J. Cole

J. Cole Uses Drake’s ‘Pipe Down’ To Grapple With Fame And Success On ‘Heaven’s EP’

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After going more than three years without a solo album, J. Cole made his return earlier this year with The Off-Season. The 12-track project saw the rapper step away from his formula of working without guest features. Instead, it included appearances from Bas, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Morray, and 6lack. Four months after its release, Cole is back in action with a new remix of Drake’s “Pipe Down” called “Heaven’s EP.”

A video for the remix shows him riding around Las Vegas, as well as relaxing in the city’s Flamingo Hotel & Casino and on a plane as Bas sits beside him. The track finds Cole grappling with fame and success.

“Heaven’s EP” comes weeks after Cole teamed with Bas and Lil Tjay for their single “The Jackie.” That track also came with a video, which found the trio cruising around New York. Cole is also gearing up to hit the road soon, accompanied by 21 Savage and Morray, for The Off-Season Tour, which kicks off later this week in Miami. It was also recently announced that comedian Druski will join the rappers as a host for the tour, presumably to make people laugh.

You can watch the video for “Heaven’s EP” above.

The Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Tours Of Fall 2021

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Now that the music industry shutdown of 2020 is over and live entertainment is back underway, it’s once again time to line up some of the tours we’re looking forward to for the rest of the year.

While the past year was understandably quiet for live shows, venues have begun to reopen, festivals have returned, and many of the artists who spent much of 2020 indoors working on new material finally have the opportunity to show it off for an appreciative audience. Artists like J. Cole have spent weeks shaking off the rust and getting ready to head back out on the road, and hopefully, the extra time will have everyone feeling refreshed and energized after using that time to polish up their performances.

The upcoming fall tour season has no shortage of big names but with the likes of Doja Cat, Drake, and Tyler The Creator pushing to 2022, now’s your chance to see the hottest new and rising acts before they blow up.

AG Club — F*ck Your Expectations Tour

These Bay Area ragers bring a loose-limbed party vibe to their music, so it’s almost certain that their live show will follow suit. Serving up a similar vibe to early Odd Future and their offspring like Brockhampton, AG Club’s raucous energy bounces off the walls of any venue, as you can see in their videos for songs like “Memphis” and “NoHo.” This tour runs from September 26 in Brooklyn to the weekend of Day N Vegas in November.

Check out AG Club’s tour dates here.

Bino Rideaux — On My Soul Tour

It’s almost a shame Bino and Blxst aren’t touring their new joint mixtape because that tour would have the potential to be epic. As it is, the two veteran crowd controllers are more than enough to satisfy individually. Bino, of course, is the more straightforward rapper of the two, although he still mixes in his fair share of melody. However, while Blxst populates his groovy West Coast anthems with pure R&B on the choruses and hooks, Bino prefers to take a more rhythmic, gangster approach that still holds enough appeal for fans of all tastes.

Check out Bino Rideaux’s tour dates here.

Blxst

Bring a date, thank me later. Blxst’s warm, soulful grooves and laid-back nighttime vibes make his shows feel more like house parties. The smooth appeal of tracks like “Gang Slide,” “Chosen,” and “Overrated” lend themselves to slow-dance euphoria while still remaining boisterous enough to keep the whole crowd moving all night long.

Check out Blxst’s tour dates here.

Don Toliver

Toliver made waves last year when he declined to appear on XXL’s Freshman cover, so it’ll probably be worth checking out his live show to see why. The Houston crooner has rapidly become a fan favorite, getting a tremendous boost from his Cactus Jack label head Travis Scott, but showing over the last two years that he’s more than capable of standing on his own. Meanwhile, with “Whole Lotta Money” hitmaker BIA in tow, this tour should be at the top of your “can’t miss” list.

Check out Don Toliver’s tour dates here.

Fugees — The Score Reunion Tour

A late addition to the list, the iconic Jersey trio is reuniting for the first time in 15 years to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their classic 1996 album The Score. Consider this tour at your own risk; group member Ms. Lauryn Hill is notoriously prone to showing up late and refusing to perform unless the vibe is right, while the band’s personal relationships have been strained over the years. However, given how rare a reunion is, that risk may end up well worth it, especially since The Score is considered one of the best hip-hop albums of all time.

