It's hard to fathom how an artist "straight out of the Villle" could sell out a celebrated venue like KoKo without having an album to his name. However, if your name is Jermain Cole then all confusion aside, this was bound to happen. J Cole performed his first concert in London last night much to the satisfaction of his ebullient fans and what was presented was pure unadulterated music.
One thing that stood out to me the most throughout the entire evening was his undisputed loyalty to his original fans, churning out tracks like 'Young Simba', 'Dollar And Dream' and Lights Please' taken from his classic underground classic mixtapes, The Come Up and The Warm Up, appearing more prepared to focus on material which help put J Cole on the map. With that said, being the attentive rapper that he is, Cole would on occasions slow the lyrics down similar to that of school teacher and his students; when trying to ensure the message of the songs resonated with the audience, leaving new fans in awe of his old material and the more established fans amped with excitement.
Of course the evening wouldn't be complete without performing certified, audience pleasing anthems courtesy of his most recent mixtape, Friday Night Lights such as 'Blow Up', 'Higher' and 'In The Morning' (disappointingly without Drake) which sent the crowd into an uncivilised frenzy.
Passionate, endearing and entertaining, J Cole's no gimmick approach to his performance made certain that even with a basic back drop on stage, he had an alluring stage presence which made it hard for your eyes to wander and though I can't speak for everyone else, I left the show on an amazing high.
I can't wait for the album!
Press play.
Video via Hip Hop Chronicle
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