Dreamville

Drake & J. Cole’s Basketball Skills Rated By Toronto Raptors

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Some starts from the Toronto Raptors recently rated Drake and J. Cole’s hooping skills. Moreover, they had to distinguish between the court and the booth, as they’re two dominant MCs. However, their answers as to each rapper’s skills as a basketball player may surprise you.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 03: (L-R) Rapper’s Drake and J. Cole attend First Down Friday at Sensu on February 3, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

“[J. Cole is] actually one of the artists that really knows how to play basketball,” expressed Scottie Barnes, winner of the Rookie of the Year award in 2022. While Drake is an official ambassador for the franchise, some acknowledged the Dreamville artist’s skill. After all, he played in various professional leagues over the years and impressed many with his movement.

Meanwhile, guard Fred VanVleet said “[J. Cole] can play a little bit. You know what I mean? Not professionally, obviously. Drake is just old-man YMCA game. He just doesn’t move like a basketball player.”

“J. Cole moving super fluent so I’ma have to go with Cole,” fellow guard Gary Trent Jr. added. Furthermore, he pitted each GOAT contender against each other in a one-on-one for his thought process.

However, when it came to pitting their careers in music against each other, the Toronto Raptors surprised no one. While many gave love to the North Carolina lyricist, the 6 God clearly has a home-court advantage on their playlists.

“Drake’s low-key like the GOAT,” added Rookie of the Year Barnes. “Not low-key, [but] high-key. Whatever he drops is a banger.”

Furthermore, the OVO head honcho’s musical moves made for a stellar 2022 for him. However, J. Cole has refined his hooping chops with a lot of experience over the years. Moreover, he played for some African and Canadian leagues, and Drake helped him get on the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Specifically, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022.

Still, it’s no surprise considering the League’s co-owner, Nicholas “Niko” Carino. Also, he co-founded OVO and is Drizzy’s close friend, who linked up with Cole at Drake’s birthday party in 2021.

“You know, Dreamville and OVO are family,” Carino remarked. “Drake had a birthday party in L.A. last year. The conversation was, ‘I heard you have your team.’ It organically grew from there.”

Still, what do you think of the Toronto Raptors rating Drake and J. Cole’s basketball skills? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for more curious crossovers in the worlds of hip-hop and basketball.

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[WATCH] Dreamville’s Bas Returns with New Single and Video “Diamonds”

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[WATCH] Dreamville's Bas Returns with New Single and Video "Diamonds"

Bas is back. The Dreamville emcee has released his new single and video, “Diamonds.”

The single brings the harmonies that Bas can easily infuse into his singles, while his verses blend the pain of success and a sense of achievement. The new video opens with Bas in a state of haze, partially submerged in water on a set of couches as a neon woman circles the area. The moment is evident in the video as Bas struggles with partying and the allure of a great time before being strangled next to the woman, only for it to be all viewed in front of a group of people who aimlessly watched the death. A conviction of society, they all seem to pull their camera phones.

Speaking with Complex, Bas revealed his message in “Diamonds” :

“‘Diamonds’ stems from the stark realization that, as artists in the public light, our pains and traumas are consistently up for the public’s consumption. We have to continually explore and give more of ourselves to feed the insatiable appetite of the audience. We experience and watch our peers go through life-altering and irrevocably damaging moments that just end up as clickbait or social media fodder. We make public appearances and wear masks in order to be who the public wants us to be. Shine bright for them. Yet our inner turmoils just fester underneath it all. The trappings of the life we chose, the dreams we pursue can oftentimes be the cause of our downfall.”

You can see the new video below.

The post [WATCH] Dreamville’s Bas Returns with New Single and Video “Diamonds” appeared first on The Source.

Bas Chases A Dream On “Diamonds”

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Dreamville’s Bas is back with his latest single as he gears up for the release of a new album.

On Wednesday, Bas blessed fans with his latest release, “Diamonds.” The new single marks his first drop of the year, setting the tone for what’s to come in 2023. “Diamonds” boasts production from Joe Harrison, Linden Jay, and Paul Castelluzzo, who cook up an especially dreamy soundscape for Bas to get his bars off.

