J Cole has never been one to move with extravagance, preferring to keep to himself and slide under the radar. Yesterday, the Forest Hills Drive rapper deviated from the norm when he stopped by Los Angeles based store OnSomeShit, in order to hang with Adam Grandmaison - better known by his internet handle of Adam22. In case you don't know, Adam 22 is a former BMX blogger who made his way into the hip-hop scene, acting as an influential figure for young, up-and-coming artists; you might recognize his popular YouTube channel No Jumper, where he interviews hip-hop figures and talks culture.
Adam, fresh from listening to a podcast with Sam Harris, came through to chat a variety of topics with Cole. While the majority of the discussion centered around religion and spirituality, there's an interesting moment where J Cole talks about his previous disconnect with hip-hop. "I was so disconnected to what was going on. Like, just stopped being a fan," says Cole. "Last year, I decided I have to stop that shit. I have to allow myself to become a fan...Last year, when [XXXTentacion] got punched on stage...I was like damn, what did bruh do? That leads me to hear some of his shit, I'm like damn, this n***a actually talented."
It's a good look for X, who has been making some moves to change his public perception. The Florida rapper has recently been spending his time heading to foster homes, donating gifts like musical instruments, PS4s, and more. This isn't the first rapper to publicly co-sign X; after 17 dropped, Kendrick Lamar echoed his support for the young rapper. For more from J. Cole, check out the full conversation below.