man what are some ways that you practice gratitude?  







Cole:

Shit, more recently—just like meditation, breathing… Like, I hope this doesn’t sound narcissistic, but I’ll look at myself in the mirror and just smile.




S:


There's nothing wrong with that. that's not narcissistic




Cole:

Cause like—I don’t know—yeah, you’re right. I just love being me. Like, I’m genuinely happy to be who I am—even with all my flaws. I’m just grateful to be this… this pretty, beautiful human I am.




And I think more than anything, it’s just—like—it’s so simple, but powerful. Just putting your phone down, looking around, and going: ‘Wow. I get to breathe this air.’ Like, nobody’s after me. And if they are? They’re not here.




I just… I like that.




You

Nobody after me




cole (314)

happy you know just being grateful that like.




You

Nobody stopped me




cole (314)

Like




You

Shit




cole (314)

literally I've been on the other corner of that man like so to have like to just be have the what seems to be the worst be behind me you know and you never know what tomorrow bring so I'm I'm speaking an optimism and manifestation here but I've gotten through what I've gotten through and like to still be walking and just being present and every moment I think as hell ever made like grateful You know I used to be unhealthy. I used to be shopping or or hoes or like any type of like just unhealthy drugs or alcohol like you know like like getting fucked up and doing stupid fucked up things I used to think that's what life is about but it's about just like existing and being like we were human but we forgot we damn forgot like the second half of that is like a human being and we forget to be. And like it's really simple like you don't even gotta be shit you don't got a stunt for nobody you don't gotta be anybody's friend you know you just have to exist and like genuinely see the beauty and everything now so like just to look up and appreciate it like every person in every bird every leaf on the tree like being grateful for all of that cause it all serves a purpose Yeah




You

Hundred percent man I'm connecting with it Cell Would you say that this trip that you just took took or is? Affecting the way that you see your artistry now cause I remember back on April 12, 202 5 you said you believed in debauchery And you said approximately at 8:37 PM




cole (314)

Oh fuck are you a fan bro? Shit yeah I did. I did believe in about you. I still I still do believe in the battery because it




You

Do you still believe in debauchery?




cole (314)

exists right so it's like it's not Santa Claus but I still believe in Santa Claus you know, but




You

Really




cole (314)

No




You

Fuck Santa Claus, Santa Claus, dude




cole (314)

No shit Yeah, I had a great deal of like reflection about my artistry during this obviously like that was gonna be a huge point of contention like him And I thought about everything I've ever said in a song like and I was like holy shit, you know Some of that shit is real some of it was fabricated at the time I made it, but all of it manifested in a way which sounds far out like jellybean. I said about to jump from a Chrysler to a Audi now I wanted an Audi I wanted to be able to like drive that but I had no conception of how I would get that at that time. But God bless me in an amazing ways and like I was able to give my car to Nate and get an Audi And The music I've put out into the world was was Is cause it's out there right it is Not glorifying anything particularly great, but it's super fun




You

I mean, I feel like you can I feel like you could be a grounded good person and still I mean maybe not making a maybe not making music about like shooting people




cole (314)

Right, that's kind of what I'm getting




You

necessarily but you can make music




cole (314)

Right




You

about violence cause like like you say it's happening so like that's something that I've been just like Kind of like unraveling for myself this year is just like oh yeah I'm still like a grounded person or whatever but like I can still listen to Sexyy Red just because it's it's fun so like they're




cole (314)

Exactly




You

different things have different purposes you're not gonna take like every single thing to like heart I think like you




cole (314)

Right




You

choose what you are gonna decide to do but at the end of the day music is you know it is




cole (314)

It's just art




You

expressive and in a lot of different ways so




cole (314)

And I think like you know cause




You

Yeah




cole (314)

after the first ceremony, we have where we consume the trouble is right I went back up in my room. I was like happy I was still on a high you know I was feeling there for a very proud of myself for becoming some things I was like I wanna listen to my music and it sounded. I listen to everything we had put out right and it sounded louder. It sounded clear. It sounded more beautiful than it did before. In the words didn't mean so much to me. I felt less guilt about the words because I'm more so understood like vibration and I was operating off of like the sound I was trying to put out and I was really proud of that so I was like I was like I don't want to change overly too much. But it'll be subtle differences in the way app approach it from a messaging standpoint like you know I used to also hate my own given name coal mine because I was like damn people probably think I'm gonna rap about like some smart shit but the way I've spun it is like it's just all of my own brain like this is all my




You

It's like it's your mind




cole (314)

Yeah, this is from my head so it's like and it's not overly thought about too much. None of it so like I just I like my rap name now after this truth but my music I think it'll just be interesting to see how it evolves like I'm not gonna change my whole approach. I'm not gonna let you know bust out the acoustic guitar and you know because I came back I




You

I mean, that's a possibility you could




cole (314)

still I could do that right and maybe one day I will but like you're not right now I still want my 808. I still listen to baby I still do you know like.




