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J-Hope and his ‘idol’ J. Cole meet ‘on the street’ in new solo single

J-Hope and his ‘idol’ J. Cole meet ‘on the street’ in new solo single
via HYBE LABELS

The BTS rapper called the North Carolina rapper his “idol” and revealed that he reached out to him about working together

March 3, 2023
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BTS rapper J-Hope has fulfilled one of his dream collaborations with his new single “on the street,” featuring North Carolina rapper J. Cole. 
Filmed in the streets of New York City, the title of the lo-fi number is a nod to J-Hope’s background as a street dancer with the Gwangju dance crew Neuron before joining BTS. He has previously shared dance videos in a series called “Hope on the Street,” featuring his fellow BTS members as guests. 
J-Hope’s love for J. Cole is well-documented. 
BTS’ “Born Singer,” which samples J. Cole’s “Born Sinner,” was only officially released last year on the group’s anthology album “Proof.” Another song, “Hip Hop Phile” from 2014, referenced J. Cole’s “Cole World” with the lyrics, “Hope, Hope World / Before I made my own world Cole world / When he lit up Friday nights, got inspired and wrote my songs.”
The collaboration came about after J-Hope met J. Cole in the U.S. last summer.
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The K-pop star was in the country to give a historic headlining performance at Lollapalooza.
In an interview with K-pop journalist Tamar Herman for Variety, J-Hope called J. Cole his “idol” and revealed he reached out to him about working together. 

To be honest, it still feels unreal. It’s such an honor. Looking back, we’ve gone through so much to make this happen and it wasn’t always easy. If you listen to J. Cole’s verse, you can see how he really put his whole soul into it to tell the story of his life and true feelings within. It took a long time to work on it, and when I finally heard his verse, I was deeply moved. 

J-Hope noted that their interaction can be seen in his Disney+ documentary, “j-hope IN THE BOX.”
Elsewhere in the interview, J-Hope explained why he chose the song to center around streets:

The word “street” bears special meaning to me. It means “street dance” which is my roots as an artist. It’s where my inspirations come from and it symbolizes the path I’ve taken as j-hope. It’s also where I learn lessons of life.

To me, the street is a place where we can actually encounter and feel the real lives of people: a child’s innocent mind; first encounter with someone and falling in love; someone in an urgent moment; a quarrel; an avoidable breakup, etc. Street is a metaphor for life. I tried my best to convey all of this in the song, and wanted to share hope and courage to those who are walking through their lives. I want this song to accompany all those who are off to a new start or on a long journey, like a friend.

J-Hope’s newest song comes after the release of his full-length album “Jack in the Box,” and just days after the announcement that he has begun his mandatory military enlistment process. 
He also recently signed on as an ambassador for Louis Vuitton.

BTS’ agency, HYBE, has stated they intend for all seven BTS members to serve their military responsibilities when the time comes. As of now, the eldest member, 30-year-old Jin, began his conscription in December 2022 and has completed basic training. HYBE is aiming for BTS to fully reconvene as a group in 2025.

 
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      Daniel Anderson

      Daniel Anderson is a Seattle-based Entertainment Reporter for NextShark

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