Update, 4:30 p.m. Saturday: The video shoot is canceled.
Hip-hop star J. Cole’s video shoot in Fayetteville on Sunday has been canceled.
It was originally planned to begin at 4 p.m. Sunday at and around the Market House downtown.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the special event permit scheduled for Sunday, March 23, from 4 to 8:30 PM in Downtown Fayetteville was canceled at the request of the applicant,” says a news release the city issued on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday’s news release does not name the applicant. An application form for the event, filed with the city by J Studios on March 18, says the event was to be a “J Cole promo.”
Another document says the activity was to make “B roll footage of a day in the life of a recording artist” for a video. There was to be lighting and footage shot in the open space under the Market House.
In addition to the area of the Market House, J Studios planned to use the 100 blocks of the four streets around the Market House: Hay Street, Green Street, Gillespie Street and Person Street. Those areas and the traffic circle around the Market House were going to be closed to traffic.
The city’s news release does not say why the event was canceled.
“Fayetteville is open for business, and we sincerely appreciate the interest and enthusiasm from our community and beyond,” the release says. “We look forward to future opportunities and thank everyone for their understanding and continued support.”
End of updated information. Originally published article is below:
World famous hip-hop star J. Cole, who grew up in Fayetteville, is scheduled to be in town this weekend to shoot a music video.
According to documents on file with the city, Cole and his production team plan to shoot the video at the Market House downtown between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Hay Street, Gillespie Street, Green Street and Person Street will be closed to traffic in a one-block radius around the Market House, according to a map of the event area.
The area of the video shoot includes a mural in the Market House square, painted by Andaluz The Artist in 2024, featuring icons of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg’s history and culture. A portrait of Cole dominates one end of the painting.
Cole is an award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His works include 14 albums and 60 singles and EPs, according to the Discogs music database.
He also has held the Dreamville Festival music fest in Raleigh since 2018. This year’s Dreamville Festival is the fifth and final one, and is scheduled for April 5 and 6.
Some of Cole’s songs have references to Fayetteville. One of his albums, “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” is titled in reference to his childhood home here. And in 2016 he released “Forest Hills Drive Live,” a recording of his performance at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville in 2015.
He has made videos before in Fayetteville. These include a commercial for Puma shoes in 2020, and his song “Power Trip” released in 2013.
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