J. Cole’s First Dreamville Festival Puts North Cack-A-Lack Back On The Map

Grammy Award nominated hip hop artist J. Cole has proudly repped North Carolina since the day he first picked up a microphone and blessed us with sixteen bars. Hailing from Fayetteville, NC,  Cole has always used his music to show love and embrace his hometown. In 2014, he released 2014 Forest Hills Drive in honor of his childhood home and in 2015 he embarked on his highly successful Forest Hill Drive tour. Now living in Raleigh, a short distance from where he grew up, It was only right that Cole would do something special for the people of North Carolina. In 2018, J. Cole and his Dreamville Records imprint announced the inaugural Dreamville Festival, a concert festival that would take place in Raleigh, NC. Unfortunately, due to hurricanes ripping through the southeast, the event did not go down in September as planned. Instead, it was rescheduled for April 2019, which as it seems, made the event bigger and better than one could imagine. The bill for Dreamville Fest 2019 included acts such as Big Sean, 21 Savage, Teyana Taylor, 6lack, SZA, Young Thug, Ari Lennox and so many more. We were on hand to check out the festival for ourselves and needless to say it was definitely one for the books.

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The event took place on Saturday, April 6 at the historic Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh’s largest city park. Roughly 40,000 guests from across the globe, including attendees hailing from all 50 states and more than 10 international countries, spanned across the 300 acres of green space which also included food vendors, games and art installations. Two installations in particular — art dedications to the late Nipsey Hussle and the late Mac Miller, gained a massive amount of viral attention on social media over the weekend. Dreamville Festival offered attendees of all ages performances from some of today’s most sought-after music acts, blending together stadium headliners alongside exciting up-and-comers. The lineup and festival experience itself was curated by the festival founder himself, J. Cole, who’s headlining performance closed out the festival offering a truly unforgettable, awe-inspiring and FOMO-inducing end to the first-year fest. If you missed out on everything Dreamville Festival last Saturday, don’t worry, we’ve got a tone of photos that will make you wish you copped a flight to Raleigh. Check out our photo gallery! If video is more your speed, all of the performances are being exclusively streamed on TIDAL.com/DreamvilleFest

1. Dreamville Festival

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

2. Dreamville Festival

Meek Mill performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

3. Dreamville Festival

SZA performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

4. Dreamville Festival

Davido performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

5. 9th Wonder

9th Wonder at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

6. Rapsody

Rapsody at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

7. Dreamville Festival

SZA performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

8. 6lack

6lack poses backstage at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival, which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

9. Dreamville Festival 2019

6lack performs live at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

10. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

11. Dreamville Festival 2019

Nipsey Hussle art installation at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival, which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

12. Dreamville Festival 2019

Mac Miller art installation at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

13. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

14. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

15. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

16. Big Sean

Big Sean performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

17. 21 Savage

21 Savage performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

18. Dreamville Festival 2019

Big Sean performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

19. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

20. Dreamville Festival 2019

21 Savage performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

21. Fans at Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

22. Ari Lennox

Ari Lennox poses at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

23. Dreamville Festival 2019

Teyana Taylor performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

24. Dreamville Festival 2019

Teyana Taylor performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

25. Dreamville Festival 2019

Teyana Taylor performs at J. Cole’s inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville

26. Dreamville Festival 2019

J. Cole performs at his inaugural Dreamville Festival which took place on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photos provided by Trey Hicks – trey@giantnoise.com north carolina,festival,raleigh,j cole,records,dreamville