Rapper J Cole usually keeps his personal life secret, but he recently spoke about his children publicly, revealing that he “has been blessed with two sons.”
On July 20, J Cole wrote a candid, personal essay called “The Audacity” for The Players’ Tribune. In the essay, J Cole confirmed that he and his wife Melissa Heholt, who he married in 2015, had two sons together, but didn’t reveal their names. He reflected on when he first learned he would be a father, which was during some point in 2016. Some people as busy as J Cole may not have been ready to handle the responsibility so easily, but J Cole was prepared.
This shit was both hella challenging and mad fulfilling to write. Thank you @PlayersTribune for the platform. ❤️https://t.co/XGE47bqhGy
— J. Cole (@JColeNC) July 20, 2020
“It wasn’t a surprise. I had been taking steps to change my life for the past couple years, and I felt ready.” J Cole also shared his short and long-term plans at the time, which were: “To finish the 4 Your Eyez Only album before the arrival of my first child, and a long-term plan of becoming the best rapper I could possibly be before hanging up my jersey, leaving nothing on the table when all was said and done.”
Four years later in 2020, J Cole shared that he achieved both of those plans. “Four years have passed,” said J Cole. “In that time I’ve been blessed with two sons, learned the delicate art of balance between parenthood and career, had the pleasure of working with a ton of talented artists as a featured rapper, spent 10 magical days recording a Dreamville album in Atlanta, and put a lot of time and energy into sharpening my sword and growing as an artist.”
J Cole has indeed had an epic rap career so far and he has started looking beyond it, but it’s a bit soon for him to say he’s retiring just yet. “On my career bucket list, there remain a few more items to check off before I give myself permission to enter whatever the next chapter of my life may be,” says J Cole. “However, as I approach the summit of this mountain, I still find myself staring at that other one in the distance, wondering if I can climb. At 35 years old, I know that sounds crazy when said out loud, but I believe all of the best dreams do.”
