J Cole Reminisces on First Raps, Hip Hop Memories, Nas, Tupac, Jay-Z, Opening for Wale

Four years after their first interview J Cole and Nick Huff Barili link up for their fourth in-depth interview. In part 1 J Cole talks to Nick Huff Barili about his first Hip Hop memory. "My first Rap music memory was Kool Moe Dee...I just remember being a big fan of Kool Moe Dee. I had a Kool Moe Dee poster...I didn't know that much about him but I knew his was cool." J Cole goes on to reminisce about the first Rap he wrote, "I wrote a rap when Pac died. I was in 6th grade...I felt compelled to write a rap..That's like the first official rap I ever wrote. I feel like I was talking about him. Almost like I had to carry the torch or something...in my six grade mind." Cole remembers being influenced by Eminem and Nas in early tracks like The Storm. "I remember I made a song called The Storm...I thought I would never make a song that good again. Not that I thought I wouldn't, I was scared that I wouldn't. I'm like Yo Am I ever going to top this?" On "Let Nas Down" Cole raps" I used to print out Nas raps and tape 'em up on my wall, My niggas thought they was words, but it was pictures I saw." Elaborating on those lyrics J Cole says "At this time you had Ohhla.com. Now you have lyrics sites everywhere...but back then was like one site that you go for all these rap lyrics...When I made a decision in my mind that I was gonna me a rapper, I tore down all the basketball [posters in my room]. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Penny Hardaway.