Now that Cee Lo Green has officially bowed out of Rihanna’s “LOUD” tour, J. Cole has become the sole opening act. Prior to passing the mic to his Roc Nation affiliate, the North Carolina MC warmed up the Staples Center in Los Angeles with a lively set on Tuesday (June 28).

“I go by the name of J. Cole aka Cole World. Just a young man trying to follow his dream out here, and if ya’ll don’t mind, I want to try something new out for ya’ll,” he said before performing “Work Out,” the Kanye West and Paula Abdul-sampled single from his long-awaited debut Cole World: The Sideline Story.

He also introduced new fans to his mixtape hits such as “In the Morning,” “Higher,” and “Blow Up,” encouraging crowd participation during “Who Dat.” But by the end of his set, few were left asking the question.