dreamville fest

J Cole’s Manager Confirms Dreamville Fest 2025 Will Be Last One Ever

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J Cole has been teasing his retirement for years. He’s repeatedly said that he will step back from rapping after he drops The Fall Off. The thing is, every rapper has threatened to retire at one point or another. None of them have. It’s almost a signifier of an artist’s success if they are able to spin a narrative out of a possible retirement. That said, J Cole is really selling the bit. The rapper has launched a podcast looking back on his previous releases. Now, he’s claiming the upcoming Dreamville Fest will be his last.

Dreamville Fest released its 2025 dates via social media. It was a standard rollout, as far as previous announcements have gone. Except for one crucial detail. The unveiling of dates came with confirmation that the fifth Dreamville Fest will be the last one ever. “What a ride it’s been,” the official Twitter account wrote. “We can’t thank y’all enough for the memories we’ve shared.” There was a general sense of confusion over the announcement. Some hoped there was a misunderstanding, or maybe even a technicality that would allow the fest to continue in a different form.

Read More: J Cole Helps Out Fans Who Missed Out On Tickets To His “2014 Forest Hills Drive” Concert But With A Catch

J Cole Continues His Planned Retirement Rollout

J Cole’s manager, Ibrahim Hamad, confirmed this was not the case. Dreamville Fest is done after 2025, plain and simple. “Let’s run it back one last time and have a special weekend in North Caroline,” he tweeted. “Love y’all for real y’all have always supported us and made this weekend special.” Hamad, who co-hosts J Cole’s podcast, also thanked everybody who has made the festival possible. “I love y’all for real y’all don’t know how hard and how much work it takes to bring all this event,” he wrote. “But just know y’all make it more than worth it every year.”

The last Dreamville Fest was not the rousing success many anticipated. J Cole took the stage and apologized for dissing Kendrick Lamar on the song “7 Minute Drill.” He dubbed the song the “wackest sh*t” he’d ever recorded, and promised to take it down from streaming. Fans were genuinely perplexed by the rapper’s decision. J Cole’s admittance of being wrong overshadowed the rest of the festival. J Cole has done a spectacular job of reframing his narrative since the beef died down, however. We hope Dreamville Fest 2025 is the grand finish fans are expecting.

Read More: Charlamagne Tha God Claims Telling Drake To Follow J. Cole’s Blueprint After Kendrick Lamar Battle

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J Cole Announces His Fifth Dreamville Festival

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J Cole’s 2024 has been very interesting, controversial, and exciting all in one. As of recently, it’s been the latter as the North Carolina native is in the middle of his audio series, Inevitable. The 10-episode podcast-like saga is giving fans a closer and more personal look at the superstar’s journey from a hungry young buck to his biggest album to date, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. It looks like more seasons/volumes of this will be coming, with the potential pot of gold at the end of the rainbow being The Fall Off. Along the way, Cole has been officially rereleasing his three earliest mixtapes along with the episodes named after them.

The last of those is Friday Night Lights and if all goes according to plan, it will be on streaming sometime tomorrow. However, things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Jermaine, especially in the first third of the year. His fourth Dreamville Fest arrived during that stretch, which was awesome. However, his apology at his event to Kendrick Lamar was quite a divisive moment to say the least. The tune on that decision has since changed, but it left some feeling off following that installment of his beloved festival.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar “Squabble Up” Music Video: 8 Key References You May Have Missed

Here’s What To Know About J Cole’s Next Dreamville Festival

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Dreamville Fest (@dreamvillefest)

Hopefully, things will be a bit smoother and a whole lot more epic next year when the outdoor spring festivities return. To be exact, Dreamville Fest will be back starting April 5 and running through the 6th. It will be held once again in Raleigh, NC at Dorothea Dix Park, with tickets going on sale soon. According to a recent press release, a presale will land on Wednesday, December 11 at 9 a.m. EST.

What customers will be able to get their hands on are general admission tickets, general admission plus passes for both days, as well as a few VIP packages. There is another major detail to remember, and its this: “These will be the least expensive tickets available to the general public,” the release reads. “Prices [will increase] as the event date approaches. If any presale tickets remain, a general ticket on-sale will follow.” So, don’t say we didn’t warn you! Make sure you circle your calendars!

