Revenge of the Dreamers II

Last updated
Revenge of the Dreamers II
DreamvilleROTD2.jpeg
Compilation album by
ReleasedDecember 8, 2015
Recorded2015
Genre
Length30:20
Label
Producer
Dreamville Records chronology
Revenge of the Dreamers
(2014)
Revenge of the Dreamers II
(2015)
Revenge of the Dreamers III
(2019)

Revenge of the Dreamers II is the second compilation album by American record label Dreamville Records and was released on December 8, 2015. The album includes contributions by Dreamville artists, J. Cole, Bas, Cozz, Omen, Lute, and Ari Lennox. [1] [2] Producers on this album include, J. Cole, Cedric Brown, K-Quick, Soundwave, Meez, Elite, Ron Gilmore Jr., DJ Grumble, and J Dilla.

Contents

Background

On December 12, 2015, posters promoting a surprise Dreamville concert were seen in subway stations and local stores in New York, NY. The concert crawl kicked off at Drom, followed by a Cake Shop appearance, and concluded with an encore at SOB's. The idea of the series, Cole said, was "to get back to the sense of underground and raw musical talent, and celebrating artists with a true, uncensored craft." [3]

The tracks "Grow" and "Tabs" are found on Cozz's mixtape, Nothin' Personal (2016). "Housewives" and "Night Job" are featured on Bas' album Too High to Riot (2016). "Backseat" is featured on Ari Lennox's EP Pho (2016). "Still Slummin'" was featured on Lute's debut studio album West1996 pt. 2 (2017).

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork 6.2/10 [4]

Pitchfork gave the compilation a 6.2 out of 10 saying "Fumbled legacy-building though it is, Dreamers is not without its bright spots. The tape introduces the label's two newest signees: the Washington, D.C.-bred singer Ari Lennox and lute, a rapper from Charlotte who joins Cole in representing North Carolina. Each artist contributes one song here, both of which are among the best on the tape; lute's Dilla-cribbing "Still Slummin" in particular is superb, throwing you immediately into his world and dispensing plaintive, delightfully un-cinematic notes." [4] Yoh Phillips from DJBooth said "J. Cole has surrounded himself with artists that are passionate. You can hear it, they want this, a quality they all share. It’s weird, I remember watching J. Cole come up, no pun intended. Part of his success is the story of his struggle, going from North Carolina to the big city with a dream to make it as a rapper. It’s a story that anyone can relate to.' [5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Folgers Crystals" (J. Cole)
2:23
2."Night Job" (Bas featuring J. Cole)
  • Cedric Brown
  • K-Quick
  • Ron Gilmore [a]
3:13
3."Backseat" (Ari Lennox featuring Cozz)DJ Grumble3:38
4."Caged Bird" (J. Cole featuring Omen)Meez3:59
5."48 Laws" (Omen featuring Donnie Trumpet)Elite2:19
6."Housewives" (Bas)
  • Hamad
  • Gilmore
  • Soundwave
  • Gilmore [a]
3:16
7."Tabs" (Cozz featuring Bas)
  • Osagie
  • Hamad
Meez3:46
8."Still Slummin'" (Lute) J Dilla 3:28
9."Grow" (Cozz featuring Correy C)OsagieMeez4:17
Total length:30:20

Notes

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [6] 24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [7] 4
US Rap Albums (Billboard) [8] 3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole</span> American rapper (born 1985)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamville Records</span> American record label

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> Sudanese-American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cozz</span> American rapper

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<i>Too High to Riot</i> 2016 studio album by Bas

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Lennox</span> American R&B singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Courtney Shanade Salter, known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Washington, D.C. She signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records as the former label's first female artist in 2015. She started gaining recognition after the release of her second extended play (EP) and major label debut, Pho (2016). That same year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change". Her debut studio album, Shea Butter Baby (2019), was met with critical praise and lukewarm commercial response.

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<i>Nothin Personal</i> 2016 mixtape by Cozz

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<i>Revenge of the Dreamers</i> 2014 compilation album by Dreamville Records

Revenge of the Dreamers is the first compilation album by American record label Dreamville Records and was released on January 28, 2014. The album includes contributions by Dreamville artists, J. Cole, Bas, Omen, K-Quick as well as Treasure Davis. Producers on this album include, J. Cole, Omen, Ron Gilmore, Cedric Brown, K-Quick, and Jay Kurzweil. The project is the first in the series and spawned two sequels: Revenge of the Dreamers II (2015) and Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019).

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References

  1. Victoria Hernandez (December 10, 2015). "J. Cole x Dreamville "Revenge Of The Dreamers II" Cover Art, Tracklist & Album Stream". HipHopDX . Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  2. Kevin Goddard (December 7, 2015). "J.Cole & Dreamville Surprise Fans With Release Of "Revenge Of The Dreamers 2"". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. McKinney, Jessica (14 December 2015). "J.Cole And Dreamville Return To Underground Vibes For "Revenge Of The Dreamers NYC Crawl"". Vibe.
  4. 1 2 Thompson, Paul A. (January 6, 2016). "Dreamville II: Revenge of the Dreamers". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  5. Phillips, Yoh (9 December 2015). "Revenge of J. Cole's Dreamers: The Blessing & Curse of Being a Dreamville Artist". DJBooth.
  6. "Billboard 200 - Year End Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  7. "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Year End Chart". Billboard . Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  8. "Billboard Rap Albums Year End Chart". Billboard . Retrieved February 7, 2016.