J. Cole looked back on the making of his verse for Jay-Z’s “A Star is Born” during the Dreamville Festival.
On Sunday, during Cole’s headlining set, he reflected on signing to Roc Nation in 2009, which was followed by Hov wanting to get in 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 audience. “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 explained that despite the magnitude of the moment, he knew he could handle it. “‘Damn, I'm already feeling pressure and this n***a wants me on a song," he added. "He got fucking Beyoncé right next to him. Okay, no problem. I'm built for this.’”
Cole went on to describe how Jay played 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 said. “This was a big moment for [North] Carolina, a big moment for The 'Ville.”
The Blueprint 3 arrived in September 2009, spawning hit songs “Run This Town” with Rihanna and Ye, “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys, and “On to the Next One” with Swizz Beatz, with additional features from Jeezy, Drake, Kid Cudi, and Pharrell, among others. The album sat atop multiple charts, including the Billboard 200, US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and US Top Rap Albums.
Elsewhere in Cole's set, he brought out Erykah Badu for a performance of their song "Too Deep for the Intro." According to Cole and his team, the next iteration of Dreamville Fest will look different than previous versions.
