Drake has always made it a point to show J. Cole love, and the Canadian rapper did so once again during his most recent show.
On Friday (July 14), Drake played the first of two concerts at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada, as part of the Its All A Blur Tour. In the absence of co-headliner and 21 Savage, Drizzy brought out the Fayetteville MC to an erupting audience during his set, following which the latter performed a string of his classics.
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“[He’s] one of the greatest rappers to ever touch a microphone,” the OVO boss told the crowd while introducing his friend. “I hope you enjoy yourself.”
Check out the clips of Cole’s introduction and him rapping the opening verse of “No Role Modelz” below:
Drake dubs J. Cole "one of the greatest" as he brings him out at Montreal showhttps://t.co/52WCdDsvQrpic.twitter.com/KCutaV8FXH
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) July 15, 2023
This wasn’t the first time the two stars have taken the stage together, and it also wasn’t the first time the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker gave his props to Cole in front of a concert-goers. On the opening night of The Off-Season Tour in 2021, Cole briefly shared his platform with Drake at a show in Miami.
“I want you to understand something,” the 6 God told the North Carolina Native. “You are without a doubt one of the greatest rappers to touch a mic. I wanna let you know, there’s way too many people in the world that think and know J. Cole is at the top of the pole position. I love you with all my heart, you’re my brother, you’re one of my favorite artists and I appreciate you having me out here.”
Prior to the Montreal surprise, the pair co-headlined the Dreamville Festival in April. The crossover took place on the second and final night of the annual event in Raleigh, NC.
Cole kicked things off with a 45-minute set, during which he performed hit singles and mixtape cuts alike while bringing out teammates J.I.D, Bas, EarthGang, Lute and Omen.
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Drizzy then took the stage moments after Cole wrapped up his set and proceeded to run through a career-spanning setlist while bringing out his own lineup of special guests, including Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert and GloRilla.
Drake and 21 Savage’s 56-date It’s All A Blur Tour commenced in early June and has passed through Chicago, Detroit and Boston so far. The trek will cover cities in Canada and the United States, and is scheduled to conclude in early October.
