Can J. Cole put North Carolina on the map and Keep them There?

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Petey Pablo, a rapper representing Greenville, NC put the entire state on the map with his "Raise Up" single. The song came out in 2001 and Petey Pablo was embraced by the entire South. Following a three-year hiatus, Petey Pablo returned in 2004 with his biggest hit yet, "Freek a Leek."

It was following his 2004 run when Petey Pablo's career took a turn for the worst. Petey Pablo teamed up with Suge Knight and began representing Death Row Records. When he began representing Death Row, Petey Pablo placed North Carolina in the background.

When he turned on his home state, Petey Pablo lost the local support and he is still working to gain it back. J. Cole has been on the scene in Fayetteville for years. Three years ago, he landed the opportunity of a lifetime when he was the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Many expected his debut album to come before the end of the year.

After two years of delays, J. Cole will finally release his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story later this month. There are rumors of the rapper being dropped from Roc Nation, but even if the rumors are true, it is said to have no impact on the release of the album. Assuming things go well, J. Cole will remain signed to the Roc Nation label and release more albums. Because he is from a small market and on his first album, all the momentum is going J. Cole's way. But, following this, will he be able to keep things going?