Read More: Kendrick Lamar “wacced out murals” Lyric Breakdown

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DJ Akademiks Causes Uproar By Putting Drake’s “OVO Fest” Above Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out”

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DJ Akademiks says that both Drake and J. Cole have been putting on festivals bigger for their respective cities in the form of OVO Fest and Dreamville Fest than Kendrick Lamar did with his acclaimed latest show, The Pop Out – Ken & Friends. He made the comments during a livestream clip he shared on social media, on Saturday.

“None of these n****s up here got a feature with Kendrick,” Akademiks began, while showing a clip from the end of The Pop Out. “And we don’t think they will ever get a feature with Kendrick. He has one concert in 15 years and brought these n****s on stage and n****s is saying he did the most.” From there, he brings up J. Cole hosting his Dreamville Festival and platforming younger artists as well as Drake doing the same with OVO Fest.

Read More: Fans Debate Drake’s “Back To Back” Performance Following Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out” Concert

Drake Performs At OVO Fest In 2015

TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 03: Drake performs during the 2015 OVO Fest at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on August 3, 2015, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images)

Many fans in the replies took issue with Akademiks’ take. One user wrote: “OVO Fest is not the same as the POP Out, the POP Out was West Coast honoring their identity, their fallen soldiers, and respecting each other’s differences and similarities of being the West Coast culture. It was also retaliation to a colonizer insulting their legends.” Another fan added: “Yall Drake n****s don’t know how to take an L and move on.” Check out Akademiks’ full comments on the matter below.

DJ Akademiks Speaks On Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out”

Akademiks isn’t the first one to compare Lamar’s The Pop Out – Ken & Friends to Drake’s OVO Fest. When Complex shared a clip of Drake performing his Meek Mill diss track, “Back to Back,” at the event in 2015 users on social media debated whether the moment still hits as hard in the wake of the latest beef. Be on the lookout for further updates on DJ Akademiks as well as Drake and Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Sparks Debate Online After Filming “Not Like Us” Video In L.A.

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ScHoolboy Q Allegedly Warned J Cole To Stop Beefing Further With Kendrick Lamar Before The Apology

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When J Cole gracefully removed himself from the Kendrick Lamar and Drake war, people online and in the hip-hop sphere were tearing him down. So many were disappointed that the “7 Minute Drill” rapper would bow out from the competition, especially given his pen. However, since he dropped the diss that was, frankly, half-hearted, the battlefield has become extremely bloody. He even admitted that himself, and since most fans knew that Cole was always more of a lover and not a fighter, the narrative has switched. Now, spectators have become more understanding and giving him grace online.

However, a new and interesting angle has been making the rounds on the web that someone in the know actually influenced Cole to remove himself from the beef. According to articles from Bossip and AllHipHop, TDE teammate ScHoolboy Q was supposedly the one who helped convince him. A writer witnessed the BLUE LIPS and Might Delete Later MCs chatting at Dreamville Fest. Unfortunately, she was not able to make out what exactly was said, but sources informed her that some sort of warning was passed from Q to Cole.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Changes “Meet The Grahams” Cover Art For Streaming Release, Fans Debate Why

If This Is True, ScHoolboy Q Did J Cole A Favor

The severity of the warning was not specified, though. “I’m not specifying what kind of warning — whether it was a bullying move, a Deebo-like maneuver or just a friendly heads-up. I don’t think it matters at this point. But based on what Punch (TDE president) said, I think they gave him what he needed to hear to bow out of the battle with as much grace as possible,” the writer said. Now, J Cole or ScHoolboy Q willing to speak about this conversation will certainly be something to monitor going forward.

What are your thoughts on ScHoolboy Q allegedly warning J Cole to drop out of the Kendrick/Drake beef? If this is true did the TDE labelmate do the right thing here, why or why not? Do you think Cole should have entered the battle to begin with? Who do you have on top right now and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s beef, J Cole and ScHoolboy Q. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

Read More: Drake Fans Resurface Kendrick Lamar‘s Fiance’s Candid Instagram Post

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Rema Accuses Dreamville Fest Of Mistreating African Artists During Show

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Dreamville Fest was poised to be a hip-hop highlight of 2024. The lineup for the festival was stacked with musical stars from around the world, and organizer J. Cole was in the midst of a widely-discussed feud with Kendrick Lamar. It did not go according to plan, however. Nigerian superstar Rema claimed that he was not given as much respect as the Americans on the bill. He also claimed that he was one of several African artists who suffered from poor sound quality onstage, which led to his set ending prematurely.

