J. Cole put his city on the map and our state on his back with an epic event.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a phrase that is used often by photographers (and people in general) when trying to explain how photos can communicate complex thoughts or feelings more effectively than verbal descriptions. With that in mind, here are six dope photos from this year’s festival. They are provided by our Lifestyle Editor, Calvin Anderson, who made the trip to Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, NC.

Like J. Cole, Calvin was raised in Fayetteville, NC and grew up a fan of hip hop culture. In this collection of photographs, he used filters and editing software to create a retro but uniquely artistic flair to capture the mood of the performances from the perspective of the crowd. For additional behind the scenes footage, be sure to follow his Instagram @calvinxanderson.

  • Photo #1 and #2 – Wiz Khalifa.
  • Photo #3 and #4 – J Cole.
  • Photo #5 and #6 – Lil Baby.

According to published reports, 80,000 people attended this year’s Dreamville Festival from all 50 states and 14 countries. The 2022 festival was held over the course of two days and was held in Raleigh, NC for the first time since 2019.

Source: CBS 17 News

Saturday’s lineup was headlined by Lil Baby, Kehlani, Wizkid, Ja Rule and Ashanti along with performances by Morray, Lute, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign, Blxst, JID, Mereba and Mikhala Jene. Day #2 of the festival was on Sunday and was anchored by J. Cole, Ari Lennox, and Wiz Khalifa, plus acts by Bas, Bia, CO22, DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grills with Lil Wayne, Jeezy and T.I., Larry June, Kyle Banks, Omen, Rico Nasty, T-Pain and Wale.

The inaugural Dreamville Festival was held in 2019 and was a one-day event that drew an estimated 39,000 people to the Raleigh area. Plans were developed to have the festival return in 2020/2021, but they were quickly derailed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Visit www.dreamvillefestival.com for more info about the 2022 event and details regarding future festivals.