"Good things come to those who stay true." Words quoted by the late Tupac, finds its way to being totally applicable to North Carolina's own J. Cole. His junior album '2014 Forest Hills Drive' is now certified platinum! Putting his all into his dreams and letting go the anticipation for mainstream success, Cole's latest album has awarded him more than he could've asked for. His first two albums, deemed certified gold selling over 700,000 units a piece. Releasing his third album mid-December 2014, J. Cole's album immediately began doing numbers, breaking Spotify records and going gold within the first few weeks.
With the help of his spontaneous "F**k Money, Spread Love Tour," touching hundreds of fans, his intellectual interviews and a new three-part album titled tour, '2014 Forest Hills Drive' has steadily climbed in numbers since its release. J. Cole makes the first Hip-Hop in over 20 years that has had a successful platinum selling album with NO features. The majority of Cole's album was done by him and close producers and was released with minimal marketing or promotion.
To many, J. Cole doesn't ring platinum selling recording artist but this completely changes the game. Its not that '2014 Forest Hills Drive' was successful solely because it was announced two weeks before dropping but because of its relatable and dynamic content. J. Cole may not be as accessible as some fans would like because of his lowkey demeanor or his lack of social media activity but all of his moves are strategic enough to cause bigger impacts than artist that are constantly in the know. The album stands as a modern day handbook for current as aspiring Hip-Hop artist that records still can be sold, but with guaranteed classic music holding substance and timeless content. Currently J. Cole serves as one of 18 artist having ownership in Jay Z's new investment, music streaming service Tidal and moving into act two of his 2014 Forest Hills Drive Tour. Congrats Cole!
(Photo: Dreamville)
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