Dreamville Festival wraps up with J. Cole's powerful apology and performance
Dreamville founder and Fayetteville native J. Cole closed out the festival Sunday night at Dix Park.
Despite the delay, co-headliner Nicki Minaj eventually took the stage after running about an hour behind schedule.
Dix park reopened Monday at 6 a.m. after the two-day festival brought thousands of people to the park.
Sunday's Dreamville lineup included Rema, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Bas, Hunxho, Cozz, Omen, Tiacorine and Chase Shakur.
Dreamville festivalgoers were hyped for J.Cole and Nikki all day, enjoying the performances leading up to the headliners.
However, the excitement hit a snag when Rema cut his set short due to frustrating sound issues on stage.
Midway through his hit song "Calm Down," Rema abruptly stopped the band.
He addressed the audience, explaining that he "couldn't hear himself or the music" because of sound issues.
With frustration he pointed out the smooth sound was for other artists but not him. "It's not fair that the fans can't hear me or get a good experience," he said.
After a few more tries but deciding to end the performance, Rema says to the audience "I love you, goodnight" before exiting the stage.
Will J.Cole address Kendrick Lamar beef?
On day two, J. Cole closed out Dreamville Festival, performing on stage in front of a replica of Fayetteville's iconic Market House.
He delivered a mix of new and classic tracks, leaving fans eager to see if he'd talk about the recent beef he has with rapper Kendrick Lamar.
In the middle of his set, J. Cole did addressed the ongoing tension and gave Kendrick a public apology.
"The world wants to see blood," J. Cole said. "But going at it like that just doesn't sit right with me. It's messing with my inner peace."
He then expressed respect for Kendrick and played a song he says keeps him grounded and humble, 'Love Yourz'."
One thing's for sure, Sunday nights performance promises to be a night to remember, filled with electrifying energy and, hopefully, some lyrical fire.
Dreamville Festival Day 1
The festival got underway on Saturday and wrapped up with headliners 50 Cent and SZA. The day also included performances from
J.I.D., Lil Yachty, Schoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, Jeremih, Earthgang, Teezo Touchdown, Amaarae, Lute, Luh Tyler and Domani.
The festival will be livestreamed starting at 4 p.m. daily for free via Amazon's music channels on Twitch, Prime Video and the Amazon Music app.
What's new this year at Dreamville Festival?
Fans this weekend will notice some some improvements at both stages, including better sound and lighting. Stage two has been reoriented so fans at various locations can have better visibility.
Dreamville Festival will once again feature local artists with seven murals on site created by North Carolina artists.
With record crowds expected over the weekend, festival organizers have worked with the city to expand the downtown shuttle program to increase the number of vehicles available to transport festival goers to the park. Gates open at noon each day.
