A new mural of J. Cole is in the works near Fayetteville State University. The artist responsible said this mural is a part of a bigger project honoring artists across the state.
The artist responsible for spray-painting the new mural of the star, Scott Nurkin, told the Fayetteville Observer that he paints large murals of significant musical artists from North Carolina in their hometowns.
“Back in 2000, I started the idea for this trail, called the North Carolina Musician Murals Trail,” Nurkin told the Fayetteville Observer. “And the idea was, I realized long ago, when I was in college, that we had so many amazing, talented musicians from North Carolina. And I was like, not a lot of people know about this.”
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The trail, funded by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, begins in Chapel Hill on a wall inside Pepper’s Pizza where Nurkin arranged portraits of musicians from around the state, many of whom he idolized. The trail has since grown to sides of buildings across NC, from John Coltrane on the historic Opera House in Hamlet to Thelonious Monk on Main Street in Rocky Mount, and Nina Simone on Lynn Road in Tryon.
The mural is the second to honor the rapper, whose real name is Jermaine Cole, who is known to make trips back to his hometown of Fayetteville NC. In April 2024, artist Andaluz the Artist painted a postcard-style homage to the rapper.
J. Cole is the 27th mural in the NC Mural Trail series, joining a series of legendary NC artists.
Below, we have compiled a list of a few other Black NC musicians a part of the NC Musician Murals Project.
1. Nina Simone
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, prodigy Nina Simone was born in Tryon, NC in 1933. Her mural is located at 3950 Lynn Road in Tryon.
2. Roberta Flack
Soul legend Roberta Flack was born in Black Mountain, NC. Her mural is located on the side of Black Mountain Brewing in Black Mountain.
3. Ben E. King
Benjamine Earl Nelson, notoriously known as Ben E. King, was born in Henderson NC in 1938. The “Stand By Me” singer’s mural can be found in his hometown.
4. Elizabeth Cotton
Born in what used to be the city limits of Carrboro but is now Chapel Hill territory, Elizabeth Cotton was an influential American folk and blues musician who played guitar in a unique, finger-picking style.
Pioneer of the bebop sound and renowned as one of the most important drummers in history, Maxwell Lemuel Roach was born in Newland Township, NC.
6. Maceo Parker
Born in Kinston, NC, Maceo Parker is an iconic funk saxophonist known for his legendary collaborations with James Brown, George Clinton and Prince.
7. John Coltrane
Renowned as one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, John William Coltrane was born in Hamlet, NC. His large mural can be found in the City of Hamlet.
8. 9th Wonder
Grammy award-winning hip-hop producer, record executive, and DJ 9th Wonder, whose real name is Patrick Dauthir, hails from Winston-Salem, NC. He also teaches at NC Central University and Duke University. His mural can be found in his hometown.
9. Betty Davis
Afrofuturistic funk pioneer Betty Davis, known for her controversial sexual lyrics and eccentric sound, was born and raised in Durham, NC. Her mural is found at 3103 Shannon Road in the Bull City.
10. Blind Boy Fuller
Fulton Allen, known as Blind Boy Fuller, was a blues guitarist. He lost his eyesight as a teenager and later turned to music. He was born in Wadesboro, NC, where his mural is located at 111 N Greene Street.
11. Wille Weeks
Known for his collaborations alongside Chaka Khan, David Bowie, the Doobie Brothers, Aretha Franklin and many others— bassist Willie Weeks plays everything from soul, funk and jazz. He was born in Salemburg, NC.
12. Thelonious Monk
Known for his irregular counter melodies, eccentric musical signatures, melodies and improvisational style, Thelonious Monk was a jazz pianist and composer born in Rocky Mount, NC. His mural is located at 235 SE Main Street in Rocky Mount.
