J Cole Speaks On His Song On BP3

Complex: How were you approached to be on “A Star Is Born”?

J. Cole: I had a show in show in Virginia. This was back when I was just opening up for Wale on like a few dates. So, I was in Virginia, and I had two shows, one in Norfolk, and one in Richmond. I get a get a call from Mark Pitts and he’s like, “Yo nigga, Jay just hit hit me. He said he got something big for you.” I was like, “Oh shit, what you mean?” He said, “He got this Kanye track… something about a star is born…some shit about a star.” I thought, from his explanation, because you can tell he wasn’t too clear on it, I thought Jay just had a joint for me. I thought it would be mine, and I was on some shit like, Ahhh, I don’t like being told “get on this” or whatever. But I’m like, Damn!

Complex: Even by Jay-Z?

J. Cole: Even by Jay-Z, yeah. That’s when the reality set in: Well, yeah it is Jay saying it, and it’s Kanye, so what the fuck you gon’ do? You gotta do it.

Complex: Hell yeah, man. People would die for that opportunity.

J. Cole: Exactly! So I’m like, Okay, this is big right here. I’m just thinking I’m going on a Kanye song, or something. A couple days later, it got a little more clear: it was his song. I was like, Oh shit, that changes everything! That’s even bigger than what I originally thought! I think about a week and a half, two weeks later, I got the call, “Yo, can you come to the studio tomorrow?” So I went there, waited like 40 minutes for Jay. I got there at three on the dot. I think i was 5 minutes early, yo! I was there at like 2:53! Got there, and he came in…