Throughout The South, people are tearing down statues commemorating Confederate leaders. Now, the citizens of Durham, North Carolina have an appropriate replacement for these monuments.
On Saturday, graffiti artist JEKS shared his completed mural of North Carolina's own, J. Cole. According to JEKS' Instagram post, the mural was done in collaboration with iconic hip-hop photographer, Jonathan Mannion, turning one of Mannion's pictures of Cole into the piece.
"Another collaboration with legendary photographer @jonathanmannion of NC hiphop legend @realcoleworld for @uhillwalls in Durham NC," the artist wrote. "It was such an awesome few days surrounded by 40-plus other artists killing it."
As fans know, Cole was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina which is just about 90 miles south of Durham. Cole was just one of the faces added to the new North Carolina Mount Rushmore. The Durham group Little Brother—which consists of Phonte, Big Pooh, and 9th Wonder—also received a portrait near J. Cole's painting.
These paintings are part of the UHill Walls display. This "outdoor art experience" is meant to pay tribute to the many faces that helped turn North Carolina into a cultural hub.
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