BALTIMORE — While casually running errands, you're usually focused on just getting them done and returning home to relax for the rest of the day. But during a routine day in Canton, Ryan Bacote encountered someone he thought he'd never meet.
Bacote is the CEO of Back2Ballin, a sports performance company based in Baltimore designed to help youth access affordable sports training.
One day, while taking care of errands for his fiancée, he ran into J. Cole during his Trunk Tour following the release of his album "The Fall-Off."
Bocate told WMAR-2 News that he's usually always in Canton, whether he's working out or handling personal business, but when he saw two tour buses, he knew something was happening.
"So as I'm pulling out, about to literally leave the location, I saw him. I kind of reached out my window as I'm playing his music and let him know, like, 'Hey, is that J. Cole?' And then somebody said yes. So I was like, 'Hey, J, like, what's up? Like, I'm playing your music right now,'" Bacote said.
While the camera was rolling, you can see Bacote engaging with Cole, asking him when he would return to Baltimore.
But off camera, they had a conversation about Cole coming back to the Baltimore community to collaborate with Back2Ballin.
Although nothing is set in stone just yet, Bacote said some things are potentially in the works with Cole's Dreamville team. Dreamville is the label founded by Cole and his manager Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad.
Bacote said even after the conversation, he was still shocked he was able to run into Cole, especially since he didn't officially announce he was in Baltimore like he had been doing throughout his entire tour.
"But I did see him kind of going from, like, Silver Spring, and I'm like, and literally, like, the day before, I'm like, 'for some reason, I'm gonna see him in Baltimore. Like, I'm gonna see him, I'm gonna see him.' And then, it so happened to be the next day, I go and try to do errands, and I pop out and there's J. Cole right here in this parking lot," said Bacote.
Although he had an experience of a lifetime, Bacote said the interaction was not about garnering attention.
He believes Cole can make a huge impact in Baltimore, adding that whatever happens in the future, if anything happens, he hopes it's the right fit.
"I'm here for the community and making sure the community is well taken care of. And I think the combination of J. Cole, him and his community, and how he kind of reaches out to it, and how I reach out to this community in Baltimore, we can kind of put that together and make something great," said Bacote.
If you want to reach out to Bacote for his sports training services, he said the best way to contact him is via Instagram at this time.
As a former defensive back, he helps train other DBs and linebackers.
The link to his page can be found here.