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 11: Rapper BAS performs onstage during day 2 of Rolling Loud Los Angeles at NOS Events Center on December 11, 2021 in San Bernardino, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

In a statement, Bas explains that the song centers around the pressures artists face regularly from their fans in addition to their personal issues.

“[The single and video] stems from the stark realization that, as artists in the public light, our pains and traumas are consistently up for the public’s consumption,” Bas said, adding that they have to “give more of ourselves to feed the insatiable appetite of the audience.”

“We experience and watch our peers go through life-altering and irrevocably damaging moments that just end up as clickbait or social media fodder. We make public appearances and wear masks in order to be who the public wants us to be. Shine bright for them. Yet our inner turmoils just fester underneath it all. The trappings of the life we chose, the dreams we pursue can oftentimes be the cause of our downfall.”

Bas hasn’t released an album since 2018’s Milky Way. However, he’s blessed fans with a slew of singles since then. He delivered several contributions on Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers II and D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz mixtape, as well as songs like “The Jackie” featuring J. Cole and Lil Tjay.

Peep his new single below.

Quotable Lyrics
Hunnid on my wrist, just to make it rain on
Look at all the whips, spick and they span
And you feel like you the man
But you cannot rub the stain off

J. Cole Fuels New Album Speculation After Clearing Instagram Page

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J Cole appears to be readying for something special. Either that or he’s preparing to go off the grid even further.

Last night, fans quickly noticed that J. Cole cleared his entire Instagram page. Though it’s not a clear indication of anything, most artists clear their IG to suggest new music is coming. Cole, himself, previously used this tactic when he released “MIDDLE CHILD.”

It’s been roughly two years since the release of The Off Season, an album that seemingly kicked off The Fall Off era. The rapper previously revealed that he had three albums in the works ahead of The Fall Off. At this point, fans are eager to hear what he has up his sleeve, especially if wiping his IG is an indication that new music is on the way. Many believe that the rapper could be preparing to drop a project titled It’s A Boy or The Fall Off in the coming weeks.

Besides his own releases, there’s a chance that the next project he’s working on might not actually be a solo effort. Dreamville was called on to executive produce the forthcoming soundtrack for Creed III starring Michael B. Jordan.

J Cole has remained active in the past year through a spree of features. He gave stand-out verses to BIA, Smino, and Benny The Butcher. However, he also came through with a brand new project from Dreamville, D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape. The album, which boasted songs like “Stick” and “Freedom Of Speech,” arrived just ahead of the return of Dreamville Festival.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 30: J. Cole performs during 2022 Lollapalooza day three at Grant Park on July 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Cole also continued his pursuit of a basketball career last year with a brief stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The rapper joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars for a few games before departing from the league to fulfill touring obligations.

We’ll keep you posted on what J. Cole has up his sleeves this year.

Smino & J. Cole’s Highly-Anticipated Collab “90 Proof” Lives Up To The Hype

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We’re officially approaching the 4-year mark since the release of Smino’s excellent project, NOIR. Though he hasn’t left fans empty-handed. The St. Louis rapper came out out a handful of singles since then, along with a few collabs with artists like Yebba, J.I.D., and more. However, he’s remained lowkey as fans anticipate one song in particular.

Following the debut of his new song on St. Louis’s Hot 104.1 a few weeks ago, Smino’s finally unveiled his latest collab with J. Cole, “90 Proof.” Smino’s elastic vocals stretch over the bluesy production from Monte Booker and Groove. J. Cole delivers yet another stand-out verse in his 2022 run, flexing double-time flows with a melodic approach akin to Smino’s.

“90 Proof” serves as the first single off of Smino’s forthcoming album, Luv 4 Rent.

Smino and J. Cole are no strangers to each other. The former lent his talent to Revenge Of The Dreamers III on “1993” and “Sacrifices,” both of which feature J. Cole.

Earlier this year, Dreamville released D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape with DJ Drama. Additionally, Cole appeared on Bia’s “LONDON,” Benny The Butcher’s “Johnny P’s Caddy,” and more.

Check out Smino’s “90 Proof” below.

Quotable Lyrics
I don’t really do the cameras, I be low in Los Angeles
You n***as ain’t never gon’ see me, I might as well be in Canada
You n***as ain’t ever gon’ be me, it’s best to stay in your parameters
You know they gon’ G-O-A-T me, I spell it out for you like Fabolous