Fayetteville rapper J. Cole returns home for annual Dreamville Weekend

Fayetteville rapper J. Cole was just one of the boys Thursday during a visit to Westover High School.

He talked about books, ate pizza and joked around with more than two dozen male students from Westover and E.E. Smith high schools.

Dressed in a black hoodie, khakis and boots, Cole was almost unrecognizable, blending in with the teens who are part a book club sponsored by Cole's Dreamville Foundation and the urban retail store, DTLR.

"I'm just a member of the book club," said Cole. "When I come here I like to experience it just like they do."

But Cole is far from his days as a Terry Sanford High School basketball standout.

He's a two-time Grammy nominee whose first two albums - "Cole World: The Sideline Story" and "Born Sinner" - hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

He's also an artist who likes to give back to the community where he grew up. He founded the Dreamville Foundation in 2011 to help area youth find opportunities to succeed.

Thursday's book club meeting kicked off the foundation's annual Dreamville Weekend. Events continue Saturday with a conference to engage youth in conversation about potential careers and social issues.

"I want to start the process of showing them there are other options besides what's on the screen," Cole said. "They don't have to be a rapper or an athlete, there are people who manage the rappers, who book the shows. There are so many jobs you can do, this is about expanding their minds to those possibilities."

Thursday, the students in the book club were joined by author Coe Booth to discuss her novel "Tyrell," which focuses on the struggles of an African-American teen living in a homeless shelter.

Kurt Anthony, a sophomore at Westover, said he had never set foot in the library until he read Tupac Shakur's "The Rose that Grew from Concrete" as part of the club last year.

"It really inspired me to read," he said. "I'm really glad I have this opportunity."

Now, Kurt juggles about three books at a time, reading several chapters a day.

Jemille Bryant, a freshman at E.E. Smith, has been impressed by Cole's appearances at the book club meetings, either in person or through Skype.

"It's really cool that he still wants to be part of this community," he said.

Cole, whose real name is Jermaine, said the variety of books read through the club, ranging from science-fiction to poetry, gives students a chance to explore different genres and find out what piques their interests.

"There are enough options for them to fall in love with something and spark an interest in reading," he said.

Although the book club is only in its second year, Cole said he's already seen progress with the students.

"I'm mad proud," he said. "What you have is kids who had never picked up a book outside of class and who were barely picking up the books in class. Now, they're telling me about books they've read that aren't even related to book club; that feels really good."

Looking back, Cole, a graduate of St. John's University in New York, said he wished he had read more growing up.

"Now that I'm older I appreciate reading way more," he said.

But it's not too late, he said. He's has made a personal commitment to read more. Right now, he's tackling "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander.

And he's already revisited some of the classics he skipped out on in high school including "Animal Farm" and "1984."

In the long run, Cole hopes the book club inspires the teens to be more curious and open-minded.

"This is a chance for them to explore something they thought they might never do," he said.

Staff writer Sarah Campbell can be reached at campbells@fayobserver.com or 486-3523.