"No Role Modelz" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released through Dreamville Records, Roc Nation, Columbia Records, and Vinyl Crown as the third single from his third studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, on August 4, 2015. The song was produced by Phonix Beats with additional production from Cole, and interpolates "Don't Save Her" by Project Pat. The song has been referred as one of J. Cole's biggest songs.
The song received generally mixed reviews from critics. During the week of December 22, 2015, the song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Cole his fourth top 40 hit as a solo artist and the highest-charting single from 2014 Forest Hills Drive. On May 20, 2016, the single was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making it the first song to do so without a music video. On December 10, 2024, the song was certified RIAA Diamond selling over 14 million copies, giving him his second and highest Diamond certification and is one of the best-selling digital singles of all-time.
Lyrics The song samples a speech from former United States President George W. Bush that was delivered at Pledge Across America in Nashville, Tennessee on September 17, 2002. In the speech, Bush was unable to fully 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." The exact quote appears during an interlude in the song, followed by the bridge in which 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 then repeated once more.
Critical reception "No Role Modelz" received mixed reviews from music critics. Craig Jenkins of Pitchfork wrote that "No Role Modelz" 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 wrote 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 to their list of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s.
Charts
Weekly charts + 2015–2016 weekly chart performance for "No Role Modelz"Chart (2015–2016)Peakposition + 2020–2023 weekly chart performance for "No Role Modelz" Chart (2020–2023) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 40 Iceland (Tónlistinn) 32 Latvia (LAIPA) 13 Lithuania (AGATA) 50 Netherlands (Single Tip) 13 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 22 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) 85 South Africa (RISA) 67 Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) 19
Year-end charts + 2021 year-end chart performance for "No Role Modelz" Chart (2021) Position Australia (ARIA) 89 Portugal (AFP) 178 + 2022 year-end chart performance for "No Role Modelz" Chart (2022) Position Australia (ARIA) 41 Global 200 (Billboard) 97 Lithuania (AGATA) 70 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 23 + 2023 year-end chart performance for "No Role Modelz" Chart (2023) Position Australia (ARIA) 44 Global 200 (Billboard) 91 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 22 + 2024 year-end chart performance for "No Role Modelz" Chart (2024) Position Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA) 23 Global 200 (Billboard) 199
Credits and personnel Credits adapted from Tidal.
J. Cole – vocals, production, songwriting
Darius "Phonix Beats" Barnes – production, songwriting Mark Pitts – production Brandt Jones – songwriting Danell Stevens – songwriting Darius Barnes – songwriting Patrick Earl houston – songwriting Jordan Houston – songwriting Marvin Whitenerom – songwriting Paul Beauregard – songwriting Tenina Stevens – songwriting Kaye Fox – additional vocals, associated performer Sean Kellett – assistant recording engineering, studio personnel Brian Gardner – mastering Juro "Mez" Davis – mixing, recording engineering
Certifications
See also List of best-selling singles in the United States
References