Dreamville rapper and North Carolina native J. Cole has made a name for himself with six albums debuting on the Billboard 200, and boasting a discography including multiple BET Hip-Hop Awards, two Grammys and a Billboard Music Award. The rapper has been compared to fellow rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake. However, his style of flow has secured his own group of fans. Maintaining a pretty private life with his wife and child and living in an undisclosed location, here’s what we do know about where J. Cole used to live.

When a Queens Landlord Helped J. Cole Follow His Dreams

From 2006 to 2009, J. Cole lived in a townhouse near St. John’s University. The rapper refers to this home in his “Power Trip” song when he raps about “livin’ in Mohammad crib.” Cole lived in Queens, New York, with friends, deciding to take the worst of the rooms when times grew hard. When Cole found himself behind on rent, his landlord Mohammad decided to look the other way in support of his dreams. In an interview, Mohammad attributes overlooking Cole’s late rent to his talent for music. J. Cole would go on to achieve success and pay Mohammad back all of the money owed. The “Crooked Smile” rapper has since acquired a net worth of $60 million.

J. Cole Owns His Childhood Home In Fayetteville

Where does J. Cole live now? On brand with the rest of his private life, he’s keeping that under wraps. However, Cole’s childhood home is one of the more famous sites in the North Carolina neighborhood. Although his mother lost the home due to foreclosure, he was able to regain ownership once his own rap career took off. In 2015, he announced that he was preparing the home to be a place of refuge for single mothers.

“My goal is to have that be a haven for a family,” Cole told the hosts of New York’s Combat Jack internet radio show. “So every two years, a new family will come in and live rent-free. The idea is that it’s a single mother with multiple kids. I want her kids to feel how I felt when we got the house.”

It’s unknown whether J. Cole’s childhood home did ever become the transition home for local single mothers. Unfortunately, it was vandalized in 2018 with a black, spray painted message that said: “J. Cole…Do you even care about the ville?”

That message was immediately removed. Nowadays, fans are writing their own names and messages in celebration of J. Cole along the fence bordering the property. And the possibly soon-to-be transition home remains intact.