J. Cole is a name synonymous with success. The North Carolina rapper has released six albums, all charting #1, and is a platinum recording artist nine times over. One of the most recognizable faces in the music industry, few people are considered to have "made it" more than Cole.
However, it hasn't always been a success story for the rapper. There have been times in his life when he didn't have the money or fame that he has now. Furthermore, like many people, he still harbors a deep fear of not being able to provide for himself or the people that he loves. Cole opened up about this fear of losing his financial stability during a recent TV interview.
J. Cole Reveals Frugal Lifestyle
“I can’t really sit here like some mogul and give business advice ’cause I don’t think I run the best business,” Cole told Kevin Hart on Hart to Heart. “I’m grateful to have great people around me where it’s like, my money good. I’m smart with my money, and that just comes from fear. I don’t never, ever wanna be broke again so I’m slow to spend. I would definitely say [I’m] mindful because if it’s the right thing, if it’s a family vacation, I’ma spend. I’m not afraid to spend but I’m mindful — yeah, I think mindful is the word.”
It's a mentality that Cole has held for much of his career. “I do wanna make a lot of money but that’s only for safety purposes. Like, I don’t have a lust of money and I actually don’t even have a love of money. I know these people, they’re my friends and they’re also rappers that I know, they love money, they’re addicted to getting money. And that’s cool, too — that’s what makes some of the most successful businessmen. I don’t love money like that. I love the comfort and the safety and the ability to retire my mom or if there’s a problem with my brother or my father has a problem, I like that feeling of being able to provide. So that’s the thing I do love about money," Cole told The Wall Street Journal in 2013.
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