J. Cole Quotes

We all like music in my family, but I'm the only one who's made it my life.

My mom was at every single game I played as a kid, rain or shine.

Well, first of all, they're all about the music and all I care about in my professional career is the music.

At 3 years old, I was imitating and doing fun little commercials for the family. Then at 5, I knew, 'OK, this is something I really like.' At 8, I was crying in front of the mirror and my mom was like, 'Oh boy, here we go. We know what she's going to do.'

NBA or nothing, man. I don't need the money. I just want to give back to the game. Anything else is a step down, so I just want to give the NBA a shot.

I think when it came to music, it did feel quite natural because it was something that I was so passionate about.

My goal is really to continue to make music.

At a really young age you just play ball and you have fun and you don't see basketball as something as a career, it just drives you crazy. But as the years went by and the goals got bigger for myself you realize that without almost being obsessed you won't reach those goals. So the older I get I think the more I realize that it's almost necessary to get to that level.

Music has always been something I wanted to do. I think just the idea of performing and entertaining and being in the studio is really what I wanted to know how that felt. I started to get into it around the same time I got into acting, but it turned into a side project because my movies were taking up most of my time.

The only thing I could see myself doing is music - songwriting or producing or something. I've never seen myself being in any other business, I've been working in this one since I was 5 years old! I could do other things, but I wouldn't want to.

Writing is not about making a buck, not about publishers and agents. Writing is not about feeling good. Writing is about pain, suffering, hard work, risk, and fear.

I wanted to be an actor, an astrologer, an astronaut; a lot of different things were going through my mind. But I also wanted to play guitar. I mentioned to my parents that I wanted an electric guitar for Christmas. They got me one! I sat there all Christmas morning making a lot of loud horrible noise.

I think there are definite parallels between sport and art. There's a real sense of sacrifice. There's a real sense of dedication that is needed in sport that I think you can attribute to art. I think so much of it is about bravery and courage, being an actor.

I don't think music is done by any means. I would love to do it again but it's finding the right thing.

I don't ever really list things that I want to do. The only two things that I've ever wanted to do are be in a rock band and be a wrestler. Those were my two goals.

When I was nine, I asked my Dad, ‘Can I have your movie camera? That old, wind-up 8-millimeter movie camera that’s in your drawer?’ And he goes, ‘Sure, take it.’ And I took it, and I started making movies with it, and I started being as creative as I could, and never once in my life did my parents ever say, ’ What you’re doing is a waste of time.’ Never….. I know there are kids out there that don’t have that support system. So, if you’re out there and you’re listening, listen to me: If you wanna be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time.

I knew that I was going to dedicate my life to music and that was it.

I want to be a poet, from head to toe, living and dying by poetry.

In fashion, you have to have perseverance. You have to do it again and again, but it's something that comes out of my heart, and I love it.

Dad and Mom were frustrated artists - Dad wanted to study engineering or architecture and Mom wanted to be an actress - but the world was a different place when they were young so Dad became a public works foreman and Mom became a stay-at-home mom. When I said I wanted to be a writer, they were thrilled. They did everything in their power to support me.

I knew that I always wanted to keep making music, but I knew that comics needed to be a part of my life.

I remember playing in a tournament when at home we didn't have light, because my mom spent her last money on my sneakers.

If it was a choice between making movies and doing nothing, he'd probably still wish me to make movies, So he made me keep going.

You're just like, "I like doing this - it's something I have a lot of passion for." You happen to do it, you enjoy songwriting, and eventually if you're writing enough songs, then you fall into it.

I was loving music, and loving art, painting, so I was considering those things, but I must say I dug acting as well.