Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) to further critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is the only musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His songwriting, noted for its cinematic approach, often includes social commentary and political criticism.
Born Sinner is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer J. Cole. It was released on June 18, 2013, by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. The album serves as the follow-up to his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011). The album features guest appearances from Miguel, Amber Coffman, Jhené Aiko, James Fauntleroy, Bas, TLC, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. The album was also primarily produced by Cole himself, along with others such as Jake One, Syience, and Elite.
"Memories Back Then" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., featuring guest appearances from fellow American rappers B.o.B and Kendrick Lamar, as well as vocals from American singer-songwriter Kris Stephens. The song, produced Maurice "Kenoe" Jordan, was initially released as a single by Hustle Gang on April 22, 2013. The song debuted and peaked at number 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Forbidden Fruit" is a song by American hip hop recording artist and record producer J. Cole. The song was sent to radio stations in August 2013, as the third official single from Cole's second studio album, Born Sinner (2013). "Forbidden Fruit" was produced by Cole himself and features a guest appearance from fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, who contributes vocals to the song's hook. The song features a sample of American jazz musician Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew", most recognized from its use on hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation". The song was met with mixed reviews from music critics. "Forbidden Fruit" would peak at number 46 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It entered US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single originally meant for Big Sean's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013), but was ultimately cut from that album due to sample clearance issues.
Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lennox, Cozz, Omen, Lute, JID, EarthGang, and Cole himself. Dreamville also houses American record producers Elite, Ron Gilmore, and Cedric Brown.
Cody Rashad Osagie, better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album Cozz & Effect, was released in October 2014. He has since released other projects, such as his 2016 project Nothin' Personal and in 2018 he released Effected his second Studio Album. He also released his Fortunate EP in 2021.
EarthGang is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu and WowGr8. They are co-founders of the musical collective Spillage Village, with JID, Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, 6lack, Mereba, and Benji.
Luther Nicholson, better known by his stage name Lute, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records. He released his first mixtape, West1996, in 2012, his debut album, West1996 pt. 2, in 2017, and his second album Gold Mouf in 2021.
Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Atlanta, he signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He formed the musical collective Spillage Village with EarthGang in 2010, and later formed the hip hop group, Zoink Gang with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been highly acclaimed by several music critics.
Simmie Sims III, known professionally as Buddy, is an American rapper, singer, and dancer. Previously on the I Am Other label, he is now signed to Cool Lil Company and RCA Records. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino and Guapdad 4000.
Hustle Gang Presents We Want Smoke, commonly referred to as We Want Smoke, is a compilation album by recording artists of American record label Grand Hustle Records, released under the namesake Hustle Gang. The compilation was issued on October 13, 2017, by the label, under exclusive license to Roc Nation. American rapper T.I., head of the label, first revealed plans for a label collaborative album in 2013. The compilation produced three singles—"Game 7", "Do No Wrong" and "Friends".
DiCaprio 2 is the second studio album by American rapper JID, hosted by DJ Drama. It was released on November 26, 2018, by Dreamville Records, Interscope Records and Spillage Village. The album serves as the follow-up to his debut album, The Never Story (2017), and a sequel to his extended play DiCaprio (2015). The album was supported by two singles: "151 Rum" and "Off Deez" with J. Cole.
"Motiv8" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on April 20, 2018 from his fifth studio album, KOD.
Robert Lee Gill Jr., better known by his stage name Reason, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is former signed to hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he started to gain recognition. His TDE debut, There You Have It, was released on September 28, 2018, a re-release of an album from 2017. His major label debut album New Beginnings was released on October 9, 2020.
Revenge of the Dreamers III is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records.
American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.
"Under the Sun" is a song released by record label Dreamville Records, performed by American rappers J. Cole and Lute featuring fellow American rapper DaBaby. It also has extra vocals from fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, who performs the short two-lined chorus of the song. The song was released as the first track on the label's album, Revenge of the Dreamers III. DaBaby received praise for his guest verse, with Billboard,Complex, and HotNewHipHop all ranking it as his best feature of 2019.
The Forever Story is the third studio album by American rapper JID. It was released on August 26, 2022, through Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Yasiin Bey, Lil Wayne, Johntá Austin, Ravyn Lenae, and Eryn Allen Kane. The Forever Story was met with critical acclaim upon its release, in which critics praised the album for its ambition, lyrical content and introspective writing.