You

Yeah




cole (314)

I'm still young. I'm still like having fun and I still have like an immense amount of energy that I wanna like. Expel you know like there's there's more to tell like I'm Fully embraced who I am and that's not imperfect person who's done in perfect things so like I still got a story to tell and I was just gonna tell it however I want to at that time you know like it doesn't have to be taken super serious. it's about like how we walk in real life and the words we speak to our fellow like beings you know like. The music in the art is fine. People are gonna have fun regardless so like. It's always gonna be out there. I can't feel guilty for expressing like my art the way I want to you know like. Cause art mimic art I've been influenced by a lot of imperfection and I love it. I love it for what it is. I love the good and the bad the ugly like to say all that shit. I'm Dr. Seuss now you know.




You

Fuck, yeah Dude, so call




cole (314)

Yes




You

mine is building his own world. What kind of world are you building with your music who lives there?




cole (314)

I don't know everybody can live there right but I live there for sure that's not the only person I know that was there so mean Twin bastard twins UK trying to live there for sure You know I know you got it. You got a place a place to stay at goddamn where does it look like? I don't know it is it really depends on the day. The season is always changed. You know so like it sometimes it's fine sometimes it's not so fun and sometimes it's scary sometimes it's fucking freaky obviously. You know it's just the world it's just a regular world like I'm a regular person and regular shit yeah




You

I so like So it's a regular earth are you with this music that you're making? Do you feel like you're kind of like escaping from this world when you make your music or do you feel like you're more so making sense of this world?




cole (314)

That's a good question shit Well, I haven't created a music again with the new state of mine that I found right so that that'll be an interesting reflection for me to make after Friday Cause I'll be back in the lab, but I think before it was definitely a reflection of the world in the way I received it if that makes sense like the way It's just my findings. It was my findings up to this point right so In the music that's about to come out as old, but I guess my fucking That's a tough question to answer man. Oh my gosh I don't think I was running from the




You

Answer it the way you would answer it, man




cole (314)

world. I don't think I was running from the world. I think I was just. Saying what I had to say about it in the way that I like lived on it like I didn't I just I just exist man and like I'm a super serious person so like while I've been through some serious shit though like all I wanted to do through it was like to smile and bring other people like smiles on their face so that's all the music is about to me. It's like I don't care if you think it's like ass or like if it's too much auto tune right like If you had, if there were something about it, that might make you smile, even if it was like you laughing at it




S:
Right 




Cole:

It was just all about healing, and I feel more well-rounded as an individual now. So I’m like— I’m really glad I did that experience. It was, like, scary, you know? Like, to go somewhere across the world just by myself— a lot of people don’t do that. 




S:


Was that your first time being out of the country?




Cole:

I’ve been to Mexico before, but it was with a partner— it was like a girl I was with. So that was my first time traveling out of the country alone. Only my second time traveling alone— the other time was to Colorado to visit a friend. But this was definitely, like, a way bigger jump from that, you know?




S:
Word up. If you could— you don't have to go too much into it— What  is something that you learned from that experience that you feel like most people in every day life are missing?




Cole:

That you can, like, literally love a perfect stranger. Because— so it was, like, a group of us, and I was like the baby. Everybody else was probably, like, late 40s and up— except for one other guy who was, like, 30. But they were all very wealthy people, and I didn’t know a single thing about them or why they were there— like, what they were healing from, right? So they’re all, like, perfect strangers. And, like, you get to the airport and you’re meeting them all for the first time, and you’re like, ‘Who the fuck are these people? Like, what? I don’t know if I’m gonna vibe with them,’ you know— all those, like, human things that we think. And, like, our ego kinda keeps us from this purely loving thing.




But literally by the end of, like, the five-day experience— because we all went essentially through hell and back together, you know— I was like, ‘These people I didn’t know five days prior? I have genuine love for them. I have a connection with them, and even a place to visit in Europe.’ They were also so kind. And, like, it just shows me that you can literally give somebody love for free.




Like, something I learned and took away is this: we love our friends and family, and we try to treat them the best we can— but why don’t we just treat everybody that way? It doesn’t even matter if you’re ever gonna see them again. Like, just a smile at somebody, or to just tell somebody you love them— you don’t know how much they might need that shit. And, like, it just heals the world when we act that way.




So I was like— I think that’s the most important thing I learned from it: to be kind to the world, to the Earth, because it’s been good to us, you know? So yeah.




S:


man that's fucking beautiful yo 




Cole:

I know 




S:


That's beautiful. I'm glad that you got to experience that 





Cole: 

It's crazy 




S:


I was just talking with Chris yesterday. I pulled up to PARC, and we were just talking. I was like, ‘Yo man, with all the shit going on in the world, we really just need to show each other love. We need to support each other—just like that.’ I don’t even think it’s about giving people money or anything like that. I think it’s really just about making people feel like—

They belong. Or even more than that—making people feel like they exist.

