J. Cole Says Smoking Cigarettes At Age 6 Led To This ‘Life-Changing Moment’

J. Cole revealed a shocking childhood fact about himself that significantly impacted his life.

During a sit-down with Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers on ESPN, the “No Role Modelz” rapper opened up about smoking cigarettes at 6 years old after being asked the stupidest thing he did in his childhood.

The post J. Cole Says Smoking Cigarettes At Age 6 Led To This ‘Life-Changing Moment’ appeared first on Blavity.

“At 6 years old, I was smoking cigarettes regularly around the neighborhood. I was always hanging around the older kids in the neighborhood that [my older brother] was hanging around and they were smoking,” he said, as reported by Complex. “And I was young and fearless and trying to be cool. So, it was like, ‘Oh, y’all smoking. Like, let me see that.’ And, of course, we’re all out there [with] young parents, long leashes.”

Cole added, “To them, it’s funny. They’re 10 themselves. So, it’s funny for them. Nobody’s really worried about me. Nobody is like, ‘Hey! Don’t do that.’ They’re 10 and smoking cigarettes.”

The rapper shared that after smoking cigarettes for a few weeks, his older brother discovered his habit and told their mother.

“20 minutes later, my brother walks back to the backyard where we was at. ‘Jermaine!’ He’s like, ‘Mom wants to see you.’ So I’m walking home, no fear. No worry at all,” he said.

It wasn’t until Cole saw the look on his mother’s face that everything changed for him at that moment.

“I saw her face. When she smelled cigarettes on my breath, her face was heartbroken. It was disbelief,” Cole said. “It was like, crushed. I remember the look on her face, and she was like, ‘You have been smoking.’ It like hit her.”

The rapper continued, “The reason why I think that was a life-changing moment, where after that I didn’t need much correction—I became a self-corrector—is because that was the first time I became aware that, ‘Oh, my actions can hurt someone else.'”

During the interview, Cole shared his goals for his children.

“I think my wish and my hope is I just want you to cut down the time that it took me—the thing that I learned at 30, I hope you can learn at 15 or 16. I just want you to be able to learn the lessons that can lead you to peace quicker,” he said.

You can watch the interview in full below: