''Revenge of the Dreamers II'' is the second compilation album by American record label

Dreamville Records Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Cozz, O ...

and was released on December 8, 2015. The album includes contributions by Dreamville artists, J. Cole,

Bas Bas may refer to: People * Bas (name), a given name and a surname * Bas (rapper) (born 1987) Chemistry * Boron arsenide (BAs), a chemical compound * Barium sulfide (BaS), a chemical compound Other uses * ''bas'' (French for "low"), as in bas ...

Cozz Cody Rashad Osagie, better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album ''Cozz & Effect'', was released in October 2014. He has since rele ...

Omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...

Lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

, and Ari Lennox. Producers on this album include, J. Cole, Cedric Brown, K-Quick, Soundwave, Meez,

Elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...

, Ron Gilmore Jr., DJ Grumble, and

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

Background

On December 12, 2015, posters promoting a surprise Dreamville concert were seen in subway stations and local stores in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, NY. The concert crawl kicked off at Drom, followed by a Cake Shop appearance, and concluded with an encore at SOB's. The idea of the series, Cole said, was "to get back to the sense of underground and raw musical talent, and celebrating artists with a true, uncensored craft." The tracks "Grow" and "Tabs" are found on Cozz's mixtape, '' Nothin' Personal'' (2016). "Housewives" and "Night Job" are featured on Bas' album '' Too High to Riot'' (2016). "Backseat" is featured on Ari Lennox's EP '' Pho'' (2016). "Still Slummin'" was featured on Lute's debut studio album '' West1996 pt. 2'' (2017).

Critical reception

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'' gave the compilation a 6.2 out of 10 saying "Fumbled legacy-building though it is, Dreamers is not without its bright spots. The tape introduces the label's two newest signees: the Washington, D.C.-bred singer Ari Lennox and lute, a rapper from Charlotte who joins Cole in representing North Carolina. Each artist contributes one song here, both of which are among the best on the tape; lute's Dilla-cribbing "Still Slummin" in particular is superb, throwing you immediately into his world and dispensing plaintive, delightfully un-cinematic notes." Yoh Phillips from ''DJBooth'' said "J. Cole has surrounded himself with artists that are passionate. You can hear it, they want this, a quality they all share. It’s weird, I remember watching J. Cole come up, no pun intended. Part of his success is the story of his struggle, going from North Carolina to the big city with a dream to make it as a rapper. It’s a story that anyone can relate to.'

Track listing

Notes * signifies an additional producer *Caged Bird samples We Do It by Disco Orchestral *Folgers Crystals samples Babe I'm Yours by Whilk & Misky *Night Job samples No More by Jeremy and Shlohmoh

Charts

References

{{Authority control Record label compilation albums 2015 compilation albums Dreamville Records albums Albums produced by J. Cole Albums produced by J Dilla Sequel albums Southern hip-hop compilation albums