J. Cole released an audio series titled Inevitable last week where he discusses his come-up before fame.
In one of the latest episodes, the Dreamville spitter says he once met with Eminem’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg when looking for a record deal.
The meeting happened after Cole met with G-Unit and late record executive Chris Lighty. But the meeting with Rosenberg didn’t go well, because he gave Cole the cold shoulder.
“I remember at the Paul Rosenberg meeting, ’cause I was there for that, it really felt like he was doing someone a favor,” said Cole’s manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad.
“Chris Lighty’s energy was more like, ‘Yo, I’m just gonna give y’all some game. Y’all young n*ggas I heard about, boom boom boom,'” said Cole afterward. “And Paul Rosenberg genuinely felt like he was disinterested and didn’t give a f*ck. It literally felt like it was a favor. There was no vibe to that meeting, he didn’t see it, he didn’t get it, which is cool. He didn’t play us at all.”
But Cole said he didn’t mind Rosenberg’s disinterest because he felt meeting with Em’s manager proved he was gaining momentum with his career.