When the inaugural Dreamville Festival was announced a few months ago, K.O.D. was at the height of its popularity. Still viewed as one of the best bodies of work we have received this year, J. Cole has been putting on some dope performances as part of his K.O.D. Tour. With the Young Thug, Jaden Smith, EarthGang & kiLL Edward assisted tour underway until October, Dreamville Fest falls right in the middle of the dates, offering Cole an opportunity to bring the label to his home state, giving North Carolina the hip-hop festival they deserve.
While some of the names announced were pretty obvious upon the first announcement of the tour, like Bas, Omen, Ari Lennox and other members of the Dreamville lineup, Cole brought forth some serious star power to headline by his side. With a lineup like this, September 15 is a date that we're marking in our calendars as Cole has confirmed the likes of SZA, Young Thug, Nelly, and Big Sean to perform sets for the festival. Midcarders include Rich The Kid, Teyana Taylor, Davido, J.I.D., Rapsody and Saba while the group is rounded out by YBN Cordae, Lute, and King Mez. All in all, this seems like an insane lineup for the first iteration of Dreamville's own festival.
If you're in North Carolina next month, you won't want to miss this one. Of course, J. Cole is slated to perform as well and if you're not already familiar with his stage set, check out our review of one of his recent shows here.