. I wanted to have a production platform. But now I realize that, even if I never produce a record for someone who’s signed to me, the real pleasure of having a label is watching somebody start from ground zero and get to level one, two, and three. These dudes are trying to get to 100. It’s mad rewarding for me to see.
On criticism he is a boring artist:
I’m an introverted person, especially with problems. I feel like I can deal with s**t on my own and I don’t need to express it. I put up a great front because I don’t want to show [that something bothers me], which is why I respect Wale. I’ve always loved that he says it and he says it right away, like, “Yo, I don’t feel this. Them n***as ain’t showing me no respect.” In a way, that’s therapeutic. To keep it in and suppress it makes it worse. That kind of expressiveness is not prevalent in my music, but you’ll find lines. That s**t affected me so much that I had to write a line about it. I can tell you five or six lines where it was addressed. That’s the danger of giving a f**k about what people say in an age where you can see what people say so easily. It’s about getting over that, like, “Man, I don’t give a f**k. I love me. I love this s### I just made. If you like it, f**king great. If you don’t like it, cool. I hope you find some other s**t you like.” On my best day that’s how I feel.
On Jay Z and Roc Nation now believing in him as an artist:
They definitely believe in me more now. But first of all, Jay Z believed in me enough to sign me, and for that I am forever grateful. Thank God he heard “Lights Please” and those songs I played for him the first meeting. Thank God he signed me off of those. After that, I can’t front. If we asked him honestly, I’m sure he would say he wasn’t sure what I would turn out to be in the grand scheme of things, in terms of commercial success.
To read the full interview visit Complex.
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