J Cole continues the incredible feature run he's had over the past few years. However, we haven’t seen the entire range of his versatility. We’ve seen him lock in with he appeared alongside the late Guru on Gang Starr’s “Family Jewels." He linked up with BIA on the 2022 hit, “London,” where he proved how tapped in he is with UK culture. This week, he’ll be expanding his catalog to touch K-Pop fans with a new collab alongside one of the members of BTS, J-Hope.
This morning, J-Hope of BTS announced that he’ll be releasing a new collab with J Cole this Friday titled, “On The Street.” Dreamville and J-Hope shared a trailer for the single online this morning, leading fans into hysteria. The trailer showcases Cole and J-Hope together (possibly in the UK) where they stare off-camera before a whistling melody strikes. Cole stans applauded him for expanding outside his usual comfort zone while the BTS Army united in celebration of another significant American collaboration. The single will drop this Friday, March 3rd.
J. Cole Collab Marks Full Circle Moment For BTS’s J-Hope
Though, to the average listener, this collab might seem like a random union of artists, “On The Street” will mark a full circle moment for J-Hope. Over the years, he’s expressed his appreciation for Cole in the past. On BTS’s 2014 record, “Hip-Hop Phile,” Hope pays homage to the Fayetteville native, along with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Ye, and Mac Miller. “Before I made my own world, Cole world/ Ever since he shone on Friday nights,” he rapped on the record.
Years later, BTS sampled the intro to J. Cole’s 2013 sophomore album, Born Sinner, for their single, “Born Singer,” which the rapper later cleared for streaming purposes last year. Hope finally had the opportunity to meet J. Cole at Lollapalooza last year, which presumably led to their collaboration for “On The Street.” Hope referred to Cole as his “muse” and expressed how much he loved Friday Night Lights, which appeared to shock the “MIDDLE CHILD” rapper. The BTS ARMY was clearly excited to see J-Hope land this collaboration after years of expressing his fandom. Check out a few reactions below.