Surprise drops are one thing, but Dreamville has been steady dropping bombs. Sharing their triumphant Gangsta Grillz mixtape in March, J Cole’s powerhouse label Dreamville and DJ Drama have joined forces for the fight — channeling all the firepower they have on D-DAY.
Officially released on March 31, the mixtape holds appearances from all Dreamville’s marquee members as well as a few special guests in Kenny Mason, 2 Chainz, Sheck Wes, A$AP Ferg and more. Following the success of their high-powered hit “Stick,” Cole, JID, Mason and Sheck all reunited for the track’s long-awaited visual on Thursday (July 21).
Showcasing a flyover of the rage-inducing energy “Stick” brings to live performances, the video also features an infrared Cole spitting his outro verse with ease, JID and Mason sailing with sticks across New York Bay and Sheck seemingly heading up war operations below sea level. Much like the track, the video is a tantalizing depiction of each emcee’s strengths and star power in their own rights — ultimately bringing forth one of 2022’s most exciting visual collaborations.
Amid “Stick’s” release, Earthgang, Buddy, Cozz, Ari Lennox, Bas, Lute, JID and Cole are all either coming off a release or preparing for a new project, as D-DAY is a booming return to form for the label as a whole. This is Dreamville’s second collaborative effort in the past three years, following 2019’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III — the final album in the series’ trilogy.
J. Cole — whose 2021 album The Off-season received a slew of Grammy nominations this year — was the first to comment on the project, taking to social media to display his excitement wholeheartedly. Drama, who’s coming off his narrator role for Tyler, The Creator’s boisterously potent Call Me If You Get Lost, bolsters his legacy as one of hip-hop’s defiant, ever-evolving tastemakers with another classic joint mixtape.
As for JID, it seems as though his next full-length album The Forever Story is right around the corner stemming from his release of “29 (Freestyle)” in June. With hype at an-all time high for Dreamville’s star forward, it’s only a matter of time before he has the game in the palm of his hand.
Listen to Dreamville’s ‘D-DAY’ below!
