J. Cole has confirmed he is the father of two sons.

The 35-year-old rap star has always tried to remain tight-lipped about his personal life, but in a new essay concerning the four years since the release of his '4 Your Eyez Only' album, he's revealed he is a father to two young boys.

Cole - who has been married to Melissa Heholt since 2015 - wrote for The Players' Tribune: ''Four years have passed. In that time I've been blessed with two sons, learned the delicate art of balance between parenthood and career, had the pleasure of working with a ton of talented artists as a featured rapper, spent 10 magical days recording a Dreamville album in Atlanta, and put a lot of time and energy into sharpening my sword and growing as an artist.''

The 'Crooked Smile' hitmaker also admitted he's already thinking about retirement, although his short-term focus remains on completing his upcoming album 'The Fall Off'.

Cole - who previously revealed he had one son with his wife - shared: ''[I have a] long-term plan of becoming the best rapper I could possibly be before hanging up my jersey, leaving nothing on the table when all was said and done.''

For the time being, Cole remains passionate about his music, admitting he still has a few ambitions on his ''career bucket list''.

He said: ''The fire that was once dying out has returned, and for that I'm grateful.

''On my career bucket list, there remain a few more items to check off before I give myself permission to enter whatever the next chapter of my life may be.''

However, the award-winning star thinks he'll eventually lose his motivation.

He explained: ''As I approach the summit of this mountain, I still find myself staring at that other one in the distance, wondering if I can climb.''