Check out Fugees’ tour dates here.

IDK — The USee4Yourself Tour

As eclectic and experimental as his latest albums have been, the DMV rebel knows exactly how to deliver onstage, as he’s proved on previous tours and at countless festival appearances. A true rapper’s rapper, IDK also brings a sharp, unique sensibility to the stage, using his magnetic presence to control the energy level like a seasoned veteran. He really cares about how things look and sound and his personality is as electrifying when he performs as it is in his records.

Check out IDK’s tour dates here.

Isaiah Rashad — The Lil’ Sunny’s Awesome Vacation Tour

The Lil’ Sunny Tour is already in progress, but if it hasn’t hit your city yet, make a plan to check it out because this stage veteran really knows how to move a crowd. In addition, he’s bringing along his newest TDE labelmate Ray Vaughn, who has proven to be a capable MC himself. Watching them, it’s obvious how much they love to perform and they reciprocate every jolt of energy the crowd sends their way.

Check out Isaiah Rashad’s tour dates here.

J. Cole — The Off-Season Tour

Likewise, J. Cole’s tour has already launched and he’s already making waves for his choice of attire: Sweatpants and Crocs. It looks like at least one person is bringing quarantine cozy fashion with him. But don’t think that means he’s a slouch onstage. If anything, the year he spent sharpening his craft has also honed his stage show and his lazy wardrobe is a sign of his confidence in the stagecraft and presence he brings night after night. His Queens brethren Bas is also along for the ride, and when these two link up, good things happen.

Check out J. Cole’s tour dates here.

Lil Baby & Lil Durk — Back Outside Tour

Lil Baby is currently one of, if not the hottest hip-hop act on the scene today. He’s also bringing the rapidly rising Coi Leray and his Voice Of The Heroes partner Lil Durk along, so buckle up. The hype levels for Lil Baby’s performance are always off the charts and while this will be our first time to see how he and Durk share the stage, if their on-record chemistry translates live, it’ll be a sight to behold.

Check out Lil Baby & Lil Durk’s tour dates here.

Lil Tjay — Destined 2 Win Tour

Tjay has proven to be a can’t-miss performer at festivals. It’ll be interesting to see how he condenses that energy for an indoor show after a year off. While that would worry me with some artists considering the lost year of practice and development, the precocious Tjay has already shown a natural gift for projecting his cocky persona to the back of the house. While he’s likely never experienced the sometimes grueling tour life, he seems like someone who can thrive in that environment.

Check out Lil Tjay’s tour dates here.

Playboi Carti — Narcissist Tour

Say what you want about Carti’s last album, but Whole Lotta Red probably sounds a whole lot better in a sweaty mosh pit — the way it was intended to be heard. Add in the possibility that he could very well debut an entirely new project while he’s on the road — we call that “rock star sh*t” in the biz — tapping in will at least net you a great show and at best give you a chance to say you heard the new sh*t first.

Check out Playboi Carti’s tour dates here.

Rod Wave — Soulfly Tour

The Florida crooner has made tour life a huge part of his visual presentation — nearly all his videos feature at least some footage. Anyone who prides himself on his performance that much must put on a good one. His packed schedule has taken him from Houston to Minneapolis, but you can catch the latter half of his tour anywhere from Chicago this week to his final show in Seattle in late October.

Check out Rod Wave’s tour dates here.

Snot

Snot first rose to prominence behind the intense, punk-like energy of his youth-packed live shows. His return to the road is more than welcome. He’s also one of those young rappers for whom presentation is every bit as important as his presence, so I have every confidence he’ll be one of the top artists on this list when it comes to making it a night to remember.

Check out Snot’s tour dates here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Big Daddy Kane Labels J. Cole As His ‘Favorite MC Out Here Right Now’ Ahead Of Their Upcoming Interview

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Legendary rapper Big Daddy Kane is continuing work on his upcoming Netflix documentary, Paragraphs I Manifest. The film places a spotlight on the art of emceeing and it will feature a number of notable rappers from the past and present to help tell Kane’s story. One of the artists involved in the film is J. Cole and his upcoming interview with Kane was teased in a recent video posted to Instagram.

