J Cole + Bas @ Metropolis

Despite the temperature reaching -33 degrees Celsius, Metropolis was packed with hip hop heads ready for J Cole.

The show started on time, which is always a plus for me when I go to hip hop shows. Dreamville artist and rapper Bas took the stage, perfomring tracks off of his mixtape Quarter Water Raised Me, and he really got the crowd hyped and ready for J Cole. I liked his tracks and will be looking out for more by him. 

There was a 15-minute break while the crew prepared the stage for the show, then the lights went dark and a screen played a news report that J Cole got into an accident and was in critical but stable condition. The lights came on, and the stage was set with background singers and a live band, plus imagery in the background filled with symbols associated with the Illuminati. The track "Trouble" came on and J Cole graced us with his presence. The crowd went crazy and everybody, even people on the balcony, were jumping up and down. 

J Cole performed tracks from his fourth album Born Sinner, and a few songs from Friday Night Lights, which was a real crowd pleaser. During the show, Bas come back on stage to perform with him. Bas heckled J Cole, and J Cole told us that Bas would be back but not to cheer for him. It was funny and nice to see the rapport between them. Also during the show, they took the time to introduce the band and the singers, who were all very talented. My favourite part of course was when DJ Dummy did his live turntabalism. I saw DJ Dummy perform when he toured with Common in 2009, and it was exciting to see him again. 

At one point J Cole said he didn't want to do a show, and people in the crowd complained that he didn't perform their song, so he asked the crowd what they wanted to hear. I was already content after J Cole performed the track "Forbidden Fruit", but I liked that he did worked the crowd. Other tracks that I enjoyed were "Land of the Snakes", and of course "Power Trip", which got the crowd singing in unison.

I really enjoyed J Cole's live performance, and this was one of the best hip hop shows I have seen in a long time. What I really liked was the fact that J Cole is a humble guy. He was approachable and relatable, and many people I spoke to at the show agreed. I love it when a rising hip hop artist who admires Jay-Z can be called a nice guy.

--DJ Amrew "Lady Oracle" Weekes hosts The Limelight, Saturday 6-8 PM on CJLO