Before J. Cole became the two-time Grammy winner and multiplatinum recording artist that he is today, Jay-Z once thought he needed some help from Drake.
The "Port Antonio" rapper delivered a new episode of podcast Inevitable on Friday, during which he reflected on his 2011 debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story.
Just months before it dropped, Cole attended Hov and LeBron James' Two Kings dinner during the 2011 NBA All-Star Game weekend, and Drake was propositioned for a collaboration.
Although Cole was popular in the mixtape circuit, his commercial singles "Lights Please" and "Who Dat" had waned chart-wise.
"We're having a conversation. Me, Cole, Drake, Future [the Prince]," began Cole's manager and Dreamville Records co-founder, Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, per HipHop-N-More. "I don’t know who else, but there were a couple more people. So then Jay walks in and he sees all of us together. He goes, 'Yo!' and he looks at Drake and he says, 'Yo, give the boy one.'"
Ib continued, "[He] points at Cole like, basically, 'Give him a hit.' We’re all like, 'What?' I even remember Future’s face being like, 'That’s embarrassing.'"
Cole clarified that Jay was actually pointing at the "Work Out" rapper while looking at Drake during the chat, and although the then-budding stars were friends, they were also competitors. Their Friday Night Lights collaboration "In the Morning" would end up making A Sideline Story.
But in the moment, Jay's suggestion would upset Cole, per Hamad. "What I do remember is being at the dinner after that and I’m just looking at Cole and he looks pissed," he said.
Later that evening, Cole approached Hov about the recommendation, pointing out that he didn't have a Billboard chart-topping hit from his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt.
Despite their past competition, Cole and Drake would connect on songs like "Jodeci Freestyle," "Evil Ways," and "First Person Shooter," and last toured together earlier this year.
