J. Cole is one of the finest rappers of this generation, if not of all time.
He's sold millions of records, scored No. 1 hits, and, most importantly, touched the hearts of many across the world with his introspective and thoughtful lyrics – the sort that are a rarity in the modern landscape of hip-hop.
He's also a pretty good (and that's an understatement) producer.
It's a well-known fact that Cole produces almost all of his own music, but over the years, he's also produced tracks for numerous others, including Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, and Mac Miller.
Did you know that Cole produced the following five songs?
"RNP" by Cordae feat. Anderson .Paak.
Cordae and Anderson .Paak.'s 2019 hit "RNP" has one of the most memorable introductions of any rap song in recent years.
"All y'all ain't got nothin' on me," proclaims .Paak. before the song's funky, boom-bap inspired beat kicks in.
Cole produced that beat. Who knew?
"HiiiPoWer" by Kendrick Lamar
Rap fans have long been praying that Cole and Kendrick Lamar – two of the genre's biggest current stars – will one day team up on a song. (No, "Forbidden Fruit" and "Black Friday" don't count.)
Well actually, they have, just not both as performers.
Back in 2011, Cole served as the sole producer on Kendrick's debut single "HiiPoWer." Though the song didn't reach the charts, it was revered by critics thanks to Kendrick's socially conscious lyrics and intricate wordplay, as well as Cole's hard-hitting beat.
"M.P.A." by Pusha T feat. Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and The-Dream
On Pusha T's 2015 song "M.P.A." (an acronym for "Money, Pussy, Alcohol"), Cole shares production credits with both Kanye West and Che Pope.
While Cole and Ye may have been on good terms at the time the song was released, things turned sour soon after.
The following year, Cole released his track "False Prophets," on which he took a blatant jab at Ye's recent music.
“Ego in charge of every move, he’s a star / And we can’t look away due to the days when he caught our hearts / He’s falling apart but we deny it / Just to find the half-assed shit he drop, we always buy it,” Cole raps on the song.
"Hurt Feelings" by Mac Miller
If you listen to Mac Miller's 2018 hit "Hurt Feelings" knowing that it was produced by J. Cole, it's obvious that it was.
Featuring sample chops, MPC-generated drums, and soothing chord progressions, the song sounds like something straight out of Cole's 2016 album "4 Your Eyez Only."
"Mannequin Challenge" by Young Thug feat. Juice WRLD
In 2019, Cole did something he'd never done before: he started collaborating with trap artists.
Throughout the year, he teamed up with several of the genre's biggest stars, including 21 Savage ("A Lot"), Quavo ("How Did I Get Here"), DaBaby ("Under the Sun"), and Young Thug ("The London").
The same year, Cole also tried his hand at producing trap music.
He produced Young Thug's "Mannequin Challenge" from the now-incarcerated rapper's critically acclaimed album "So Much Fun," on which "The London" was the lead single.
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