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Fans had hoped to hear a J. Cole album by the end of 2010, that obviously didn't happen but there's reason to believe that this year we'll finally get his debut.

The Roc Nation artist says he feels his fans pain and assures them a release date is coming soon.

"I know my fans are frustrated with me, because I won't give a date," Cole said."I only gave a date one time in my career last year, and I smacked myself in the face because it was so unrealistic. Now I say it's coming soon, and it's really true, because we're in the final stages right now."

When Jay-Z signed Cole a couple of years ago it was assumed his album would be fast tracked, similar to what happened with Drake. Now it's possible Drake will be dropping his sophomore album by that time.

The Drake association is something Cole won't be able to shake, at least for now.  The two are always compared by fans in a genre always looking for the next competitive battle.

In the end, Cole just needs to deliver on his potential and drops a great album.