On the weekend of April 5, J. Cole finished his Dreamville Festival run in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a bang. Over 52,000 people each day turned up to artists, including J.I.D, 21 Savage, GloRilla, and, of course, Cole, as the final set on April 6.
Previously announced as the fifth and final festival, people have wondered what’s next. Luckily, Cole and his team were able to provide some answers—and perform a showcase full of deep cuts for his day ones.
Dreamville isn’t gone for good
During a press conference on April 3, Dreamville and Live Nation festival producer Sascha Stone Guttfreund gave fans the news they had hoped for.
“We’re going to be here for years to come…This is a multi-year deal, and we’re so excited to be working with the city of Raleigh together on something new and exciting and to continue to build on this incredible thing that we’ve done over the years,” he said.
Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David also said that the festival will continue to focus on hip-hop music and culture.
“We’re going to continue on the same path that’s been successful for us. Our consumers have told us what they like, and we’re going to try to provide that to them for the next four years… We’re using the Dreamville label to a certain extent. [J. Cole] will obviously be involved, whether or not he headlines. That’s probably not going to be an occurrence, but he is a local resident. He is totally committed to this community, and he is totally committed to this festival,” she said.
It might be rebranding, but at least rap lovers and the Raleigh community can look forward to another party in Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park for the next four years. While it’s still up in the air if Cole World will be headlining, at least fans have this legendary setlist to reminisce about.
Cole went down memory lane
Performing from a set inspired by his former apartment, the rapper went through all his eras. He kicked off the show (twice thanks to tech issues) with 2007’s “Rags to Riches (At the Beep)” off of his debut mixtape, The Come Up.
His only special guest that night was Erykah Badu, despite those crossing their fingers for K. Dot to step on the stage. Nevertheless, the duo performed the 2010 song “Too Deep For The Intro” for the first time together live.
Of course, he had plenty of stories to tell, from when he recorded with Jay-Z and Beyoncé was casually in the room to first hearing the sample for 2011’s “Work Out.” If you were looking for updates about The Fall Off, the rapper unfortunately didn’t provide any — but his producer and frequent collaborator DZL did on April 4.
“It’s Cole in his bag…Top tier raps, top-level rapping, top-level storytelling. This project is going to give people a deeper insight into him as a man, him as a human being, him as a father, and him as a husband,” he told Complex during Dreamville Fest Public Access.
Luckily, there’s still plenty to look forward to from Dreamville and Cole for years to come, and fans can hardly wait.
