J. Cole Says Jay-Z Told Him to be ‘Patient’ With Debut Album

With the recent release of J. Cole's new mixtape, 'Friday Night Lights,' the North Carolina rapper is creating quite a stir before his debut album, often times reported with the title of 'Cole World,' hits store shelves. The Roc Nation signee is focused on mixtape material, but he hasn't lost sight of crafting beats and rhymes for his first opus, which has a projected release of March 2011.

Jay-Z, who signed the 'Who Dat' creator as the first artist under the Roc Nation imprint, has given an eager Cole sound advice while recording songs for his debut, which has no title according to the newcomer.

"He told me to be patient, there's no rush," Cole tells The Star. "He said the label never dictates the release date, the music does."

The rapper-producer takes Hov's words of wisdom to heart, considering he gave Cole the chance to shine on the 2009 track 'A Star Is Born,' off 'The Blueprint 3.'

"I wrote that verse right on the spot, in front of Jay, in front of Beyoncé," he says. "It took about 45 minutes. It probably would have happened faster, but for the first 10 minutes I was just sitting there like, 'Man, while I'm writing, I got Jay-Z over there just looking at me.' It was definitely a high-pressure situation."

Despite only guesting on veteran MC's tracks and having no solo album released, Cole has a legion of fans dedicated to him. The 25-year-old rhymer will perform a sold-out show at Sound Academy on Dec. 3 in Toronto.

Listen to 'A Star Is Born'