This past weekend, Raleigh, North Carolina, got to experience the most memorable Dreamville Festival thus far. Its third annual event, Dreamville left no stone unturned when it came to hip-hop’s best live acts.
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After a Sunday lineup that saw EARTHGANG, Ari Lennox, Lil Durk and City Girls get the crowd’s juices flowing, J. Cole and Drake’s joint headlining performance left the attendees stunned.
First came Cole, the founder and boss of the Dreamville imprint. The show’s headliner every year, his usual routine is always enough for his stans that fill the crowd. With hits spanning his over-decade-long career, Cole made way for international icon Drake to dominate.
Drake, who has collaborated twice with Cole on “In The Morning” (2010) and “Jodeci Freestyle” (2013), used the opportunity to bring some friends with him for his set. After taking the stage and performing hits like “Headlines,” he then used a good chunk of his time to welcome some of rap’s hottest to join him.
First came Memphis sensation GloRilla, as she performed her 2022 breakout hit “F.N.F.” for the crowd, which she collaborated with producer Hitkidd for. Peaking at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s easy to see by the Dreamville crowd’s reaction why “F.N.F.” blew up the way it did.
Next, Drake brought out Lil Uzi Vert, who gave a fiery performance of his most recent smash hit “Just Wanna Rock.” With his opening “DAAAAAAMN” exclamation at the song’s beginning, Uzi’s Jersey club-inspired track is perfect for organically starting mosh-pits.
Lil Wayne followed soon after. Notably, Drake’s idol, mentor, and biggest fan in the industry, Wayne’s appearance was enhanced even more when the tandem performed their 2011 legendary hit “The Motto,” as the crowd can be heard in the clip shouting every lyric.
Once Wayne exited the stage, Drake’s newest best friend 21 Savage popped out from backstage. Just five months removed from their collaborative album Her Loss, Drake and 21 came together to perform the LP’s intro “Rich Flex,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November. Drake and 21 Savage are set to hit the road together on their It’s All a Blur tour this summer.
After all the hoopla of Drake and friends’ performance, J. Cole trotted back on stage while Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” played. While Drake intended to use the end of his set to shower praises on Cole, the North Carolina turned around and instead gave Drake a sincere message of gratitude for his performance.
“This man right here, I’m such a fan,” Cole said to the crowd about Drake. “And I feel like I’m speaking for all of us when I say this, we are fucking WOW’d, amazed, blown away by your greatness bro. It gives a n***a chills to see you do this shit at the highest level nonstop, and constantly serve us and bless us with the soundtrack to our lives.”
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