J. Cole's Comments On Album Leaks Before 'Cole World' Hit The 'Net

Last night (Sept. 19), J. Cole became the next rapper to have his debut album leak prematurely.

Recently, Jay-Z and Kanye West made history with Watch The Throne. The album was one of the first rap releases in the past decade to dodge bootleggers before its official release date.

However, we spoke to Cole, who was already anticipating the leak, before his debut Cole World: The Sideline Story made its way online.

“If anything the leak will reach out to more people who might be like ‘ah man, let’s go get this.' So you know, it's kind of like promotion these days—if you got a good album. If you don't have a good album—they'll just trash you.”

The only thought on Cole’s mind was having his very first CD on retailer shelves.

“I'm really excited and proud. I can't believe I will have a CD in the stores—you know what I'm saying? I got a long way to go in the game but that's definitely a day where I'll be able to pat myself on the back, which I don't do often. But that will be the day I do that,” Cole told VIBE.

He added: “I'm going to buy 100 copies. I just feel bad—like where I buy the 100 copies from, I don't want them to sell out and fans not being able to get them. But I'm definitely buying at least 100 [Laughs].

Cole said there wouldn’t be an early ‘iTunes only’ release like WTT and understands some things are just out of his control.

“There's been worse leaks than that so I understand it's apart of the game—I always understood that. As long as people hear it together—it's cool. I just know that people who are going to buy it were going to buy it anyways and the people weren't—probably weren't anyways.”

Cole World: The Sideline Story will be officially be released on Sept. 27.