Jermaine Cole, known in the music world as J. Cole, came from humble beginnings and worked his way to a $30M net worth in 2019. Born in 1985, he was raised poor originally on a military base in Germany and later in Fayeteville, North Carolina. Cole got into music at an early age starting by playing the violin for a local orchestra and then beginning rapping at the age of twelve. He joined the local group Bomm Sheltuh, rapping and producing as a member of the group. He used music as a way to deal with the pains of his family life. His father abandoned him and his family when they were young and his mother married an abusive step father. His hard upbringings caused Cole to want to get far away, so he decided to attend St. John’s University in New York. While at St. John’s, he continued pursuing music and fell in love with rapping and producing. After graduating, Cole dropped his first mixtape, The Come Up. He recorded and produced the mixtape entirely by himself. Wanting to get his big break, he sat outside of Jay-Z’s studio for 3 hours waiting to show him a track from The Come Up only to be turned away. However, one of the executives at Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s label, heard the exact same song and showed Jay-Z. This led to him signing Cole and helping him on his second mixtape, The Warm Up. After Cole signed with Jay-Z, he really came into the public view and started building his following. He collaborated with big name artists such as Rihanna, Drake, and Jay-Z himself. After releasing two albums under Roc Nation and experiencing much success, including reaching number one on the charts, Cole decided he wanted to try his luck with his own label. Alongside his friend from college, Ibrahim Hamad, he launched the label Dreamville Records under Interscope in 2014. That same year, Cole released his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive which reached number one on the Billboard charts and was the first hip-hop album ever to have earned platinum status without any features. Most people agree that this solidified him as one of the greatest of all time. As he grew his legacy and his brand, he began looking for ways to help others. His Dreamville Foundation charity raises money for things like feeding the homeless, hurricane relief, and scholarships for needy students. His label has also signed artists Cozz, Omen, Bas, Ari Lennox, JID, and EARTHGANG and helped them advance their music careers. In 2019, J. Cole and Dreamville invited many up and coming artists to record an album with them. The album, entitled Revenge of the Dreamers III, was responsible for 46 artists receiving their first platinum certification. Cole never forgot his tough upbringings and the work he put in to get where he is now. The way he never gave up on his dream is an inspiration to many. Cole was never content with where he was, even when he was signed to Jay-Z. He sustained his work ethic that he had when he was just a poor kid in Fayetville and used that to become a rap mogul, philanthropist, and role model to many.