No Role Modelz

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Lore & Background

In the J. Cole universe, "No Role Modelz" captures a moment of disillusionment. The song samples a speech from former United States President George W. Bush delivered at Pledge Across America in Nashville, Tennessee on September 17, 2002. In the speech, Bush struggled to recall the proverb "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me," stating: "There's an old saying in Tennessee; I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee; that says, 'Fool me once, shame on… shame on you.' Fool me… you can't get fooled again." This exact quote appears during an interlude in the song, followed by the bridge where Cole raps: "Fool me one time, shame on you / Fool me twice, can't put the blame on you / Fool me three times, fuck the peace signs / Load the chopper, let it rain on you," with the bridge repeated once more. Craig Jenkins of Pitchfork wrote that the song "parlays a suspicion about a hook-up being a golddigger into a tirade about reality TV women lacking respectable public figures," crudely suggesting that "she's shallow but the pussy deep." Jenkins noted that *2014 Forest Hills Drive* "often plays at a depth it never delivers." Billboard called the song "one of the decade's great rap internet tropes," adding it to their list of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s.

In Their Own Story

The blue flicker of a late-night TV paints shadows across a young man's face. He's slumped on a couch, remote in hand, watching a reality show where women scream over a man who sells his soul for a check. He mutes it, and the silence is louder. He scrolls through his phone—a text from a girl who wants his fame, not his heart. He thinks of the rappers he once worshipped, now caught in scandals, and the politicians who preach family values while hiding affairs. He's not angry; he's tired. The beat drops, and he nods—not because he has answers, but because he knows he's not alone in the search.

Reader's Guide

The song opens with a biting critique of modern love, where Cole flips through reality TV channels and sees his own romantic disappointments mirrored in scripted drama. He calls out women who chase clout over connection, but doesn't spare himself—admitting he's played the game too. The chorus lands like a gut punch: without role models, we're all just fumbling in the dark. In the second verse, he turns the lens outward, skewering the music industry's manufactured icons and politicians who offer empty platitudes. The bridge is the quietest moment—Cole strips back the bravado, confessing his own confusion, but refusing to surrender to cynicism. The takeaway isn't a solution; it's a challenge: stop looking for saviors and start building your own compass.

Did You Know?

• The song samples a 2002 speech by President George W. Bush where he flubs the proverb 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,' saying instead: 'Fool me… you can't get fooled again.'
• On May 20, 2016, 'No Role Modelz' became the first song to be certified platinum by the RIAA without a music video.
• On December 10, 2024, the song was certified Diamond by the RIAA, selling over 14 million copies—J. Cole's second and highest Diamond certification.
• The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of December 22, 2015, making it J. Cole's fourth top 40 hit as a solo artist and the highest-charting single from *2014 Forest Hills Drive*.
• Billboard named 'No Role Modelz' one of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s, calling it 'one of the decade's great rap internet tropes.'