Young journalist Jazzy had a rare opportunity to interview J. Cole just before he hit the stage for his Governors Ball set on Sunday.
Jazlyn, affectionately known as Jazzy, has already interviewed the likes of Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Rick Ross, and now she can add rapper J. Cole to the growing list of celebrity interviewees.
Jazzy chatted with the M.C. for four minutes about the value of perseverance and pursuing your dreams before learning that they had a special bond. Cole told the young journalist perseverance is crucial, and that you should always pursue your passions.
“I feel like persistence is important because if you really truly love something and you truly believe, you should just do it for the love,” J. Cole said. “and even if you don’t get to where you were trying to go, you’re still doing it for the love.”
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“You Left North Carolina… How can leaving your hometown or your comfort zone help you mentally?” Jazzy questioned Cole, which caught him off guard.
“Whooo… that’s a deep question,” he said before answering the young journalist honestly.
“It’s the fastest way for growth,” he continued, “It’s hard to grow when you’re comfortable. You’re not stretching yourself or your limits. When I left a small city in North Carolina for New York, I was for sure uncomfortable — and just like you interviewing Jay-Z — I felt some nerves. But more importantly, I felt focused and ready for the task.”
According to Complex, Jazzy shared how meaningful it was for her to be able to talk to Cole and gave a special shoutout to J.I.D., a Dreamville member who helped make it happen.
“I was definitely very blessed to interview Mr. J. Cole because he’s one of my favorite rappers and it meant a lot to me,” Jazzy said. “I also wanted to use my platform to inspire other people to stay persistent in their goals and their dreams. We all have a purpose on this Earth and in order to gain that purpose, we need to work on it. I also want to give a big shoutout to J.I.D. who played a major role in making the interview happen. I’m grateful. Thank you, J.I.D.”
Jazzy interviewed J.I.D during the same weekend at the three-day music festival held at Citifields, Queens, NY.
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During his performance, the North Carolina rapper announced that he was stepping away from his basketball career due to his music.
Last month, J. Cole announced that he signed with the Canadian Elite Basketball League, picking up his basketball career that he stepped away from years ago. He revealed that he told the team he was scheduled to play with, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, that he wasn’t sure when he was coming back to play, if ever.
“I was telling the guys in there like, ‘I’m going for these shows; I’m not sure if I’ll be back,'” Cole said. “But just in case, I had to let them know how incredible this was. The players, the coaching staff, the organization, the league, it’s a crazy thing when you see it on paper when you see what’s actually happening, and they made me feel so welcome.”
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Cole thanked the team for welcoming him onto the team and said he was proud to have had the opportunity to bring something to the team.
“I gotta shout out the people of Scarborough because coming from America, I didn’t really know,” Cole said. “So I’ve learned so much that the people there feel seen with this basketball team and this league highlighting them. The people there feel seen and I’m assuming that was not always the cause, so I’m proud to be able to add something to Canada and to this talent that’s in Canada. Those guys are incredible so to be able to get some extra eyes on them is a pleasure.”