A lot of times, we’re in our own little bubble so much that—like you said—we’re conditioned from when we’re kids. And when we grow up, we carry that conditioning. There’s this invisible bubble in our minds, like, ‘Mind your business. Don’t bother anyone. Don’t let anyone bother you.’ But really—it’s not like that.



We’re sensitive.

Even the people who’ve been through hella shit, they’re still human, still carrying all that conditioning. And we all just want love.

A smile. A ‘Yo bro, what’s up?’ A ‘Yo, that T-shirt’s fire!’—like, just little shit like that. It makes you feel good.





Cole: 

Exactly, yeah. And nobody’s gonna crash out on you for that, right? I think especially in the city we live in, people are afraid to lend a hand or just be a friend to somebody—because there are some shiesty people out here. But at the end of the day, you can still give love and keep it pushing.

You don’t have to be best friends with everybody—but you can show love to everybody. It doesn’t cost a thing.

And people don’t think about that.
One issue I kind of solved in myself was this thing around not being present for people. That goes for anybody, really. We’re on our phones so much. But being off social media as much as possible over the past two months has taught me a lot about presence.
These books I’ve been reading talk about just being there—existing in the moment—and giving your full, undivided attention to whoever or whatever is around you. That presence? It heals suffering.
I was off my phone for five days—just one with nature—and bro, I locked eyes with a stray cat. Like, I was there. I wasn’t thinking about anything else.



S:


Man. I love I love having staring contest with cats.




Cole:

They're gonna win every time, 




S:


They're sassy dude they're fucking sassy like— 




Cole:

Yeah, you know that—but I think like, yeah, we need to be more present for each other. You know, like not checking our phones while we’re in the midst of a conversation. Like, putting our phones down and looking up. I’ve been doing that a lot lately—just sky gazing over the past couple months, right? Like, like…

Looking up.

We find ourselves always looking down at our phones, man. And like—they taught me in school that the reason people used to pray with their heads down was as a sign of submission, so they could get their heads cut off. Like, literally. And now we’re all out here with our heads down all the time… it’s like we’re offering ourselves up. So it’s just like—don’t lose your head. Keep it up.




S:


Dead ass. Have you ever met someone where—you’re sitting there, head down on your phone—and it’s like they could just chop your neck?



Cole:

Yeah, yeah yeah people do that. Yeah, that's real. 




S:


It's freaky.



Cole:

I think like—one of the biggest takeaways is realizing how addicted I was to my phone. Even now, even being off it, it’s still a habit. Like, you gotta pick that shit up just to check it—even if there’s nothing on it.

And it’s like… I don’t want to be more cryptic or distant, you know? That’s not the goal. My goal’s the opposite.

We don’t gotta be on the internet to exist.

People need to realize that shit too.




S:


Yeah… we exist more on the internet than we do in real life.













S:


So your name is Cole.

I’ve only met like… two other Coles in my life.

Where does your name come from?

Is it significant to you?




Cole:

You know what’s crazy—I used to not like my name, ’cause I never knew anyone else with it. So I thought I was weird, right?


Like, as a kid, I’d be like, “How come there’s no Coles? I must be fucking weird, bro.”

So I used to wish I had a different name.




S:


You wanted other people to have your name,




Cole:

Nah, I don’t know… I just felt out of place because nobody else had it. You know what I mean?

Like—I knew a bunch of Michaels, or names like that. And I’d be like, “Why don’t I have a normal name?”

But actually, it came from my mom’s grandmother’s maiden name. So—my great-grandma. That was her last name.


Cole:

Yeah, my grandma's name was Colleen.



S:


That's freaky.




Cole:

Yeah—so like, it actually does have a lot of significance for me. And I’m really proud to carry it now.

But when I was a kid, I used to be obsessed with Billy and Mandy.

One of my best friends’ name was Andy, and his older brother was named Billy. And I thought that was the bee’s knees, man.

You know how when you’re a kid, the older kids just seem so cool?

So I used to tell people my name was Billy.

And my uncle—to this day—still won’t let it go. He still calls me Billy like it’s my real name.




S:


Billy is a bad ass name man.




Cole:

I know, right I should've chose it as my name 




S:


Yeah—if you got that name, you’re definitely into some shit, man. You’re doing something.

Personally, I didn’t know any Billys growing up. But every Billy I ever heard of?

They were out here beating motherfuckers up and shit.



Cole:

And I was bad too, so I felt like Billy was kinda like my alter ego as a kid. Like, I was like—yeah, I’m dumb as hell and I’m mischievous, so Billy feels like me.

