Following Tinashe, J. Cole hit the stage close to 2 a.m. The widely acclaimed rapper, who just released his latest album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, gave fans a taste of what his upcoming tour will be like by premiering some of his new material live while mashing up his set with some of the hits that put him on the map. Donning an all-black-everything jumpsuit, the rapper maneuvered around the newly expanded stage at Drai’s with a vibrancy and ease that exceeded even his own reputation as a world-class stage act.
After his performance, Busta Rhymes (who performed at Drai’s on Jan. 31) took over the DJ booth, calling for an immediate halt of club operations and turning all attention to J. Cole who just turned 30 and was being delivered a cake by the Drai’s dancers. Busta paid a comical yet poignant tribute to J. Cole, calling him an icon the hip-hop community needed. The music kicked back in and the club’s excitement swelled even more; meanwhile, J. Cole and Tinashe were floating around the VIP area talking to Coolio, Jermaine Dupri, bodybuilder Jay Cutler and other friends who had shown up.
