Released: May 4, 2007

Songwriter: J. Cole

Producer: J. Cole

[Intro]
Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system
DJ OnPoint

[Verse]
Damn, broke as a bad joke
But still I laugh though, frontin' tryna have hope
It's sad though, I'm tired of being broke as shit
I'm seeing other niggas ball and I'm like 0 for 6
Ayy, man, I just graduated, good old college degree
Shit, my niggas drug dealing see more dollars than me
I know my calling, it's in my blood to do this music thing
Won't be that illest nigga that you never knew his name
I'm looking at these fake A&R's like, "You a lame
That boy a genius and you ain't even listen, man, you insane"
But you'll see though, just what the hell a nigga 'bout to be though
So give me one year then play this back like TiVo
'Cause boy I'm finna blow, I'm a motherfuckin' torpedo
The music's in my blood so watch these niggas turn mosquito, uh
I play the villain and the hero, some grow man shit
Feel like a goddamn kid, man I'm Pac and Big (What up?)
"Up" is something that I can't give
Won’t see me disappear like the old Aunt Viv'
'Cause even on a slow jam, I'm so damn sick
Man I even spread a virus to a program, quick
I gotta focus on my flow and get some dough, man, shit
No dollars got me actin' like I got no damn sense
But peace to my broham's and to my ex-lady
Yeah we been complicatin' things with the sex lately
Maybe I'm being selfish, but nah, I can't help it
'Cause girl we go back like a throwback Celtic, Jersey
Regardless of where God lead us
Just know that I was Martin and you was my Gina, uh
But I'm through living in the past, Lord
No more thinking rewind, I'm more fast forward
Less rear-view mirror and more dashboard
I'm visualizin' cash and stamps on a passport
That CLS with a full tank of gas for it
Cop my mom a whip, nigga, and she ain't even ask for it
Wise enough to know that money can't buy you happiness or lovers
But it's gon' get my mama out the struggle
Wise enough to know that money can't buy you happiness or lovers
But it's gon' get my mama out the struggle
Said I'm wise enough to know that money can't buy you happiness or lovers
But it's gon' get my mama out the struggle, nigga
I'd like to welcome ya'll to
My life, my life, my life, my life, in the sunshine... (Okay, in the sunshine)
Everybody loves the sunshine
This is the come up, nigga, uh, sunshine
Ayo real quick man
Everybody loves the sunshine
Y'all be a part of this experience man, The Come Up
While we gettin' outta here, I just wanna give a few shout outs man
(Sunshine) First and foremost man, my fam man, my mother my brother man
(Folks get down in the sunshine) God nigga, yes God nigga
For real my brothers from another mothers man, RJ man
(Sunshine) Mike Shaw, what it is man, Dreamville all day, we not
(Folks get down in the sunshine) We callin’ that shit Fayettenam, nigga
But we also callin' that shit Dreamville
Nigga, you got a dream, you can get the fuck ‘bout outta yo situation, nigga
Shout out to By Any Mean, my nigga Ebro man
Them two nice niggas, man
All the way, all terrain music all day
(There’s trees and plants and flowers) It’s a beautiful life man
From Rags to Riches, watch me man
(There’s trees and plants and flowers) From Rags to Riches

[Outro: DJ OnPoint & J. Cole]
Shout out to the whole North Carolina (Yeah)
(There’s trees and plants and flowers) (Uh, yeah)
You just experienced The Come Up
DJ OnPoint, J. Cole

J. Cole

Jermaine Lamarr Cole (b. January 28th, 1985), better known as J. Cole, is a rapper and producer who was born in Frankfurt, Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He gained a passion for rap at a young age and first went by the names Blaza and Therapist (the latter was given to him by Bomb Sheltah, a respected rap group from Fayetteville) before settling on his own name.

He first started getting recognition in 2007 with the release of his debut mixtape The Come Up. First, after a failed attempt to share a CD of his with Jay-Z, it would later be Hov, that would come to his attention after he heard Cole’s song “Lights Please”, Jay-Z would go on to make J. Cole his first signing to his then newly formed record label, Roc Nation, in 2009.

Since then he has become one of the biggest names of the “new school” era, with the release of five platinum certified albums. His debut release Cole The Sideline Story defied industry expectations by selling over 200,000 copies in its first week without a top 40 hit single at the time and his sophomore Born Sinner, saw him go head-to-head with Kanye West in a now iconic sales battle in Hip-Hop. Before this, Cole released two projects that would eventually become his Truly Yourz series, the third project debuted on the deluxe edition of Born Sinner.