With the premiere of the big documentary just around the corner, J. Cole has unveiled the fourth episode of his Road To Homecoming HBO series. The first two episodes focused on the first two legs of his 2014 Forest Hills Drive Tour, before transitioning to the short, but stressful Dollar & Dream Tour. The fourth episode wraps things up on 2014 Forest Hills Drive Tour with the biggest shows yet.
It kicks off by showing the prep and the concept that went into the stage production. They got the idea for his stage design from a 1901 Yale play titled The Master Builder about a man who built really tall buildings, but was terrified of heights. Cole's stage wanted to take the viewer along the ride up the stage.
Like the other episodes, it is a very honest look into how the tour is put on with its triumphs and its faults, which includes J. Cole admitted struggles to connects with a crowd in an amphitheater.
There is a cool moment where viewers go backstage with the J. Cole's label Dreamville and its roster that are making music together and recording it on whatever rough instruments they have - laptops, keyboards and microphones in the few hours they have backstage. They collaborative and spontaneous atmosphere is something that has made his label a growing force to be reckoned with.
The tour is bigger and bolder than anything they have ever done, as explained by Cole's booking agent, who notes that in 2013, Cole struggled to sell 2,700 tickets in Seattle. On this tour, he sold out 16,000 tickets in Seattle. Overall, the tour was on schedule to sell between 565,000 and 575,000 tickets.
The full concert DVD of his show in Fayetteville, North Carolina will air Jan. 9 and the whole package will be released on DVD.
