When J. Cole partnered with Puma to release "Dreamers" collection

One of the best rappers of his generation and arguably all-time, J. Cole is no stranger to leaving a significant mark in the music industry. Signing with rap great Jay Z's Roc Nation label in 2009, J. Cole found early success with his mixtapes The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

He further gained mainstream popularity with his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story in 2011, and his sophomore album, Born Sinner in 2013. J. Cole's critically acclaimed 2014 Forest Hills Drive was met with many accolades including 2015 Album of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards, and Top Rap Album at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.

But aside from J. Cole's successful music endeavors, the rap star has been involved with the sneakers and fashion world, as he formed a partnership in 2020 with the sportswear brand, Puma. A word that has become synonymous with J. Cole is certainly 'dream', with his aptly named Dreamville Records label, which has now sprung off into various subsidiaries, being a prime example.

J. Cole integrated his 'dream' philosophy into his partnership with Puma.

So, it was only fitting for J. Cole to call his signature sneaker collection, "Dreamers". The PUMA Sky Dreamer hit shelves in February 2020 and was modeled by several basketball stars and celebrities including Kyle Kuzma and rapper Jay-Z. The Sky Dreamer was a significant model as it borrowed the silhouette of the Sky LX basketball shoe prominent in the 1980s. With a modern spin, the Sky Dreamer put a J. Cole-esque touch on things with the shoe being neutral and stylish enough to be worn on and off the court.

Subsequently, the Puma x J. Cole RS-Dreamer 1 also became available for sale to the general public in July 2020, with the shoe being labeled a high-performance basketball shoe intended to be worn casually as well. There would be more models to follow including the RS-Dreamer "Proto", which given the name was never intended to be released publically, and the RS-Dreamer 2, which came out in January 2021.

The J. Cole x Puma partnership had a decent run, but after the rapper was spotted hooping in a pair of Nike Kobe basketball shoes, it raised speculations that J. Cole's deal with Puma had come to an end. No official announcement was made confirming the J. Cole x Puma collaboration ending, however, it didn't stop rumors of the rapper signing with Jordan Brand from circulating in the meantime. Be that as it may, as of this writing, whispers of J. Cole partnering with the Jordan Brand continue to be hearsay.