The producer J Cole called “everything I want to be”
Though he is more routinely known as a lyricist and MC, the work of J Cole behind the desk is steadily growing. Having a keener interest in the beats, he creates, and how they are created, Cole has gone on to maintain a unique sound in comparison to the rest of hip-hop. But that’s not to say that the rapper has found his sounds completely on his own.
Cole has been vocal about the influences that shaped his career, including, but not limited to, the producer and mentor, No ID. The artist is regarded as one of the foundational fathers of the Chicago rap scene, having worked notably with Common and Kanye West. No ID also had a huge impact on J Cole, who worked with the producer on several songs.
2011 record Cole World: The Sideline Story is seen as one of Cole’s break out moments. It is one of his better selling albums and can be seen as one of the releases that shot Cole into the collective consciousness. On that album was a stand-out tune, ‘Can’t Get Enough’.
A collaboration with Trey Songz, Cole explained to Billboard how the link-up happened: “I went [to the Drake show at Radio City Music Hall] and I came out on stage and Trey Songz was there. And I instantly was like, ‘Oh what if I put Trey on the song I just did?’ He was with it, he was down, so that’s how that happened.”
While the collaboration was part of the mainstream appeal, Cole has more usually put the song’s success down to the production provided by Brian Kidd and No ID. While Cole found the latter inspirational, ID would claim that Kidd was the real master/
Cole told Rap-Up: “Brian Kidd produced that. When I first got in with No ID, I’m looking at him like, ‘This guy’s f**kin’ incredible.’ I saw how No ID works and listened to his beats and thought that he was incredible and everything I want to be in a producer. But he would always talk about how incredible this guy named Brian Kidd was. To me, it was like you talking to Kevin Durant like, ‘Yo, you’re really good,’ and he’s like, ‘You think I’m good? You should see this guy.'”
Thankfully, the duo would work together more and more: “It just so happened that Brian moved to LA and him and No ID got a studio together, so when I was in LA, I got a chance to meet him and went right next door and heard some beats, and I wanted every beat I heard. But I settled on the ‘Can’t Get Enough’ beat because it did something to me.”
It just goes to show that, no matter how far up the chain you go, there is always an artist somebody finds more inspiring. J Cole was inspired by No ID, but for him, Brian Kidd was the real master.