RECORD LABEL: Dreamville Records
FOUNDED: 2007
Dreamville is a record label that is owned and was founded by rapper J. Cole and Dreamville Records A&R and President Ibrahim Hamad in 2007. After meeting online on a blog where they battled each other and exchanged rhymes, Omen and J. Cole finally connected in person once the label came to be. Cole and his team inked a partnership with his Dreamville imprint and Interscope Records back in 2014 and they haven’t slowed down yet. Up until 2015 the label consisted of Omen, Bas, Cozz and of course J. Cole. Recently the label’s arsenal gained two more weapons, Lute and Ari Lennox.
With the announcement of the Interscope Records distribution deal, Dreamville released their first collaborative mixtape entitled “Revenge of the Dreamers” in 2014. As if fans weren’t already excited enough, Cole announced that he had signed an artist that went by the name of Bas and that his debut album would be released April 29, 2014 and would be entitled “Last Winter” on the same day. Just a couple of months later Cole announced that he had signed yet another artist by the name of Cozz who would later release his debut album entitled “Cozz & Effect” on October 3, 2014. Dreamville ended the year with a bang as J. Cole released his third studio album entitled “2014 Forest Hills Drive” which became the label’s first platinum album. After spending a total of three years preparing Omen released his debut album entitled “Elephant Eyes” on July 21, 2015.
Taking their fans by surprise in a follow up to the 2014 collaborative mixtape “Revenge of the Dreamers,” the label released “Revenge of the Dreamers II” on December 8, 2015 where they welcomed rapper Lute and singer Ari Lennox to the family. Following the collaborative release Cozz released his second project and first mixtape entitled, “Nothin Personal.” The Dreamville label currently awaits two new releases, “Too High to Riot” from artist Bas and “West1996 pt.2” from artist Lute.