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While everyone has been raving and girls are screaming at everything that Drake touches, there are certain artists on the radar whose subtle approaches have resulted in big rewards.  In the case of North Carolina rapper, J. Cole, time and dedication has landed him alongside Jay-Z as he was placed on the Blueprint III.

Tuesday, Cole made a trip to the Hall of Fame Music Shop in Queens where he purchased 10 copies of the latest from Jigga.  While being filmed by RapRadar, Cole took time to look at the back credits of the album and seemed to become emotional as he had earned his first credit on a major album.

“My first official album…my first credit.  My first feature on a major album.  Shout out to Wale, I was almost on Wale’s s*it first.  It’s a good first look.”

He also added that he will be in attendance for the 9-11 Concert in the front row watching.  Although he will also be backstage, he is not sure if he will actually hit the stage, but who knows?

Being featured on the track “A Star Is Born,” it felt as though Hov was commemorating those that have already made it and was opening the lane to usher in Cole as the next big thing that will shine in Hip-Hop.

Some may scratch their heads and say that Kid Cudi and Drake were also on the album, but the difference is that they were only given the duty of hooks whereas Cole delivered a verse on a grand platform.  There’s nothing wrong with a hook, but as a rapper, 16 bars give further validation as where an artist will stand in the Hip-Hop ring.

Moving from Carolina to New York with nothing and no one to know, Cole has been on a heavy grind as he has released critically acclaimed mixtapes, The Come Up and The Warm Up. These two releases will be followed up by The Next Up which should come around later in 2009 or early 2010.

He seems to continue staying a step behind Jay as he will also be featured in the upcoming October issue of XXL in a section titled “Hand It Down” where Jigga graces the cover.

In terms of a debut album, Lights Please, will be the rumored title and should rear its head between 2010 and 2011.  The title is actually the name of the track that J. Cole sent to Jay which resulted in him becoming the first to be signed to Hov’s newest label Roc Nation.

“A Star Is Born” – Jay-Z feat. J. Cole

01 Jay Z-A Star Is Born