Under the Sun (Dreamville, J. Cole and Lute song)

Last updated
"Under the Sun"
Song by Dreamville, J. Cole and Lute featuring DaBaby
from the album Revenge of the Dreamers III
ReleasedJuly 5, 2019
RecordedJanuary 2019
Studio Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, Georgia [1]
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"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 . [2] DaBaby received praise for his guest verse, with Billboard, Complex , and HotNewHipHop all ranking it as his best feature of 2019. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Background

In February, Dreamville gave a live preview of the song after the NBA All-Star game – which J. Cole was the halftime show performer, during the free concert in Charlotte. On Twitter, Hamad explained that Kendrick Lamar originally did not intend to appear on the track, and was at first just supposed to come and listen. [6]

Recording and production

The song was produced by Christo, Pluss and Nice Rec, and contains an uncredited sample from "I'll Be Waiting For You" by Argo Singers. [7] Christo spoke about the composition of the song with Billboard , saying:

I didn't see DaBaby at the studio. If he was there, I didn't see it. The integral part of the song is the sample that repeats. I heard that in a room with [co-producer] Pluss, and I knew he could put some dope Southern drums on and make it a good song. Out of nowhere, we got Cole and Lute, and then DaBaby hopped on. I heard the finished version when things were being mixed. With me being on tour with J.I.D, I wasn't really [actively] listening to tracks. [8]

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Rolling Stone Top 100, becoming the label's highest charting song on both charts. [9] On May 14, 2020, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital units in the United States. [10]

Music video

The music video for the song was released on September 16, 2019, on the official Dreamville YouTube channel and has over 60 million views as of September 2023. It was directed by Scott Lazer, Aisultan Seitov, David Peters, and Chad Tennies, and produced by Tripp Kramer. [11]

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [12] 72
US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 44
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 11
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [15] 10

Certifications

[16]

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [17] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole</span> American rapper and record producer (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 to Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010), both to critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole discography</span>

American rapper J. Cole has released six studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, three extended plays, three mixtapes, 58 singles, two promotional singles and twenty one music videos. J. Cole first took up rapping in his teens, collaborating with the local Fayetteville hip hop duo Bomm Sheltuh. The Come Up, his debut mixtape, was released on May 4, 2007, to positive reception. Following the release of The Come Up, J. Cole was contacted by American rapper Jay Z and subsequently signed to his record label Roc Nation. Cole released his second mixtape The Warm Up on June 15, 2009. "Lights Please", the first single from The Warm Up, peaked at number nine on the United States Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and became Cole's first entry on a national record chart. He was later featured on "All I Want Is You", a 2010 single by American R&B singer Miguel – it peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100. J. Cole's third mixtape Friday Night Lights was released on November 12, 2010.

"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It impacted US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single for the former's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013). It was ultimately cut from the album due to sample clearance issues.

<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> American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, mononymously known as Bas, is a Sudanese-American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records via Interscope Records. His first studio album Last Winter, was released on April 29, 2014, followed by his second studio album, Too High to Riot, which was released on March 4, 2016. Bas' third album, Milky Way, was released on August 24, 2018.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omen (musician)</span> American rapper

Damon Coleman, better known by his stage name Omen, is an American rapper and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album Elephant Eyes, was released on July 21, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EarthGang</span> American hip hop duo

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, on February 22, 2012. His debut album, West1996 pt. 2, was released on September 29, 2017. His second album, Gold Mouf, was released on October 4, 2021.

<i>4 Your Eyez Only</i> 2016 studio album by J. Cole

4 Your Eyez Only is the fourth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on December 9, 2016, by Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records. The album was Cole's first release with Interscope—his previous albums were released by Columbia Records. 4 Your Eyez Only was released exactly two years after Cole's previous studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

"Neighbors" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on December 9, 2016, recorded for his fourth studio album, 4 Your Eyez Only. It was released on April 25, 2017, as the second single off the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deja Vu (J. Cole song)</span> 2017 single by J. Cole

"Deja Vu" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on December 9, 2016 from his fourth studio album, 4 Your Eyez Only. It was released on January 10, 2017, as the first single off the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JID</span> American rapper (born 1990)

Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is a part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by EarthGang in 2010. He signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been highly acclaimed by several music critics.

<i>Revenge of the Dreamers III</i> 2019 compilation album by Dreamville

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Child</span> 2019 single by J. Cole

"Middle Child" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. The song was released on January 23, 2019, through Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records, as the first single from Dreamville's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III. The song was written by J. Cole, T-Minus, Allan Felder, & Norman Harris, and produced by the former two. It was serviced to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio on February 5, 2019. The track contains a sample from "Wake Up to Me", written by Felder and Harris, as performed by First Choice. On the song, J. Cole explores "his place between the old and new generations of hip hop, making him the 'middle child' of rap."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JID discography</span>

American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Lennox discography</span> Discography

American singer-songwriter Ari Lennox has released two studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), one mixtape, and 11 singles. She released her debut studio album titled Shea Butter Baby in May 2019. Then she released her sophomore album Age/Sex/Location in September 2022. Both studio albums were produced through Dreamville Records and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down Bad</span> 2019 single by Dreamville

"Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside "Got Me" as the dual second single from the label's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.

"Amari" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

"Pride Is the Devil" is a song written and performed by American rappers J. Cole and Lil Baby. Produced by T-Minus, it was released on May 14, 2021, as part of the former's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

References

  1. Hundred, Juan (January 19, 2019). "The Creator's POV of the Dreamville 'ROTD3' Camp". istandardproducers. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  2. "Dreamville's "Under The Sun" Links J. Cole With Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby & Lute". HotNewHipHop.
  3. "DaBaby's Best Guest Verses of 2019, Ranked". Billboard . Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  4. "DaBaby's Best Guest Verses, Ranked". Complex . Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  5. "DaBaby's Top 10 Best Features Of 2019". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  6. "Dreamville President Ibrahim Hamad Explains Kendrick Lamar's Surprise Appearance On "Under The Sun"". Genius . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. ohchristo [@ohchristo] (July 7, 2019). "Under the sun sample - How I Love To Call His Name by Argo Singers" (Tweet). Retrieved July 8, 2019 via Twitter.
  8. Saponara, Michael. "Christo Breaks Down Each Track He Produced on Dreamville's 'Revenge of the Dreamers III' Album". Billboard . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  9. "J. Cole Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  10. "Under The Sun". RIAA. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  11. Dreamville - Under The Sun ft. J. Cole, DaBaby & Lute (Official Music Video) , retrieved September 17, 2019 via YouTube
  12. "J Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  13. "J Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  14. "J Cole Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  15. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone . July 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  16. "Under The Sun".
  17. "American single certifications – Dreamville – Under The Sun". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 19, 2019.