On Sunday, August 12th, J. Cole’s K.O.D. World Tour took over Atlanta at the Infinite Energy Center. Opening acts that night included: EarthGang, Jaden, and Young Thug.
EarthGang performed Meditate while Jaden, as in Jaden Smith, performed Ghost, Batman, George Jeff, Watch Me and Icon.
Young Thug entertained us with Riri, Wyclef Jean, With That, Best Friend, Family Don’t Matter, Digits, Relationship and Pick up the Phone. There were two special guest performances from Gunna and The ATL King himself T.I. that kept the crowd rocking.
The sold-out crowd experienced a plethora of thought-provoking messages from J.Cole via his lyrics, visuals, and his live band. Two main messages he repeated is that “Nothing happens overnight” and “Pain is inevitable in everyone’s life.”
Given his career in the music industry since 2011 on his debut album Cole World: Sideline Story to 2013’s Born Sinner along with 4 Your Eyez Only in 2016; J Cole is now selling out Arena’s everywhere he goes but he knows that it did not happen overnight. The K.O.D. World Tour has three significant meanings as he explained, “Kod 3 meanings: 1) Kids on Drugs.. that the times we live in and I’m not talking just about rappers we all on something whether it pills, weed, sex, money, we all on something running from s***! 2) means King Overdose, that’s me personifying the times that I have and do go through the same f****g addictions. You I’m talking about. 3) Kill our Demons that’s what I pray we all f****g get to do one day, you know what I mean. We all running from some s***. I hope we can all look at our s*** straight in the face and get over that s***.”
Three very prolific meanings and for each person one of the three may be the state they’re living in. This tour gives him an opportunity to share his message, vision, insight, and pain. “What I’m talking about is pain, and our ability to deal with pain,” Cole explained to the jam-packed crowd. “I don’t give a f*** if you’re from white picket fences or you’re from the f****g projects. We’ve all been through some sort of pain. One man’s pain can’t be greater or less than the next man’s. Everybody’s been through something.”
J. Cole’s set for the night included some of the following tracks which all had amazing visuals to convey the messages:
1. Window Pain
2. A Tale of 2 Citiez
3. Fire Squad
4. Photograph
5. The Cut Off with kiLL edward
6. Deja Vu
7. ATM
8. Motiv8
9. Kevin’s Heart
10. BRACKETS
11. Nobody’s Perfect
12. Work Out
13. Can’t Get Enough
14. Ville Mentality
15. Neighbors
16. Love Yourz
17. Apparently
18. Wet Dreamz
19. G.O.M.D.
20. Power Trip
21. KOD
22. 1985 (Intro to “The Fall Off”) Acapella
23. No Role Modelz
I spoke to a fan after the show who said, “I went to J Cole’s concert expecting a great show and to sing along with some of my favorite songs. I definitely received a fantastic show but what I did not expect was to be filled with so much inspiration and positive energy! He was very engaging as he interacted with the crowd and encouraged ‘nothing happens overnight’ and ‘hard works and persistence pays off!'” – S. Troy – Chicago, IL
Cole makes the audience reflect on their lives and gives an amazing strategy to success that will definitely not happen overnight. His interaction with his audience from start to finish was brutally real, and very sincere while being humble.
-Desmond Mclennon
Photo: X. (“J. Cole Counterpoint Festival)
*See the rest of the tour dates below
