After a brief hiatus, the 2nd annual Dreamville Festival was back in full effect this past weekend. Hip hop artists ranging from Lil Wayne to Ari Lennox had fans enraptured for two whole days. Over 30 artists performed on the Dreamville stages for an unforgettable musical experience. EBONY was on sight to catch the vibes and see this dope display of artistry first hand.
Under the helm of North Carolina bred rapper J. Cole, the Dreamville Festival has been an intentional outlet for Cole to give back to the city that raised him and provided so much to his development. Over 40,000 attendees attended the festival and showed out. Taking place in Raleigh's Dorothea Dix Park, the festival aims to contribute to both the economic and artistic growth of the city, making it a highly anticipated show.
Dreamville Records, founded by J. Cole, is an Imprint of Interscope Records. Under its moniker is a robust selection of artists which includes, Cole himself, Bas, Cozz, Ari Lennox, J.I.D., Omen, Lute, and Earthgang.
In an interview, Candace Rodney, President of Dreamville Studios & Records, said “We established Dreamville Festival as one of the premier hip-hop events in the country; bringing together all aspects of the Dreamville brand. This year, we’ve scaled the festival to two days and have curated a lineup of some of Dreamville’s closest collaborators.”
If you're a frequent festival goer, you know that there is nothing like experiencing the vibrations of a popping music festival season and seeing your favorite artists live alongside others who get it. The full roster of artists who performed were BLXST, Fivio Foreign, Earthgang, Ari Lennox, Bas, Bia. Ja Rule, Ashanti, J.I.D., DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz with Lil Wayne, Jeezy and T.I., Kehlani, Lil Baby, J.Cole, Larry June, Moneybagg Yo, Rico Nasty, Lute, Mereba, Morray, Wizkid, Mikhala Jene, The Hics, Wale, T-Pain and Omen.
Amongst the activities available throughout the weekend included activations from Don Julio and Monster Energy with partnerships from NBA 2K, Amazon Music and Tito's Vodka, to name a few. Prior to the festival, Dreamville hosted a yoga and mindfulness meditation, Storytellas– a live podcast activation, and Dreamville house for fans to get into the vibes early.
While closing out the show, the 2014 Forest Hills Drive artist performed his hit songs such as "Nobody's Perfect," "Work Out" and "Can't get Enough" for those who were in the mood for nostalgia.
Check out the images of a few of the artists who touched the Dreamville stage below:
