
J.Cole came out the gates swinging with his highly anticipated debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story. He waxes about his struggle for success in the harsh music industry on "Sideline Story" and "Dollar and a Dream III," but gets hard on "Breakdown," where he recounts his harsh upbringing.
The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts, selling 218,000 copies in its first week. On December 2, the album was certified gold by the RIAA.