“There are many ways to deal with this pain. Choose wisely.”

The curtains fell and out emerged the figure of Jermaine Cole.

The much anticipated K.O.D. tour stopped in Denver on Sept. 10, 2018, featuring J. Cole, Jaden Smith, and EarthGang. Young Thug was scheduled to make an appearance, but “due to unforeseen circumstances,” (getting slapped with 8 felony charges just 3 days before the show), Thugger was unable to appear. However, there was an electric vibe entering the Pepsi Center, and it became evident that this was going to be a special show. As we took our seats, we were met with curiosity about the stage. There was nothing big as if J. Cole wanted the music to shine rather than the stage. This was shown more and more throughout the show. The music truly did shine, with EarthGang tearing up the stage and Jaden Smith showing his true potential to be a truly great artist. Then came J. Cole. Before his set started, a big banner showing the words, “Kill Our Demons, King Overdose, and Kids on Drugs” shrouded the ever curious stage with mystery. The words, all acronyms for K.O.D., the name of the album and show, are what J. Cole says are the meaning of the album. The set started with the song “Photographs”, which quickly was followed by the absolute banger of a song, “A Tale of 2 Citiez”. At this point, all was forgotten and the music quickly took over. As the show ended with the song, “1985 (Intro to the Fall Off)”, I thought back on the show and realized how diverse and magical it was. The stage was basic, with two structures made to look like clouds spelling out K.O.D. over J. Cole.

While Young Thug’s absence was surely upsetting, the longer set by J. Cole made up for it. It seemed as if he played every song he has ever put out, playing songs from even the earliest