J. Cole's "Rich Niggaz" was one of the highlights from Born Sinner, dealing with some fairly personal subject matter for the rapper. The track finds Cole expressing his frustration with those who grew up privileged, while he struggled financially. In an interview with HardKnockTV, the Roc Nation rapper further broke down the inspiration for the song.
“Understand that when I start writing I don’t always know where it’s headed maybe until midway through the first verse or something,” said Cole of his writing process for the track. “So, the first thing I write is ‘I hate rich niggas. God damn it. Cause I ain’t never had a lot, damn it.’ And it’s perfect that that came out because the thought that’s been in my head or was in my head at the time was like—like I told you earlier, I used to have such a problem with people with money. It was almost a bitterness and a jealousy. Because my mom gotta work so hard. You know what I mean? And in my eyes, your father’s rich. Your mom don’t even gotta work. You drive a Benz.”
The NC rapper then went on to speak of the irony that he has now jumped a few tax brackets.
“It was like a real feeling for me, which is kinda weird because there’s people that I used to live around, but now that we moving to a better neighborhood they looking at me like ‘Yo nigga, y’all got two cars and you got your own bedroom now’…It’s ironic cause now I have money,” he said. “I’m at that level now. You know what I mean? I’m one of them. My kids are gonna be one of them. So, it’s that battle.The whole song though I just took that approach of ironies. ‘Half cracka, but a nigga too.'"
Cole then recalled worrying about his mother when she was forced to take a second job delivering pizzas.
"It was a time when my mom was delivering pizzas for just extra income. So, she had to deliver mail, come back home, change her clothes, and go deliver pizzas. And I used to be so scared cause she was delivering…you delivering pizza in the projects at night. I know how niggas do. I know the game.”
Watch the full interview below.