J. Cole On Kanye West Album Battle: ‘It’s All Respect’

The second single to be lifted from Born Sinner will be Crooked Smile featuring influential girl group TLC. We asked how the collaboration came about…

 

“When I finally got the hook and what the chorus was, the first thing that came to my mind like ‘Oh TLC’! 

 

“Like it would be so ill to hear them on this but it felt far-fetched, it didn’t really feel I could make that happen and it just so happened they were back to work in the studio and working on a film so it was cool like they made it happen, it was great.”

 

We also chatted to Cole about how ‘proud’ he felt being able to reach a stage in his career in which he could let his mother retire:

 

“Retiring my mom was a super proud moment…that’s every kids dream you know to make sure their parents don’t work anymore, especially my mom.

 

“She had such a touch job - she was a mail carrier and I don’t know how it is over here but its like in the States you gotta deliver mail rain, snow, sleet, hail, tornado, hurricane! They don’t let them off at all.

 

“So my mom was getting a little too old to do a physical job like that you know what I mean, so for me to finally hit a point where I could take care of her was an honour, a blessing, a dream come true.”