J Cole is hip-hop royalty in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Overall, the rapper has always shown love to his hometown through his music and his actions. North Carolina, in return, has shown him love with a brand new mural. The mural in question was unveiled on April 2, and features a sprawling portrait of the rapper next to the phrase: “Welcome to Fayetteville.” Furthermore, it’s located on the side of a record store in downtown Fayetteville (naturally).
New York-based graffiti artist Andulaz The Artist created the mural. Andulaz posted images of the mural on his Instagram account with the caption: “I had lots of fun working on this piece. The community was really loving and embracing.” Additionally, the post received widespread praise from fans, who felt that it was a very fitting tribute to everything J. Cole has achieved in his career up to this point. The mural could not have been more perfectly timed, as the rapper’s annual Dreamville Fest is set to begin on April 6th. The fest will run throughout the weekend and feature performances from Cole and other rap stars like Nicki Minaj, 50 Cent and ScHoolboy Q.
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J. Cole’s Mural Was Created By Andulaz The Artist
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Overall, Dreamville Fest has generated millions of dollars each year for the local economy, according to the label’s official website. According to HipHopDX, the festival generated a whopping $145 million in 2023 alone. This is not the first time that J. Cole’s charitable efforts have been recognized. North Carolina declared March 1 “J. Cole Day” back in 2012, which prompted him to release the documentary J. Cole Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming on HBO in 2016.
The mural and festival serve as a respite of sorts for J. Cole, who is currently in the midst of a beef with Kendrick Lamar. Overall, the Compton rapper took shots at Cole and Drake on the recent track “Like That,” which has some fans anticipating a response from the other 2/3 of the so-called Big 3. However, Cole has not publicly acknowledged the diss. Although he has thrown subliminal shots at Lamar in the past, so many are many who believe there’s more to come from Fayetteville’s favorite son.
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