T welve seconds from the end of “A Star is Born,” a track from Jay Z’s 2009 album The Blueprint 3 , J. Cole ends his featured verse with the exclamation: “Fayettenam !” Cole’s shout-out is a reference to our shared hometown of Fayetteville.
I recently began working on a larger writing project about my relationship with Fayetteville. In my piece, I use J. Cole’s music as a tool to study different areas and perceptions of the city. Like most Fayetteville residents, I’m proud of J. Cole. A highly regarded hip-hop producer, rapper and songwriter, J. Cole is signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation record label and was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2012 Grammys.
The experience of recognizing street names in J. Cole’s tracks, from, “This the shit I used to roll down Lewis Street with,” to, “Caught him on the Murch (Murchison Road) trying to buy crack,” is odd. The world he depicts in his songs is of a Fayetteville plagued by drug abuse, prostitution, gang activity and violent crime. Though I can’t deny the sometimes-sketchiness of Fayetteville, I worry about the statewide and national perceptions of our city now that J. Cole is gaining momentum in the hip-hop game.
In Chapel Hill, I often experience some variation of the following correspondence:
“Where are you from?”
“Fayetteville.”
“Fayettenam? LOL OK.”
My reaction to haters throwing shade at Fayetteville is rarely positive or humorous. The portmanteau ‘Fayettenam’ is a blend of Fayetteville and Vietnam, referencing the role of Army base Fort Bragg as the training grounds for thousands of American troops before the Vietnam War. Currently, the moniker can be thought of as a reflection of Fayetteville as a war zone, though the enemy isn’t the Viet Cong. For J. Cole and many young people, the struggle is finding and maintaining ambition, overcoming racism and conquering self-doubt.
Just a few weeks ago, J. Cole came back to Fayetteville for his annual “Dreamville Weekend.” J. Cole formed the Dreamville Foundation in 2011 as a means to motivate and encourage young people. The foundation hosts book clubs and conferences for high school students . During his recent visit, J. Cole commented, “This is the ’Ville, man. So many of these kids, unfortunately, are heading on a path to just stay right here. We’re trying to break that and get them to get out, come back and give back .”