Rema performed during the second day of the festival. At least, that was the plan. The “Calm Down” singer had his set disrupted by technical issues, and they went on so long that he voiced his frustration to the crowd. “These sound issues is messing up my whole performance,” he noted. “I’m seriously not feeling this s**t at all. I’m representing Africa. This is too messed up.” Rema pointed to a double standard regarding the sound that effectively silenced the crowd. “So the sound cannot be perfect for every artist that gets on this stage and Africa is in the house and y’all messing s**t up?,” he asked.

Read More: Rema Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Star

Rema Told The Crowd He Was “Representing Africa”

The technical difficulties continued throughout Rema’s set. The singer tried to perform his most popular single, “Calm Down“, only to discover that his voice wasn’t coming through on the microphone. He tried his best to keep the energy up, but ultimately decided to cut his set short. His frustration was evident as he walked offstage. “Too many sound issues, my people,” he reluctantly informed the crowd. “I love you all my people.”

It was an unfortunate showcase for Dreamville’s technical team. It was not, however, the only time that an artist prompted an awkward moment onstage during the festival. J. Cole performed the same night as Rema, and chose to make a public apology to Kendrick Lamar following the release of his diss track “7 Minute Drill.” He claimed the diss was the “lamest, goofiest s**t” he recorded in years. He also told the stunned crowd that the track would be taken down from streaming platforms. The rapper has not yet addressed Rema’s performance, however, or the accusations of prioritizing American over African artists.

Read More: Drake Allegedly Had This To Say About J Cole’s Kendrick Lamar Apology

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J Cole Apologizes To Kendrick Lamar For “7 Minute Drill” Diss: “That’s The Lamest Sh*t I Ever Did”

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J Cole admitted he regrets dissing Kendrick Lamar while performing at Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday night. Taking a pause during his headlining set, Cole began by explaining how proud he is of the work he put into his new mixtape, Might Delete Later, but revealed the closing song, “7 Minute Drill,” isn’t sitting right with him.

“I’m so proud of that project except for one part,” Cole said. “There’s one part of that sh*t that makes me feel like, ‘Man, that’s the lamest sh*t I ever did in my f*cking life.’ And, I know this is not what a lot of people wanna hear. I can hear my n****s up there right now like, ‘Nah, don’t do that.’ But, I gotta keep it 100 with y’all. I damn near had a relapse.” From there, he admitted that he’s “blessed” to know both Drake and Lamar.

Read More: J Cole Calls Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” Boring, Says “Mr. Morale” Was “Tragic” On “7 Minute Drill”

J Cole Performs At Dreamville Festival

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 02: J. Cole performs during the 2023 Dreamville Music festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 02, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

“I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I know I don’t really feel a way,” Cole continued. “But the world wanna see blood… so I say all of that to say, in my spirit of trying to get this music out, I moved in a way that spiritually feels bad on me. I tried to jab my n***a back and I tried to keep it friendly. But at the end of the day, when I listen to it and when it comes out and I see the talk, that sh*t don’t sit right with my spirit. That sh*t disrupts my f*cking peace. So I want I want to say tonight, in the midst of me doing that, and in that sh*t, trynna find a lil angle and downplay this n***a’s f*cking catalog and his greatness… I wanna say right here tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest muthaf*ckas to ever touch a microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar correct? As do I.” Check out the full speech below.

J Cole Reflects On “7 Minute Drill”

The back and forth began when Cole labeled himself, Drake, and Lamar as hip-hop’s “big 3.” Lamar fired back on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” by suggesting he’s in a league of his own. Drake has yet to respond to the drama. Be on the lookout for further updates on J Cole on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: J Cole Drops Surprise Album “Might Delete Later” And Disses Kendrick Lamar In The Process

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50 Cent & Hunxho To Replace Chris Brown & Muni Long For Dreamville Fest

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Music fans will be able to go to the fifth annual Dreamville Fest in Raleigh, North Carolina in just a few days. J. Cole got this event underway near the precipice of COVID-19 in 2019. Since its inception it has been one of the best festivals for hip-hop fans. This year the two-day event will begin this Saturday, April 6, and go through Sunday, April 7. In 2023 it was a stacked lineup, with Drake and Cole headlining the last day. This time around, 50 Cent and SZA will be the main attractions for Dreamville Fest. Nicki Minaj and Cole will wrap things up the following day.