But now I understand the power of my given name. I’m really proud to wear it

Every time it becomes a talking point. People are like, ‘Whoa, that’s such a powerful name.’

It’s kinda rare, too. Like, you’ll see it as a last name more often—but as a first name? I think I’ve met maybe… less than ten Coles in my life. Or like, maybe just barely over ten, if that.

So yeah—I’m proud as fuck of my name now.




S:


That's how I feel about meeting people with the same birthday as me. I'm like yeah dude.




Cole:

No, that was a really good question actually bro that was really good. I fuck with that question. 




S:


Yeah, cause I was wondering, man—if you cared about your name.

Cause I know some people, especially musicians, don’t really vibe with their first name. Like, I’ve met folks who don’t like their name at all, so they end up going by something else.

Sometimes it’s deeper, and sometimes it’s just like—’Yo, my name’s Larry and I don’t like that shit,’ you know what I’m saying?



Cole:

Yeah, I feel like… I don’t know—on that subject, I remember listening to a Young Thug interview way back. And he used to hate his name, Jeffrey.

Like, he made a whole thing out of it. But then he decided to start wearing it proudly, and that’s when he dropped the Jeffrey album—started wearing dresses and all that.

And honestly, I think subconsciously, that had more influence on me than I realized. It inspired me to embrace my own name as I got older.

’Cause yeah, there was a time in my life when I just didn’t give a fuck. I was too deep into drugs and chaos—I didn’t care about anything, let alone my name. I was like, ‘Whatever, my name’s my name.’

But now that I’ve grown, I really understand the significance of names. And I genuinely thank my mom for giving me mine. It means something. It’s definitely a big deal.



S:


Fuck.
So like—for those who don’t know—where are you from? And do you think it matters where you’re from?


’Cause I’ve always had this weird disconnect with that question.

I’m from Saint Robert, Missouri originally, but growing up, I never felt connected to it. Like, I wasn’t one of those kids proudly repping it—I was just like, yeah whatever, I’m from Saint Robert.

And the thing is—for anyone within a 30-mile radius, that meant something. But outside of that? Everybody’s like ‘Where?’

So for me, it never felt like a big deal. It wasn’t like saying you’re from St. Louis or LA or somewhere that carries weight.

I never felt like where you’re from defined you. So I’m curious—how do you feel about that?




Cole:

Yeah, it’s funny… I liked what Yeat said on TikTok the other day. Somebody asked, ‘Where are you from?’ and he goes, ‘The world.’


I fuck with that answer.


But the real answer?
I was born in St. Louis. Raised for the first four years of my life in a small town called Centralia, down in Southern Illinois. That’s where most of my family’s from—that’s where my bloodline’s rooted, as far as I know.


I haven’t done the whole ancestry deep dive or anything, but that area—Southern Illinois—is what really made me, 
I guess.
Even though I’ve spent most of my life here in St. Louis.


But honestly? I don’t think it really matters where you’re from. Like, I went halfway across the world and still found places that reminded me of home.

And the people out there? They didn’t know a damn thing about St. Louis.




Cole:

“Where are you from? Like, St. Louis, huh?”

I’m like—you don’t wanna know, man.

No, but I am very proud to be where I’m from—St. Louis.

It’s rough, but it’s beautiful. Like, the most beautiful people have sprouted from here.

It’s like 2Pac said—long live the rose that grew from concrete where nobody cared, you know?

I see so much of that here in St. Louis.

And I’m so proud of a lot of the people that come from here—the people I know, the people I haven’t met yet that are doing great things. 
Myself included, you know?

And wherever anybody’s from, I’m proud of them too. But like—definitely—I think it’s a shared feeling with a lot of people from here that we’re very proud to be from St. Louis.
We wear it on our sleeves.
Because it’s not an easy place to be.

The energy here can be very, very heavy—especially with what’s going on right now.


And I feel so bad… and compelled to help the people affected by the storm.




Cole:

I think that was almost God’s way—like, bringing us together—so we can be even more powerful as a city. ’Cause I’m seeing a lot of unification around this. You know, nothing humbles us more than a natural tragedy.

There’s manmade tragedy all around us—’cause egos get in the way and we kill, rob, steal from each other. But when the Earth says, ‘shut up’—you listen.




Cole:

There’s nothing to do but help each other recover from it—and it’s beautiful to see.


I’ve got a close friend from childhood and high school—his family’s business on the west side was affected. But they immediately jumped into action. Instead of sitting there like, ‘Oh my God, our business,’ they turned it into a place of meeting and refuge for people who needed help—clothes, clean water, toilet paper, anything.


It’s humbling to know him—shoutout to Carbon.

I was able to donate to him yesterday. Thankfully, I’m in a position where I can do that, and I trust that he’ll use the money for a good purpose—to help people who need it.

Now, I just want to get more boots on the ground, help clean up, and do whatever I can. Just work the whole thing, you know?