15 Rappers to Receive First Platinum Plaques With Latest ‘Dreamers III’ Certification

Shirley Ju
·3 min read

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“Revenge Of The Dreamers III,” the latest installment of J.Cole’s Dreamville compilation series, is soon to be certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) marking equivalent sales of over one million units. In July 2019, the star-studded set was certified gold and has since then received visual treatments for the tracks “Under The Sun” featuring J. Cole, DaBaby and Lute; “Sacrifices” featuring EarthGang, J. Cole, Smino and Saba; and “Sleep Deprived” by Lute, Omen, Mez and DaVionne.

Among the additional artists who appear on ROTDIII are Ari Lennox, T.I., 6lack, Vince Staples and Ty Dolla Sign — some of the top names in hip-hop — but also sharing the marquee are more than a dozen up-and-comers who will be receiving platinum plaques for the first time. They are:

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JID
Earthgang
Lute
GuapDad 4000
Buddy
Mez
Young Nudy
Jace
Reese LaFlare
Yung Baby Tate
Baby Rose
Mereba
Cozz
Omen
Dreezy

Over 100 writers, producers, beat-makers and performers were invited to the Dreamville sessions which, after 10 days and nights of collaborations, resulted in 142 songs recorded (257GB in total) and was eventually edited down for the 18-track project, a deluxe version of which was released last July.

“The most important thing that came out of those sessions more so than anything is the community and the bonds that were formed between the artists at those sessions,” says Derick Okolie, head of marketing at Dreamville. “It’s that same sense of community that we started at Dreamville. There’s going to be 50,000 people at our festival [this summer]. That’s the same energy that went with us to those sessions. It’s something we’ve always spoken about that’s missing within the industry.”

Variety reached out to a few of the rappers for their reactions to this major milestone.

Guapdad 4000: “Obviously a defining moment for me, something I’ve always wished and hoped for. It’s every artist’s dream to do this and I can’t wait to do it again!”

Deputy: “I felt honored and excited because it was a plaque I got with my fellow Dreamville family along with all the many dope creators that came together to make this fire body of work. With no egos! I’ve been looking at my wall figuring out where to put this plaque.”

Lute: “Oh shit mama, I’m Platinum.”

Omen: “ROTDIII going platinum was something I definitely never saw happening. I knew the music was strong and the whole experience felt special like we were making history. Being aligned with Dreamville from its inception has made this entire journey super crazy to witness. It really cemented my belief that anything’s possible.”

JID: “Thanks for the fans’ support. It feels good to be on a project that will go down in history.”

Earthgang: “This one is for the real fans.”

Cozz: “It’s crazy, the effort that was put in has shown! Everyone on the album deserves it. It’s amazing to share this accomplishment with my peers, family, and people I respect.”

Bas: “This is a testament to community — 65 artists and countless producers came together, full of love and devoid of ego. It’s a win for every individual involved, but more importantly, it’s a win for the power of community.”

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