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For all of the perks an affiliation with Jay-Z should bring, J. Cole has managed to live & rhyme a quiet existence, flying under the radars of most media outlets. I mean, of course we’ve plugged his work & tapped him for a Smoking Session. Yet, outside of that, he’s remained elusive in an age where we see & hear newly christened next big things on every remix, web site and paparazzi incident. One of the endearing things about Cole is his ability to stay humble and focused. And determined not to ride Jay & Roc Nation to the promised land. Instead, he looks @ the opportunity as a blessing and a chance tutelage.

For their “On The Level” series, the good brothers Kev and’em @ StreetLevel caught up with the one who’s been deemed one of Carolina’s finest to talk about sneakers, clothes, basketball, being late with the rent in NYC and a few other topics. Live a little, learn a lot.

[Street Level]