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J. Cole Counts It Up With ‘ATM’ & More Hits During NBA All-Star Game Halftime Performance

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Team LeBron's Kevin Durant, of the Golden State Warriors receives the MVP trophy after the NBA All-Star basketball game as NBA commissioner Adam Silver, left, looks on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The Team LeBron won 178-164. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Team LeBron's Kevin Durant, of the Golden State Warriors holds his MVP trophy after the NBA All-Star basketball game, on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The Team LeBron won 178-164. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Rapper Meek Mill performs ahead of the first half of an NBA All-Star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Michael Reinsdorf, president and COO, of the Chicago Bulls receives a basketball from Charlotte Hornets Owner Michael Jordan during the second half of an NBA All-Star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. The Team LeBron won 178-164. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) View Gallery View Gallery 13 Photos.
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J. Cole gives troubled rapper 21 Savage a shout out and some love during his hit-filled NBA All-Star Game halftime performance. Check it out.

Charlotte just became the capital of hip-hop, if only for one night, courtesy of J. Cole. The 2019 NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show performer proved why he’s one of the best players in the game. As Team LeBron and Team Giannis took a break from the All-Star NBA action, J. Cole, 34, hit the court to turn it up in his fly throwback Hornets jacket. And turn it up he did, as he started off with everyone’s favorite, ‘Middle Child,’ before jamming through a handful of his jams. J even gave fellow troubled rapper 21 Savage a shoutout before ripping through his verse in ‘A Lot,’ a track J features in alongside 21 who has been struggling with immigration issues.

J also found time in the short set for everyone’s favorite, ‘count it up track,’ ‘ATM.’ Those who did not have to get out of their seats to go to the bathroom, were hoppin’ and boppin’ to smooth sounds of the North Carolina native. Rocking his signature dreads, J sat down and turned down the vibe with his mellow hit ‘Love Yours.’ Finally, J closed with mad style and his biggest hit, ‘Don’t Save Her.’

People who slept on J. Cole in the past were given a rude awakening in April 2018, when he dropped K.O.D. J. Cole’s fifth studio album went to No. 1 immediately, breaking both Spotify and Apple music streaming records for most stream in a day, which knocked out Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” from the top spot, per Vulture. It also reinserted him back in the “best rapper” conversations, despite the album’s divisive nature among the hip-hop community.

In addition to discussing mental health and trauma, the album covers a variety of addictions, from drugs (“KOD”) to money (“ATM”) to sex (“Kevin’s Heart”) to being addicted to social media (“Photograph”). The album paints these indulgences in a negative light, which seemingly put J. Cole at odds with the new generation of SoundCloud rappers who revel in drug use, flaunt their money, and engage in excessive sex — all while posting it to the ‘gram. J. Cole didn’t use K.O.D. to call out a particular rapper. Instead, addressed this entire generation of young up-and-comers directly with K.O.D.’s closing track, “1985 (Intro to “The Fall Off)”.

It was an epic halftime performance hopefully the whole world, including 21 Savage, was watching.