#2 J. Cole
Who says North Carolina can’t breed successful rappers? Just ask the #2 artist on the list J Cole if that’s true or not. Born in Germany and raised in Fayetteville NC, J Cole has burst onto the hip hop scene at a sprinters pace and hasn’t slowed down for Gatorade yet. Cole graduated from high school in 2003 felt he had a better shot at getting signed in NYC decided to attend college at St. Johns University on an academic scholarship where he majored in communications. After graduating college magna cum laude in 2007 J Cole released his debut mixtape The Come Up which had a few notable singles which caught the ears of none other than New York’s own Jay-Z. Hov quickly signed the young talent and gave a feature slot on his upcoming Blue Print III release. Cole also released his own follow-up mixtape called The Warm Up and was featured on fellow label mate Wale’s debut album. Coles most recent mixtape Friday Night Lights has gotten a great reception and was produced almost entirely by Cole himself. Who says rappers can’t be highly educated? This young artist should serve as an inspiration to many young musicians that education can be a stepping stone to becoming a successful entertainer also. Keep an eye on J Cole on twitter @JColeNC