“A lot of people out there right now are coming to people such as myself and many others, giving us our flowers and whatnot while we’re still here,” Kane says in the video as Cole stands beside him. “But listen – I wanna give this young brother right here his flowers like on the real.” Cole is taken aback by Kane’s comments and simply says, “Damn.” Kane adds, “I want this brother right here to know that he is my favorite MC out here right now. This is the brother right here that makes me feel like Hip Hop is still alive and it’s here to stay when I listen to this here brother spit and listen to his music. Love you, fam.” In response, Cole says, “Love, bro. Thank you, man. I appreciate that, bro. Legendary. Thank you. Sh*t.”

In the Instagram post’s caption, Kane confirmed that he added Cole to the growing list of guests for Paragraphs I Manifest. While speaking to HipHopDX, he also revealed another act he wants to include in the show. “I still gotta interview MC Lyte and turn it in for editing,” he said. “I swear, though, this J. Cole interview was the glue.” In addition to the aforementioned names, Kane has also interviewed JAY-Z, Common, Eminem, Doug E. Fresh, and KRS-One for the upcoming documentary, which has yet to receive an official release date.

You can watch Big Daddy Kane’s video with J. Cole above.

Bas Admits To Being ‘Star-Struck’ When He First Met Jay-Z

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It’s been a decade since Bas’ released his first mixtape Quarter Water Raised Vol. 1., which he created music with help from J. Cole, who served as a mentor of sorts before they joined forces on the Dreamville imprint. That year was also when Cole released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. During a recent conversation with HipHopDX, Bas recalled the first time he met Jay-Z, which occurred during a studio session with Cole.

“I’ve been in some rooms with Cole, where he was working with some people,” he said. “Then I did Revenge Of The Dreamers [III], where we had half the industry in the studio. You know what I mean? But the first time Hov pulled up to a Cole session, I was pretty star-struck. I can’t lie. I grew up on Hov.”

He added, “That was probably like 2011, 2010. It was the very early, early Cole days. I just said, ‘What’s up?’ He’s real cool. Hov’s mad down to Earth. Super down to Earth. But at that point, I didn’t know that about him. I just know him from what I seen.”

He concluded, “Since then, I just know that’s how he is. He’s just a chill dude.”

Bas also spoke about hitting the road for live concerts in the near future after spending more than a year at home due to the pandemic. “I’m super excited to get back on the road,” he said. “I miss it a lot. You got to find the pros and cons to it. Obviously, shows were taken from us and just human interaction in general. The adventure of life was also kind of taken away. Things got real settled, but there’s pros to that, too.”

You can read Bas’ full interview with HipHopDX here.

J. Cole Advised Dave East To Make One Change To Improve His Rap Voice

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Harlem rapper Dave East has been around for a minute, but absent the big-name co-signs or signature hits that drove some of his peers’ careers, mainstream success has eluded him. With that said, his latest project, the Harry Fraud-produced Hoffa, is a masterclass in ignoring mass appeal in favor of crafting high-quality work and staying true to yourself — the album Dave East always needed in his catalog. However, it turns out one of East’s peers had some advice for him to improve his chances to gain traction on future projects.

Speaking with Apple Music 1’s Ebro, East recalled how J. Cole helped him make some adjustments to improve his rap voice — a key component in any rap artist’s success. “I got a chance to lock in with J. Cole, just me and him in the studio with the engineer, and he asked that same question, like, ‘Bro, I’m a fan of what you do, I really respect your pen, but you rap with one tone,’” he recounted. “And I really sat and listened to myself, and a lot of my sh*t is one tone.”

The rest of the session, he said, consisted of “me and him in the studio testing tones. He’s just really seeing how high I can take my voice, how low I can take it, and then he just was like, ‘Apply that to your music. Watch the difference. That’s just something I gotta keep working at, keep working at. I think it will be something dope to add to my music.” Listening to Hoffa, it’s clear the advice paid off, as Dave sounds more energized than ever, partly as a result of Harry Fraud’s complementary beat choices but also because his inflections bring a new-found dimension to his delivery, highlighting the emotional stakes of his rhymes.

Watch Dave East and Harry Fraud’s interview with Ebro below.