Tha Fly Nation Spotlight: Cole King

Published

9 years ago

April 6, 2016

Tha Fly Nation's 'Spotlight' section is a new column we have constructed here to shine the light on emerging acts in the industry, all while introducing our viewers (new & frequent) to these artists.

Our first Spotlight features Cole King (formerly known as Dao Jones), an Upstate New York-bred producer/rapper. The name may look familiar to many as Cole King is a Tha Fly Nation: Hype alumni, he was featured in our The Hype Volume 2 mixtape, and has been a stable feature on our blog for the past couple of years. Cole was raised in the historically rich Saratoga Springs section of Upstate New York in a five-kid home that inlcuded his younger brother (producer Frank Drake) and three sisters, at a young age their parents instilled the children traditional values hardwork, humbledness, and proper grammar. Cole began to experiment with music in the early middle school stages, citing that he “developed an early infatuation for hip-hop and occassionally wrote his own verses just for fun.” However, it was not until 8th grade that he started letting other people listen to these verses, his choice of platform to record these verses were his friend's karoake machine in a basement. When Cole's family got their first iMac computer, the rest was history as he started to delve into recording and production software, purchased his first microphone and keyboard, and eventually began independently creating his own original work. The apple did not fall too far from the tree, Cole's father also wrote and performed original music on his grand piano everynight in their household.

Two years ago, Cole King released his self-produced (with additional production from Luke Moellman and Frank Drake) 100 Years, under the moniker Dao Jones, on this LP Cole showcased his production skills as well as his penmanship. With catchy songs like “I Need It“, socially-conscious tracks like “Dead End,” and also tracks for the ladies like “Panties Hit The Floor,” where Cole showcases his ability to hold a melody good enough to construct the perfect song. Versatility from artists is not as common as it should be, however Cole King is very versatile when it comes to curating music.

Now, after two years and a name-change, ~~Dao Jones~~ Cole King is back with new material. While prepping for a new project, tentatively scheduled for a summer time release date, Cole is hitting fans over with loosies to hold em off until then. You can peep the new joints on the playlist below.

The traditional values instilled in Cole as a youngin' are still very relevant in his present life, and if you compare his first LP to the material he is letting loose nowadays you can tell. With tracks like his take over Erykah Badu's “Phone Down” shows that he can branch out and dip into different sounds and showcase his versatility, and “Vinny Potts” where he comes into his own and continues to showcase his penmanship and growth as an artist.

Follow Cole King on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook for future updates!

Montez French

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News

First Look at the Magical World of ‘Wicked’ Starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo (Trailer)

Published

10 months ago

February 12, 2024

Hollywood Melanin

The new trailer for the upcoming movie musical ‘Wicked’ has finally dropped, leaving fans buzzing with excitement. The film, which stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, is set to be released in two parts.

The trailer opens with a stunning shot of the Emerald City, the iconic location from the original ‘Wizard of Oz’ story. We then see a young Elphaba arriving at Shiz University, where she meets Glinda for the first time. The two characters couldn’t be more different – Elphaba is a shy, green-skinned girl whom her peers often ostracize, while Glinda is a bubbly, popular blonde who seems to have everything she could ever want.

As the trailer progresses, we see glimpses of the musical numbers that have made ‘Wicked’ such a beloved show on Broadway. The production design features vibrant colors and intricate costumes that bring the world of Oz to life.

The pairing of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, both vocal powerhouses, is beautiful and will yield beautiful musical numbers. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Erivo mentioned that she and Grande were surprised at how well their voices complemented each other.

The trailer also gives us a glimpse of the other characters in the film, including Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.

‘Wicked’ part one is set to premiere later this year, with the second installment scheduled for November 2025.

Music

Ariana Grande – 34+35 (Remix) feat. Doja Cat & Megan Thee Stallion

Published

4 years ago

January 15, 2021

HM staff writer

Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat have teamed up for a new remix of Grande’s Positions track 34+35.

Film & Television

Why Did Michaela Coel Walk Away From a $1 Million Dollar Deal with Netflix?

Published

4 years ago

July 6, 2020

HM staff writer

Michaela Coel, the star of HBO’s hit series I May Destroy You had to decline Netflix’s $1 million offer after the streaming giant refused to allow her to retain “at least 5 percent of her rights” for the show.

Coel’s success in the U.S. is largely credited to Netflix. The streamer was the U.S. distributor of Coel’s acclaimed comedy series Chewing Gum. Netflix also housed a feature musical titled Been So Long in which Coel was the lead, as well as the drama series Black Earth Rising. Coel also starred in an Emmy-winning episode of Black Mirror, also distributed by Netflix. So, naturally, Coel’s history with the streaming platform made it the premier destination for her new project. After a short negotiation with a Netflix executive, however, Coel had to find a different home for I May Destroy You in order to maintain ownership of the series.

According to Vulture, Coel recalled that Netflix made her a $1 million offer for I May Destroy You in spring 2017 but she turned it down. Why? The streamer wouldn’t allow her to retain any percentage of the copyright. Coel even discontinued her relationship with CAA after it “tried to push her to take the deal”.

I May Destry You is based on Coel’s personal experience of being sexually assaulted during the making of Chewing Gum. At the age of 32, Coel is in full creative control of the series as its showrunner, director, star, and writer. She wrote all 12 episodes and co-directed nine, stars as a young writer Arabella struggling to come to terms and process a recent assault.

The series is now streaming on HBO.