J. Cole has dropped another hint about The Fall Off, suggesting that his upcoming album will be released soon.
At the close of his 2014 Forest Hills Drive 10th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden on Monday (December 16), the Dreamville rapper said to the crowd: “I’ll see y’all at Dreamville Festival. Hopefully I’ll have something new to perform for y’all.”
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The fifth and final Dreamville Festival is set to take place in April, meaning Cole’s rollout for The Fall Off could begin shortly after the New Year.
At the one-night-only anniversary concert, Cole performed 2014 Forest Hills Drive in its entirety, as well as hits such as “Work Out” and “Power Trip” and the deep cuts “2Face,” “I Get Up” and “Grown Simba.”
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The stage was modeled after his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina that appears on the album cover, while he also made 2,014 tickets available for the show at the cost of just $1 each.
Another highlight from the night saw Cole ask the sold-out crowd to put an arm around the person next to them before performing “Note to Self.”
“2024’s been absolutely insane, you know what I mean? And in times like these, a picture like this is what a n-gga needs to see. Love in this muthafucka,” he said.
J. Cole’s final words at the '2014 Forest Hills Drive' anniversary show 👀
“See y’all at Dreamville Fest… Hopefully I have something new to perform for y’all.” pic.twitter.com/2e71MfGo9z
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) December 17, 2024
— @ jcolevillle (@randomclipss441) December 17, 2024
Last week, it was announced that next year’s Dreamville Festival will be the last one, fueling rumors that J. Cole gearing up to retire from music.
His longtime manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad wrote on social media: “Thank You North Carolina. Thank you to everyone who’s travelled from all over the last 4 years to enjoy our little family reunion.
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“This Festival is something a lot of people have been working very hard to bring you and it’s honestly been a dream come true seeing the impact.”
The festival will take place on April 5 and 6 at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, not far from Cole’s hometown of Fayetteville. The lineup has yet to be announced.
News of the festival’s forthcoming finale was met with concern on social media about Cole’s future music plans, with some fans interpreting it as a further sign that the rapstar is planning to hang up his mic.
“Honestly, wit the podcast, dropping the mixtapes on DSPs, the MSG show and the last Dreamville Fest….yall think Cole is done after this next album?” Apple Music radio host Lowkey asked his X followers.
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Cole previously teased retiring on his “On the Street” collaboration with BTS star J-Hope, rapping: “Some days I wonder if I need to pick a different hobby / I’m deep in with this rappin’, it’s all a n-gga know / I never did nothin’ better, it’s hard to let it go / But like a father watching his daughter / Walk down the altar with tears in his eyes / You gotta let her grow.”
