Revenge of the Dreamers II explained

Revenge of the Dreamers II
Type:Compilation
Artist:Dreamville Records
Cover:DreamvilleROTD2.jpeg
Released:December 8, 2015
Recorded:2015
Length:30:20
Prev Title:Revenge of the Dreamers
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:Revenge of the Dreamers III
Next Year:2019

Revenge of the Dreamers II is the second compilation album by American record label Dreamville Records and was released on December 8, 2015. The album includes contributions by Dreamville artists, J. Cole, Bas, Cozz, Omen, Lute, and Ari Lennox.[1] [2] Producers on this album include, J. Cole, Cedric Brown, K-Quick, Soundwave, Meez, Elite, Ron Gilmore Jr., DJ Grumble, and J Dilla.

Background

On December 12, 2015, posters promoting a surprise Dreamville concert were seen in subway stations and local stores in New York, NY. The concert crawl kicked off at Drom, followed by a Cake Shop appearance, and concluded with an encore at SOB's. The idea of the series, Cole said, was "to get back to the sense of underground and raw musical talent, and celebrating artists with a true, uncensored craft."[3]

The tracks "Grow" and "Tabs" are found on Cozz's mixtape, Nothin' Personal (2016). "Housewives" and "Night Job" are featured on Bas' album Too High to Riot (2016). "Backseat" is featured on Ari Lennox's EP Pho (2016). "Still Slummin'" was featured on Lute's debut studio album West1996 pt. 2 (2017).

Critical reception

Pitchfork gave the compilation a 6.2 out of 10 saying "Fumbled legacy-building though it is, Dreamers is not without its bright spots. The tape introduces the label's two newest signees: the Washington, D.C.-bred singer Ari Lennox and lute, a rapper from Charlotte who joins Cole in representing North Carolina. Each artist contributes one song here, both of which are among the best on the tape; lute's Dilla-cribbing "Still Slummin" in particular is superb, throwing you immediately into his world and dispensing plaintive, delightfully un-cinematic notes." Yoh Phillips from DJBooth said "J. Cole has surrounded himself with artists that are passionate. You can hear it, they want this, a quality they all share. It’s weird, I remember watching J. Cole come up, no pun intended. Part of his success is the story of his struggle, going from North Carolina to the big city with a dream to make it as a rapper. It’s a story that anyone can relate to.'[4]

Track listing

Notes

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Billboard 200[5] 24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] 4
US Rap Albums (Billboard)[7] 3

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Victoria Hernandez. J. Cole x Dreamville "Revenge Of The Dreamers II" Cover Art, Tracklist & Album Stream. HipHopDX. January 28, 2016. December 10, 2015.
  2. Web site: Kevin Goddard. J.Cole & Dreamville Surprise Fans With Release Of "Revenge Of The Dreamers 2". hotnewhiphop. January 28, 2016. December 7, 2015.
  3. Web site: McKinney . Jessica . J.Cole And Dreamville Return To Underground Vibes For "Revenge Of The Dreamers NYC Crawl" . Vibe.
  4. Web site: Phillips . Yoh . Revenge of J. Cole's Dreamers: The Blessing & Curse of Being a Dreamville Artist . DJBooth.
  5. Web site: Billboard 200 - Year End Chart. Billboard . February 7, 2016.
  6. Web site: Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Year End Chart. . February 7, 2016.
  7. Web site: Billboard Rap Albums Year End Chart. . February 7, 2016.