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J. Cole is a Producer Too!? 🗣

J. Cole is a Producer Too!? 🗣

We all know Cole is an A1 rapper, but did you know his skills as a producer are just as good? He’s produced for some of your favorite artists, most recently, the new Cardae x Anderson .Paak single. Plus, Jay-Z and Drake sampled the same song, and five bangers you need in your rotation 🎧 (3 min read)

Dylan Forrester & Justin Schnell
January 31, 2023

Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images

J. Cole is a Producer Too!?

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is typically known for his clever bars and smooth flows, but did you know he’s an elite producer too!? Last week Cole showcased his skills as a producer, as Cordae and Anderson .Paak linked up yet again for their newest single 🗣

And this isn’t the first time this trio has joined up to drop a flame thrower. If you remember way back in 2019, Cordae and Anderson dropped RNP. And can you guess who produced that song? You got it - J. Cole 👀

RNP (feat. Anderson .Paak)

Cordae, Anderson .Paak · Song · 2019

https://open.spotify.com/track/5lw8Mgb4LyhriPIC86gV6e?si=cdc5877d823b4be4

But those aren’t the only songs Cole’s produced for other artists. In 2011, a witty rapper from Compton, California was making his way onto the scene and exploded when he dropped his first single, which happened to be produced by J. Cole. That rapper was Kenrick Lamar and that single was HiiiPower 🎧

J. Cole & Dreamville got so many artists and producers their first plaques
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— Team DREAMVILLE (@TeamDreamville)
9:49 PM • Jan 13, 2023

Also, in 2018, one of the most prolific rappers from the blog era was about to his magnum opus and did so with a little assist from J. Cole. That rapper was Mac Miller and that song was Hurt Feelings 🙏

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

I Hate a Privileged Sample

As I’m sure you all already know, I am obsessed with finding cool samples in rap and R&B music. Well, I just found another one that truly blew my mind. Ballad for the Fallen Soldiers (1983) by The Isley Brothers is a very commonly sampled song in hip-hop 👇

Ballad for the Fallen Soldier

The Isley Brothers · Song · 1983

https://open.spotify.com/track/79lfnIolz39Zd6HEBTaT9R?si=4fac55873f4c43f3

The sample that is used occurs at 0:05 seconds. But did you know that two of the most famous rappers in the world used this same sample 24 years apart to make completely different songs? In 1998, Jay-Z decided to use that sample for his song A Week Ago with Too $hort 🗽