Career

Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story,
in 2011. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was soon
certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
His next two releases, 2013's Born Sinner and 2014's 2014 Forest Hills Drive,
received mostly positive reviews from critics, and both were certified platinum
in the United States. The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination
for Best Rap Album. In December 2016, Cole released his fourth studio album
4 Your Eyez Only. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
chart and was certified platinum in April 2017. His fifth album, KOD, was
released in April 2018. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, making it
his fifth album to reach number one on the chart. Self-taught on piano, Cole
also acts as a producer alongside his hip hop career, producing singles for artists
such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as handling the majority
of the production in his own projects. He has also developed other ventures,
including Dreamville Records, as well as a non-profit organization called the
Dreamville Foundation. In January 2015, Cole decided to house single mothers
rent-free at his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.