Some people online look at everything as corny and insincere.[WHY?] That’s what happened with LeBron James when he was carrying J. Cole’s The Fall-Off on vinyl on the way to a game [RECENT GAME?]. According to J. Cole, someone commented that the picture of Bron was “performative.” However, it wasn’t just marketing or the NBA legend showing off his hip-hop credentials. Instead, it was a beautiful moment about fatherhood and the impact of celebrity.
During a conversation on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Cole recalled asking if James could meet his kids at a Los Angeles Lakers-Miami Heat game. Naturally, James accepted and brought his vinyl copy of The Fall-Off for the Dreamville leader to sign.
Ultimately, J. Cole looked at it as James doing him a huge favor. Cole’s oldest son had been gradually getting into basketball and idolized the surefire Hall of Famer. Moreover, the Born Sinner rapper described the immense joy and pride he felt watching on. “That s**t was the craziest feeling. To see your kids meet a superhero, that was my first time ever doing some s**t like that. It made me appreciate all the times that there was a father or something that had their kid and I get to sign… an autograph or take a picture.”
J. Cole Reflects on Fatherhood After Having Lebron James Meet His Kids
Then, Cole thought back on the times when parents thanked him for taking the time to be with their kids. “Now that I’ve been through it, I’m like ‘oh I know what he meant now,’” he explained to Carmelo Anthony. “You gave my son a lifelong memory. So shout to Bron for that. Shout out to all of y’all that have done that.”
J. Cole has been feverishly promoting his latest album, The Fall-Off. In February, he was traveling around America in an old Honda Civic, selling copies of the album to fans. The inspiration came from when he used to do the same thing with his early mixtapes. “I used to go up to the gas stations trying to sell the album to strangers ‘yo you like hip hop??’ Was the beginning of the sales pitch,” he explained online.
With The Fall-Off acting as a full-circle moment for Cole, he thought he’d sell records out of his trunk again. “I don’t know where we bout to drive to, but catch me outside! Cop a CD from me or just show love. I truly appreciate all the love and the reaction to the music,” J. Cole told his fans.
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