J. Cole reminisced about crafting his verse for Jay-Z’s “A Star is Born” during his recent Dreamville Festival performance.
While headlining on Sunday, Cole shared memories of signing with Roc Nation in 2009, which quickly led to Jay-Z wanting to hit the studio with the North Carolina rapper.
“We get to New York, me and my n***a, Ib. We walk in the studio. I’m already nervous,” Cole told the crowd. “I see this n***a Jay-Z and who the fuck was right next to him? Beyoncé. Oh my God. My motherfucking heart damn near fell out my chest.”
Cole shared that despite how huge the moment was, he knew he could rise to the occasion. “‘Damn, I’m already feeling pressure and this n***a wants me on a song,” he continued. “He got fucking Beyoncé right next to him. Okay, no problem. I’m built for this.'”
Cole then explained how Jay previewed The Blueprint 3 for him.
“He’s playing me all these songs and the shit sounds amazing. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this n***a playing me music.’ I know my part is coming up; I’m training for this shit though, I know I’m ready,” Cole shared. “This was a big moment for [North] Carolina, a big moment for The ‘Ville.”
The Blueprint 3 dropped in September 2009, delivering hit tracks like “Run This Town” featuring Rihanna and Ye, “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys, and “On to the Next One” with Swizz Beatz, plus appearances from Jeezy, Drake, Kid Cudi, and Pharrell, among others. The album topped multiple charts, including the Billboard 200, US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and US Top Rap Albums.
During other parts of his performance, Cole brought out Erykah Badu to perform their collaboration “Too Deep for the Intro.” According to Cole and his team, future Dreamville Festivals will have a different format than previous events.