You may be wondering though, why 50 Cent? Well, the roster had some tweaks made just hours ago. The Dreamville Fest X account sent out a tweet announcing the key changes. “We are excited to share that 50 Cent and Hunxho have been added to the lineup! See you this weekend! 🌻 Due to unforeseen circumstances, Chris Brown and Muni Long are no longer performing at Dreamville Fest.”

Read More: NBA YoungBoy Family Easter Pictures Have Fans Wondering If They Are His Actual Relatives

50 Cent & Hunxho Will Perform On Separate Days

Reasons for the tweaks are still unknown, but some fans are not too happy about Chris Brown not being able to make it. In fact, with the changes being announced on April Fools’ Day, some think its a ruse. “I hope it’s April fool cos I want to see Chris on that stage,” one person says. Another chimes in, “Would’ve preferred if 50 was replacing Nicki instead lol but it is what it is. (this may or may not be April fools but I’m fine either way so 😂🤷🏾‍♀️)” However, with Dreamville Fest just five days away and with complications like this a normality, this appears to be true.

What are your thoughts on 50 Cent and Hunxho joining Dreamville Fest and replacing Chris Brown and Muni Long? Do you think this is an April Fool’s joke, why or why not? If you do not like 50 and Hunxho making the list of performers, who should they have gotten? Are you going to be attending any of the shows? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding 50 Cent, Dreamville Fest, and Chris Brown. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.

Read More: Tyler, The Creator Called Jerrod Carmichael A “Stupid B*tch” For Admitting His Feelings For Him

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Drake Recaps Dreamville Festival With Pictures & Bars On Instagram

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Fans are still raving about Dreamville Fest 2023, and will likely continue to do so for a while. One of the North Carolina festival’s biggest highlights for many was certainly J. Cole and Drake’s headlining slot on Sunday (April 2). Not only did both give great performances, but they brought out various special guests throughout their set. Lil Uzi Vert, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, and 21 Savage all had the Raleigh crowd hyped with their appearances. To commemorate the occasion and thank all his co-performers, the OVO kingpin shared an Instagram post with some pictures- and of course, some bars to match.

“I want more of THIS,” Drake captioned his post, whose slideshow begins with a picture of him and his mentor Weezy. “Years and years with the gang I’m talking plural, and to get there we’ll turn any weirdo to a mural,” he added. Not only did he look toward the future, but did so while acknowledging that it’s already been several “years and years” at the top for him and his gang. After all, his stacked setlist reflected recent hits, milestone releases, and a few of his classics for longtime fans.

Drake Thanks His Guests & Shares Some Bars On IG

All in all, the weekend in N.C. had many treats in store for fans, even though they came from sometimes unexpected places. For example, during his performance, Cole publicly asked Kanye West to clear a sample from his project Friday Night Lights. After performing the track “Villematic” (which samples the Chicago MC’s “Devil In A New Dress”), he shouted out Ye and made the request in front of thousands of fans. With that, many believe he aims to bring his 2010 tape to streaming services soon, which the Dreamville boss wished for on its tenth anniversary.

Meanwhile, other surprises were a bit less exciting, but only because the festival’s first day happened to land on the most untrustworthy day of the year. During Usher’s headlining performance, he suddenly invited Beyoncé to the stage, and fans went crazy. However, after a few moments of silence and confused looks from the R&B star, he walked up to the mic and sang “April Fool’s!” Regardless, along with Drake and every other artist involved, there was a lot for him and fans to be grateful for this weekend thanks to the incredible event. Log back into HNHH for more stories from the Dreamville Festival and the latest news and updates on Drake.

Drake’s Setlist At Dreamville Fest 2023

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Dreamville Fest 2023 had a lot of notable moments, which of course took advantage of the festival landing on April Fool’s Day. However, one person who clearly didn’t play around with their set was Drake, who held a headlining spot with J. Cole on Sunday (April 2). Moreover, the “Middle of the Ocean” MC gave fans a setlist full of hits, surprises, and a run-through of his acclaimed catalog. Not only that, but he also brought out many guests: GloRilla, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, and co-headliner and label boss J. Cole.

