Rapper J. Cole joins Nanjing Monkey Kings in China

The Grammy-winning rapper has signed a deal with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), sources confirmed on Wednesday. The move marks another chapter in Cole’s unique journey of balancing a successful music career with professional sports, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

The artist, whose real name is Jermaine Cole, had previously committed to playing a few games for the Chinese side last year. With this signing, he is now following through on that promise.

This will be the third time Cole steps onto the court as a professional player. He previously played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and later joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada’s Elite Basketball League in 2022. His basketball roots go back even further, as he played during his high school years in North Carolina.

While Cole’s athletic pursuits continue to draw attention, his music career remains dominant. He won a Grammy Award in 2020 for Best Rap Song for “A Lot” alongside 21 Savage and has built a catalog that includes multiple platinum albums and collaborations with major artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, and Young Thug.

The announcement also comes shortly after the release of his latest album, The Fall-Off, which dropped in February — showing that Cole isn’t slowing down in either arena.

By stepping back onto the professional basketball stage, J. Cole once again proves he’s one of the few artists successfully bridging the worlds of music and sports.