J. Cole sits down with BET for a Q&A to discuss his role in the new upcoming video game Splinter Cell: Blacklist, his biggest career risk and the role ‘color’ plays in hip-hop.

J. Cole took time to discuss his role in the new upcoming video game Spliner Cell: Blacklist which features his song “Miss America,” in the game’s trailer.

The question of whether or not black folks were featured in the game and Cole responded:

“Yeah, trust me, I felt the same way but there is — one of the main characters, the other bad a** other than Sam Fisher, is a Black dude.  I’m very conscious of that but this is a culturally diverse game — and the terrorists, they’re not all Middle Eastern, which is great. I hate those games where the bad guys are always Middle Eastern, it’s right into the stereotype, but this game isn’t like that.”

Cole then was asked what was his greatest career risk and he replied:

“Producing all my own songs and refusing to go to the hot producer. That’s the biggest risk I’ve taken so far. Constantly taking that risk by not going to whoever is hot and still be as far as I am.”

Then the issue arose regarding how light skin vs. dark skin is affecting both males and females in hip-hop.

Cole responded by stating, “I can’t say it for sure but I just think we’re still in America. We’re still Black Americans. Those mental chains are still in us. That brainwashing that tells us that light skin is better, it’s subconsciously in us, whether we know it or not… still pursuing light skin women.”

Cole dropped a bomb though when he referred to himself and President Obama stating they, both, would not be in their current position if they were of darker skin.

Cole stated, “But Barack Obamawould not be President if he were dark skin. You know what I mean? That’s just the truth.  I might not be as successful as I am now if I was dark skin. I’m not saying that for sure.”

Check out the full interview at BET

– John Weber (@JohnPaulWeber)