J. Cole: Road to Homecoming

Last updated
J. Cole: Road to Homecoming
Directed byScott Lazer
Starring J. Cole
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producerAdam Roy Rodney
ProducersRichard Clark Jr.
Tim Grant
Jon Muedder
EditorsValeria Gualdi
Oliver Riley-Smith
Alicia Hedley
Maria Simone Williams
Release
Original releaseDecember 16, 2015 (2015-12-16) 
January 9, 2016 (2016-01-09)

J. Cole: Road to Homecoming is a 2015 mini-documentary series about American rapper J. Cole. The documentary series provides insight into the 2014 Forest Hills Drive album rollout, documents each act of the Forest Hills Drive Tour, and highlights of the 2015 Dollar & A Dream Tour. [1]

Contents

Premise

On December 15, 2015, Cole announced the mini-series which gives an intimate look at his creative process and the inner workings of his career. Upon the premiere date, J. Cole wrote:

This hour and a half special is actually the final piece of a 5 part mini-documentary series that we shot and edited at Dreamville Films this year. To keep it real, I'm just as excited about the first four episodes as i am the Homecoming film. These pieces all document some important moments from the last year of my life. [...] Once thing I know about myself is that I don't like to give too much of me outside of the music. I'm grateful of having my dream career of putting words together, flipping samples and making projects that make you feel something. With that said, I try to keep this relationship mostly about the music. [2]

Release

The first four episodes of the mini-series were released weekly, and included behind-the-scenes footage of the album's creation, music videos, and backstage on the tour. [3] [4] Guest appearances included Kendrick Lamar, Wale, ASAP Ferg and Rihanna. [5] [6] The fifth episode aired on January 9, as the concert film, Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming , covering his 2015 show at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. [7] All episodes were available for free on Vimeo until January 9.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byOriginal release date
1"Fuck Money, Spread Love"Scott LazerDecember 16, 2015 (2015-12-16)
The first installment of a chronicle of the making of rapper J. Cole's third studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, includes a surprise visit to Morehouse College and a listening session at his old home in Fayetteville, N.C.
2"Ain't Nothin' Like That"Scott LazerDecember 23, 2015 (2015-12-23)
Cole gets his diploma from St. John's University in Queens seven years after he graduated because he never paid a fee for a library book. Also: a look at how a tour is planned.
3"This Is What You Wanted"Scott LazerDecember 30, 2015 (2015-12-30)
The steps to booking a venue are chronicled. Also includes appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna and Wale.
4"Buses, Vans, and Trains"Scott LazerJanuary 6, 2016 (2016-01-06)
The final phases of the tour are put together, including the stage design and visual effects.
5"Homecoming"Scott LazerJanuary 9, 2016 (2016-01-09)
J. Cole returns to his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina for an endearing performance of his platinum selling album 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

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References

  1. Platon, Adelle. "Watch Episode 1 of J. Cole's 'Road to Homecoming' Miniseries". Billboard.
  2. "WATCH THE REVEALING FIRST EPISODE OF J. COLE'S 'ROAD TO HOMECOMING' HBO DOCUMENTARY". MTV.
  3. Augustin, Camille (16 December 2015). "J. Cole Releases Part One Of Mini-Documentary Series Ahead Of HBO Special". Vibe . Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  4. Schwartz, Danny. "J. Cole's HBO Documentary "Road To Homecoming" (Episode 2)". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  5. Augustin, Camille (30 December 2015). "Wale, Kendrick Lamar & Rihanna Join J. Cole In Episode 3 Of 'Road To Homecoming' Series". Vibe. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  6. Danny Schwartz (January 6, 2016). "J. Cole's HBO Documentary "Road To Homecoming" (Episode 4)". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  7. "J. Cole's 90-Minute HBO Documentary 'Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming' Is Here". Hypebeast. 10 January 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2020.