"on the street": J-Hope's Collab with J. Cole

By Chloe Chang

Photo by HYBE LABELS on Youtube

BTS member Jung Hoseok, also known as "j-hope," released his collaboration song with J. Cole on March 3rd! The song "on the street" is a sweet callback to j-hope's "roots" as a street dancer according to a statement on community platform Weverse. The press release from BTS' official Weverse account stated that street dancing is where j-hope's "dream to be an artist began, and the path the artist and fans will continue to walk together."

Photo by BIG HIT MUSIC

"on the street" is a special song for Army for multiple reasons, one being that it was announced the same day as the announcement that j-hope will be terminating his military enlistment postponement. Another reason why fans look fondly on "on the street" is because the song shows that j-hope was able to accomplish his dream of collaborating with an artist he has looked up to for years. Army knows how much j-hope admires J. Cole, as there has been many instances in which j-hope brings him up as an inspiration. In a Disney+ interview for his documentary j-hope IN THE BOX, j-hope said, "The artist that made me dream of becoming a singer... it's the rapper J. Cole."

The first time j-hope met J. Cole was at Lollapalooza, and fans were thrilled at their interaction:

In an interview with Variety, j-hope talked a little about his new song. He said that the story behind "on the street" "goes back to Lollapalooza last summer. J. Cole is my idol and we met there. Since then, I couldn’t stop thinking about how great it would be if we could make music together. So I reached out to him. I already had a plan in mind to release music around this time, and I began working on it in early November. As much as it took me a while to finish the song, I cherish it so much and it means a lot to me." When asked what he hopes the reaction to the song will be, he said, "The word 'street' bears special meaning to me. It means 'street dance' which is my roots as an artist. It’s where my inspirations come from and it symbolizes the path I’ve taken as j-hope. It’s also where I learn lessons of life... I want this song to accompany all those who are off to a new start or on a long journey, like a friend. Enjoy the song!"

The meaning behind "on the street" is clear in its lyrics, with j-hope also singing lines directed to Army such as, "Even my walk was made of / Your love and your faith," and "Every time I walk / Every time I run / Every time I move / As always, for us." J. Cole sings on the second verse with moving words about perseverance and reflection. He sings, "Fought tooth and a nail / Just to prevail amongst the ruthless as I move through the field / Feelin' worried in a hurry like a two-minute drill / To make a couple mil' off a lucrative deal." J. Cole ends his verse with "​​j-hope, Cole World," a cute connection between his artistry and j-hope's.

Listen to "on the street" featuring J. Cole now on all platforms, and watch the music video below!