Hey! What’s up, y’all?
This is Ib and I’m taking ‘The Genius Test.’
We gonna see how much I know about Dreamville and the Dreamville artists.
So hopefully I won’t get fired by anybody if I don’t know the right answers.
Me and Cole first linked up in college.
When I first met him, it was kind of just... he was just hooping, so it wasn't on some
music stuff, and then I find out he raps.
Even back then, before he got a deal we was like, "Man, you going to get signed, and then
we going to start Dreamville.
We going to have our own Roc-A-Fella, our own Bad Boy."
But around 2014 we started taking it serious and now we here.
Aight. The first music video that Cole ever released was Simba.
We actually shot that, “Lights Please” and “Lost One” all together.
That was just cool because that was the beginning of like, "Okay, you really gon' do
this rap thing," and I remember that video like it was yesterday because it was a one
shot.
And I'll give y'all a little tidbit: at the point where he's crossing the street, there's
actually someone that peeks their head, like one of the production guys was supposed to
be hiding behind something.
He peeks his head a little bit, and then at the end there's always one person who turns
around and looks at the camera real quick.
And it still today bothers me but those are the things you got to do when you're doing
a one shot.
That's...“Woo Hah!!
Got You All in Check.”
Yeah.
I was confused for a second, but I did...
I had to go through my head like, "Wait, how this song go again?"
And that was Omen.
Omen flipped that and then Omen lost the files because his laptop got rained on when he left it...
Don't ask me why he left it outside of Bas' crib, but it got rained on so he had to remake
the beat, and not many people could do what Ari did on that, which is like, it's so soulful
but it's hip-hop, and I think that's what separates her and she killed that.
That's a Ari Lennox classic, right there.
The answer is Black Owned Business.
That’s my joint.
Bas started rapping late.
It was important for him to know what does he want out of this, what does he want out
of himself as an artist.
Whether you're an artist, or an executive, whatever it is.
What do you want out of this?
Do you just want to be safe and be good?
Be comfortable?
Or is there more that you want?
Well, for sure Ruff Ryers, but you said Death Row, which would've been funny to picture
Elite as a producer on Death Row.
I thought that was incredible because if you know Elite, he is the furthest thing from
anyone you would picture being around Ruff Ryders.
Brown vs. Board of Education.
There's not many people if any that could compete with JID's wordplay.
I remember walking into the room and hearing that.
I was like, "That's a cold bar right there."
The answer, I think, is “Dreams.”
Figured that one.
Again, it’s the same thing I said about when I first heard Cole.
Certain things just connect.
It's a feeling that connects.
It's a voice that cuts through.
It's a certain energy, a certain thing that you're saying that's like, you feel that.
It was just a good fit.
It was a great fit for us, and I just knew right away, personally.
The answer to that question should be the legendary J Dilla.
Yeah, I mean, I know that because I had to get it cleared.
He has that southern pain, that southern story that really...
That's what makes the South so special to me is they have soul and that pain in they
raps.
That was the one for me, that was the song that got me hooked on Lute's music.
I think it was...
I think the answer is Flavor Flav.
Okay, cool.
That one, that was the hardest one I got so far, and I'm correct, again.
The answer is DC Young Fly, right?
Tell me I'm correct.
Yes. Correct.
That EP series was special.
In the beginning my favorite was ‘Rags,’ but then it was ‘Royalty.’
The answer is six.
‘Sideline Story,’ ‘Born Sinner,’ ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive,’ ‘4 Your Eyez Only,’
‘KOD,’ ‘Revenge of the Dreamers III.’
That's all six right there.
Six rings, and now we about to add to that, though, because the young boys and the young
lady, Ari Lennox, all coming up.
Some more number ones on the way.
Ari Lennox, J. Cole, JID, Bas, Cozz, Omen, Lute, Olu, WowGr8, Smino, Saba, Buddy.
TI, Ty Dolla $ign, and DaBaby.
I got 15? Ooh!
I think I was pretty perfect, spot on.
I think nobody's going to be mad at me.
I’m for sure a Dreamville Genius.
Getting a number one on ‘Revenge of the Dreamers III,’ to me, it was extremely special
because it was the first one outside of Cole.
He's good for a number one.
He's earned that, but to be able to do it as Dreamville and be able to have all these
new artists being able to carry an album to number one to me felt really special.
It was up there.