Not long after J. Cole announced that he joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League, the rapper bowed out due to his music career. It's unclear if J. Cole will ever take an indefinite pause from releasing music and playing shows to settle into putting more work in the paint, but fans were perplexed to hear that he stepped away from the Scarborough Shooting Stars to get back on the road just weeks after joining the team.
“I was telling the guys in there like, ‘I’m going for these shows, I’m not sure if I’ll be back,’” Cole said. “But just in case, I had to let them know how incredible this was. The players, the coaching staff, the organization, the league, it’s a crazy thing when you see it on paper, when you see what’s actually happening, and they made me feel so welcome.”
“I gotta shout out the people of Scarborough because coming from America, I didn’t really know,” he said. “So I’ve learned so much that the people there feel seen with this basketball team and this league highlighting them. The people there feel seen and I’m assuming that was not always the cause, so I’m proud to be able to add something to Canada and to this talent that’s in Canada. Those guys are incredible so to be able to get some extra eyes on them is a pleasure.”
As his fans await more news about the future of his basketball career, Cole mentioned his sports pursuit during his Governors Ball performance over the weekend.
"I been playing basketball and sh*t," the Dreamville hitmaker said with a slight smile. The crowd erupted. "I came tonight to see if I could still rap, you know what I mean?" He certainly didn't disappoint. Check it out below.