J Cole Concludes Final Dreamville with Erykah Badu

The fifth & final Dreamville festival went down in Raleigh, North Carolina over the weekend and this event was filled with surprise artists, reunions, and energetic highlights. The star-studded lineup included J.Cole, Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, 21 Savage, Ludacris, Ari Lennox, and many more. Fans packed the arena out, ready to enjoy this final moment of a legendary festival.

SAM SHAPIRO MEDIA, APRIL 5TH-6TH 2025

During J.Cole’s headlining set, he surprised the audience by bringing Erykah Badu on the stage and the two delivered an extra special moment dedicated to their long-time fans. Although there was speculation about this on-stage collaboration, the moment sent the crowd into a frenzy! Cole ran through his catalog, playing cuts from “Lost Ones” and “Grown Simba” and ended “Too Deep For the Intro” which is the opening track to the legendary Friday Night Lights mixtape. The song is known for including a sample of “Didn’t Cha Know,” which is one of Badu’s standout songs from the 2000’s Mama’s Gun album.

Badu’s appearance was one of the most memorable moments from Cole’s set. Cole continued to take his fans down memory lane by telling the story behind his verse on “A Star Is Born” by Jay Z.

“I’m from Fayetteville and I signed to JAY-Z. You could imagine how crazy that felt,” he said. He then spoke about a phone call he received saying Hov wanted him to come to the studio because he wanted him to hop on a song. “I’m like, ‘Oh my f**king God, that was quick! But I was prepared, I’ve been working a long time and my pen was sharp. I believed in myself. I was nervous… and who the f**k was right next to him? Beyoncé. My motherf**king heart fell out of my chest.”

Although Dreamville Fest announced this would be the final festival, fans were informed that the festival isn’t quite over yet and it will be under “a new and exciting” partnership. The festival will still return to North Carolina.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 06: Erykah Badu performs during the 2025 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 06, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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