American rapper J. Cole has reflected on how he made his verse for Jay-Z’s “A Star is Born” during the Dreamville Festival in front of Beyoncé and her husband.
During Cole’s headlining set last Sunday, the 40-year-old looked back on signing to Roc Nation in 2009, which was followed by Jay-Z 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 explained to the audience.
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“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 of my chest.”
J. Cole revealed that although there were big names in the room, he knew what it took to handle the situation.
“‘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 explain how Jay-Z 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***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.”
It was in 2009 that ‘The Blueprint 3’ arrived, spawning hit songs “Run This Town” with Rihanna and Kanye West, “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 topped several charts, including the Billboard 200, US Top Rap Albums, and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Elsewhere in Cole’s set, he brought out Erykah Badu for a performance of their song “Too Deep for the Intro.”
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According to Cole and his team, the next iteration of Dreamville Fest is reportedly expected to take a different shape from previous editions, and his fans will be keeping a close eye on it.
