“Play the game to change the game,” says Mark Pitts, 17 years on from introducing J. Cole to Jay-Z. Lights Please would be the song that was handed to Jay, ultimately landing JC his first major-label deal as Roc Nation’s flagship artist. Fast-forward almost two decades (and two Grammy awards) later, J. Cole has cemented his legacy and place at the top of the rap game; a position earned, in part, by finding himself under the spotlight with the help of veteran music exec and mentor, Mark Pitts. Here we sit in on a full-circle moment between GQ’s Frazier Tharpe, Cole and Pitts as they talk through the early days, J’s evolution as an artist and the ever-lasting influence of Jay-Z on Cole’s career as he embarks on his The Fall-Off global tour to support his seventh studio album.