Furthermore, this live performance left fans very satisfied, which at least partially makes up for Drake’s recent festival woes. Following a few controversial performances for Lollapalooza Argentina and Brazil, the Dreamville set brought his quality standards back up. Still, the 6 God probably shouldn’t receive as much blame for those mishaps, as they were probably due to planning and logistics not lining up perfectly. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the rap star addresses or makes up for those criticisms- and if he’s even the right person to reprimand for them.

Drake Enlists A Stacked Crew For His Performance & Hints At More New Music

In other Drake news, recently released and teased tracks have fans ready for even more from the OVO mogul. Of course, it’s not like he needs the extra push, given his incredibly successful 2022. First, he shook fans expectations, albeit to mixed critical results, on the house-inspired Honestly, Nevermind. Then, he brought fans a hefty helping of 21 Savage collaborations on Her Loss, which many felt was much more in line with his skillset.

Despite what many might say about his recent artistic moves, you can’t deny that Drake finds new ways to both surprise fans and stick to his guns. Although not everyone got to see his Dreamville Fest set, it certainly got fans excited to see him on the road again. With that in mind, check out the tracklist below and some performance highlights. Also, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Drake.

Dreamville Fest Setlist & Highlights

1. “Sicko Mode”
2. “Over”
3. “Headlines”
4. “HYFR (Hell Ya F*cking Right)”
5. “Started From The Bottom”
6. “Energy”
7. “Know Yourself”
8. “Nonstop”
9. “God’s Plan”
10. “FNF (Let’s Go)” with GloRilla
11. “XO Tour Llif3” with Lil Uzi Vert
12. “Just Wanna Rock” with Lil Uzi Vert
13. “Marvins Room”
14. “Wu-Tang Forever”
15. “Practice”
16. “The Motto” with Lil Wayne
17. “Uproar” with Lil Wayne
18. “A Milli” with Lil Wayne
19. “Knife Talk” with 21 Savage
20. “Rich Flex” with 21 Savage
21. “I Will Always Love You”

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Usher Pulls April Fool’s Joke On Dreamville Fest By Teasing Beyoncé Guest Appearance

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On the most dangerous day to trust headlines online, a headlining act had some fun with thousands of adoring fans. Usher just trolled Dreamville Fest during his set with an April Fool’s joke, claiming that he was about to bring out Beyoncé to perform. Of course, fans went ballistic when they heard the R&B singer say her name, but it clearly dawned on them that something was wrong when Usher looked back confused at his festival staff. After walking around the stage for a bit, beckoning for someone to come up, he stepped to the mic and crooned, “April Fool’s.”

Hilariously enough, it wasn’t the only prank scare that rocked the North Carolina event, although the other instance proved to be truthful (unless A.I.-generated content has really gone too far). Lil Durk said that he’s been collaborating with J. Cole during a sit-down interview at Dreamville Fest. When initial reports of the news came out, fans expressed skepticism until Internet sleuths posted the clip in question. As such, fans now anticipate a hard-hitting product from the two revered hip-hop storytellers.

Usher’s April Fool’s Prank Leaves Beyoncé Fans Fuming

Furthermore, the Confessions artist went on a bit of a hot streak promotionally recently thanks to a few factors. First, there’s his sultry and immaculate Las Vegas residency, during which he serenaded a fan with an intimate performance. To elaborate, he went into a crowd and danced with a fan as he fed her strawberries. Given his status as the “King of R&B” and the smoothness of his music, no one can deny it was quite the remarkable experience for a fan to get. Still, it’s not uncommon for Usher to engage with fans during his performances in a sweet and evocative way, and still gives a show for all to remember.

Meanwhile, he recently released the single “GLU,” which is a classic, buttery, and passionate R&B cut. With that, he fought back against common takes that the genre is “dead,” showing fans and detractors alike that he’s still got it. Apart from that prank, it seems like people were blown away by the sheer amount of hits that the 44-year-old played for fans at Dreamville Fest during his great performance. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Usher and this weekend’s Dreamville Fest.