The one time J Cole got star-struck: “Grew up watching him”
These days, J Cole is at a point in his career where it seems like nothing could make him star-struck. Since signing with Jay-Z in 2009, he’s been around some of the most prominent artists in the industry thanks to his musical success. All six of his albums have topped the Billboard 200, making him the person to make people lose their cool. However, there was a time early in his career when he was still feeling that way about his heroes.
Born in 1985, the Dreamville rapper grew up watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on television, tuning in to the sitcom from age five to 11. The show’s star, Will Smith, was his inspiration. The rapper-turned-actor also starred in classic movies such as Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black throughout the ’90s. He was a bona fide star, so it’s no wonder he was caught off guard by the two times they crossed paths.
“I met Will Smith twice,” Cole told GQ in 2012. “I didn’t talk to him for too long, but I was trying to let him know that my age group grew up watching him – he was the coolest guy on television and the coolest guy in movies.
“One of the classic moments on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was when his dad was supposed to take him on the road but never showed up and [Smith] started crying to Uncle Phil. My favourite Will Smith movie? Bad Boys was a big moment.
“I feel like he needed that too – he had the Men in Black world and the Wild Wild West world and was blowing up on a pop level, but Bad Boys kept him grounded with his foundation of fans who had been watching him for a while. Hell yes, they should do Bad Boys 3 – I don’t know how they’d top it, but I just want them to try.”
Ultimately, they made a third Bad Boys movie (Bad Boys for Life) and a fourth, releasing Bad Boys: Ride or Die in 2024. Cole’s admiration for Smith is no secret. On his song ‘No Role Modelz’, which appeared on the 2014 Forest Hills Drive album, he described Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett’s relationship as something to strive for.
In the third verse, he raps, “I want a real love, dark-skinned Aunt Viv love/ That Jada and that Will love/ That leave a toothbrush at your crib love/ And you ain’t gotta wonder whether that’s your kid love/ N*gga, I don’t want no bitch from reality shows/ Out-of-touch-with-reality hoes.”
During a performance in 2023, Cole held back from rapping the “Jada and Will love” line on stage after Jada revealed she had an affair with singer August Alsina. While promoting her memoir, Worthy, she told The Today Show they were repairing their relationship and hoping to get back to a healthy place. “We are working very hard at bringing our relationship,” she said. “Yes, bringing our relationship back together, back to a life partnership, yes.”