Temperatures in the low 30s didn’t stop scantily-clad J. Cole fans from lining up outside the Carrier Dome Friday night — a crowd began gathering three hours before the 8 p.m. show opened its doors.

Once the Dome’s doors opened, the stadium quickly filled with a group of diverse students, and the impressive ticket sales for the show were evident. Phi Beta Sigma, the fraternity that organized the concert, raised more than $70,000 for local Syracuse charities through ticket sales. J. Cole headlined the concert, accompanied by Bas and Elle Varner as the show’s openers.

J. Cole was discovered by Jay Z in 2009 and subsequently signed to his record label. With the release of his albums “Cole World: The Sideline Story” in 2011, “Born Sinner” in 2013 and the establishment of his own record label, Dreamville, J. Cole has quickly become a well-known rapper. With fame comes admiration, and J. Cole’s fans are no exception to the rule.

The crowd waited impatiently for J. Cole to take the stage through the opening acts, with the occasional chanting of the rapper’s name rising through the crowd. But Bas, a member of Cole’s Dreamville Records, quickly won the crowd over with his sense of humor.

He broke the ice, saying, “Y’all are popped up, asking yourselves, “Who the f**k is this n***a on stage smiling at me right now?” That’s alright, you’re late to the party, I’m Bas.”

Bas performed several songs, including “Love Souvenir,” engaging the audience despite the fact that most of the crowd was unfamiliar with his music, and he proved himself as more than just a hype man with his lively performance.

Elle Varner’s act, which followed Bas, had an entirely different feel. Varner performed part of her act sitting down playing acoustic guitar, and the audience’s reaction suggested there were patrons in the crowd who came to the show only for her. She performed songs like “Only Wanna Give it to You” and “Rover,” getting help from the audience, who sang along with her.

J. Cole performed around 10 p.m., welcomed by an energetic crowd despite the hours of performance before him. He didn’t begin immediately with his most recent singles, opening his act with older songs like “Nobody’s Perfect” and “Can’t Get Enough.” Bas returned to the stage to perform “Lit” with Cole while holding a joint, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

The show picked up in momentum when J. Cole performed his recent single “She Knows.” Girls were hoisted into the air on burly shoulders, and J. Cole graciously thanked the crowd for the energy they were displaying despite a long show.

Leah Mapp, a freshman SU student, said she had difficulty picking her favorite J. Cole song of the night. She eventually decided on, ‘”Power Trip,’ because I love it,” she said.

Chioma Uchendu, a freshman SU student, was quick to revise her friend’s statement: “But actually, ‘Power Trip’s’ our favorite because Miguel’s in it and he’s sexy.”

J. Cole’s amped up his stage presence with a band, frequently rocking out with his guitarist. He was accompanied by back-up dancers, who dipped low in front of the microphone stands. Cole was animated on stage; he gave the entire crowd attention by pacing the speakers in front of the stage to get closer to fans.

The crowd desperately reached for the opportunity to touch his hand every time he did this, and he responded by flirting with audience members and throwing T-shirts into the crowd.

In addition to thanking fans, J. Cole said, “If you only know one song and you’re out here tonight, I wanna thank you.”

After a set that lasted about 30 minutes, J. Cole introduced his band, seemingly concluding the concert. But after a minute of encore chants, J. Cole returned to the stage, changing his outfit from jeans and a button-up to a Syracuse Orange sweatshirt to continue the show.

J. Cole satisfied fans by performing his most recent singles, “Crooked Smile” and “Power Trip.” Thankful fans showed their gratitude by giving their all for the final two songs, singing along and mobbing the side of the stage when J. Cole concluded the concert.

Fans left the concert impressed by the show. Justin Penney, a junior in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, was pleasantly surprised by J. Cole’s performance.

Said Penney: “It was good, much better than I thought he was going to be. He put on a real show. I appreciated it.”

Published on March 22, 2014 at 7:08 pm

For more information, contact Autumn at: aboatner@syr.edu