With Chicago being a key city of the “blog era” in hip-hop, J. Cole’s bond with the Windy City was, and remains, strong. The rapper was one of the artists to break out during this transformative period in hip-hop culture. Sixteen years after dropping his first album, “Cole World: The Sideline Story,” he’s become one of the most revered and successful rappers of his generation. “The Fall-Off World Tour” is an endearing homage to both J. Cole’s long career and his devotion to his hometown, through the good and the bad.
And with the Windy City being a pivotal place throughout his career, he clearly appreciates the city’s legacy.
“Y’all from such a f—— legendary, historic city,” Cole told the audience about his reverence for Chicago on Tuesday, the first of two shows at the United Center. “Y’all witnessed greatness on such a high level. The rappers y’all gave to the world, the music, the culture, the slang. Y’all got so much s— that I don’t know if y’all really know …”
After an opening montage of credits, Cole appeared in the upper level among his fans, performing the six-minute “39 Intro” from the second disc of “The Fall-Off.” As soon as the video screens cut to his face underneath the blue lights, he launched into his opening verse in the upper section with his fans who captured every moment on their phones. Watching him rap his way through the crowd and across both sides of the arena floor, shaking hands along the way, felt like watching a true people’s champion at work.
Throughout Cole’s career, he’s connected with his fans directly and on a human level. He recently traveled the country in his vintage Honda Civic to promote “The Fall-Off,” selling the album for $1 out of his trunk, and had fans ride with him to listen to the double album.
Fan engagement is a major part of the show. During his verse on Benny the Butcher’s “Johnny P’s Caddy,” he invited a fan from the crowd to rap the song with him. He found a young woman in the 100 section behind him with a Dreamville Records jersey and a sign that read “Been Ready From The Night I Was Born.” She electrified the crowd, rapping every word as if her life depended on it.
His hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, which he affectionately calls “The Ville,” was as much of the main character of the show as Cole was. He rapped in front of and atop a recreation of Fayetteville’s Market House, a U.S. National Historic Landmark and town hall, for the entire show. The setting was especially effective during his performance of emotionally striking songs “Run A Train” and his final song “Quik Stop.”
Even the white towels laid on every seat for attendees served a purpose. Fans were ceremoniously twirling them in the air during “Old Dog” in homage to North Carolina sports culture and fellow North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo. The tribute continued when he played Pablo’s 2001 hit, “Raise Up.”
“The Fall-Off” tour featured a unique segment called “Dreamville Radio,” hosted by Dreamville veteran Bas and DJ Dummy, to introduce fans to the label’s roster and rising acts. It felt like a live, underground mix show. DJ Dummy energized the crowd with hip-hop and R&B hits from the ‘90s, 2000s, and 2010s. Bas brought out North Carolina artists, singer/songwriter PJ and rapper PFG (Prettyface Gangsta), and Chicago rapper Omen to rock the crowd. Before Bas performed his verses from “Night Job,” “H.Y.B.,” and “Tribe,” he conducted short Q&As with each artist after their set.
Cole’s performance of fan favorite “Middle Child” was one of the night’s most anticipated moments that leaned into his aggressive determination to be one of the best rappers.
The Day 1 fans got their money’s worth with Cole’s generous set list that dug deep into his early catalog. The invigorating energy that filled the arena continued during Cole’s “Nobody’s Perfect.” The whole United Center sang the whole song word-for-word without him even rapping a bar.
It’s that lifelong connection to his fans combined with the conviction in his music that has allowed him to be in the proverbial “Big 3” conversation in mainstream rap. Arguably more than his undeniably skilled lyricism, it’s landmark performances like this that show why Cole, despite the album’s title, will never fall off.