Welp: J. Cole Says He Doesn’t Care If Couch-Surfing Critics Can’t Stomach His “Boring” Bars

J. Cole on his family:

“I’m a f-cking successful rapper, who can literally at the drop of a hat go anywhere, do anything, have mad adventures,” he says. “But there was no better decision I could have made than the discipline I put on myself of having responsibility, having another human being — my wife — that I have to answer to. Family can literally be the thing you always needed, bring balance and meaning and fuel your creativity, give you purpose.”

He also says his song and video for “Kevin’s Heart” was inspired by his wife’s reaction to Kevin Hart’s cheating story spilling all over the blogs.

The inspiration for another song came unexpectedly, while he was lying in bed with his wife. “Oh no, Kevin, oh my god, Kevin,” she groaned, while scrolling through her phone. “What did you do, Kevin?” It was comedian Kevin Hart. He had cheated on his pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish, and was apologizing on Instagram. Cole and Hart had been pals for a long time; they met backstage at one of Hart’s shows in Westchester, New York, at least nine or ten years ago. The news sparked a long conversation between Cole and his wife, about the nature of relationships and infidelity, a discussion that inspired the song “Kevin’s Heart.”

You can check out Kevin’s Heart here if you missed it!