The Forever Story
Since appearing on every Hip Hop heads radar in 2017 with the release of the critically acclaimed ‘The Never Story’, southern, conscious spitter JID has been building nothing but sky-high expectations. Fans would’ve led you to believe right out the gate he was the next Kendrick Lamar, but despite the excellent ‘Dicaprio 2’ and contributions to Dreamville tapes, and ‘Spilligion’ with Spillage Village, he hasn’t really made his true artistic declaration till this LP. Now, the comparisons start to make sense, as JID blossoms into his own undeniably talented rapper. This record, whilst entirely different in sound, feels somewhat like his ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ statement, sharing an intimate snapshot into his upbringing and painting a vivid personal portrait, one we haven’t seen JID fully explore in such depth until now. Comparisons aside, this is JID’s shining moment.
No one would’ve doubted you a few years back for calling JID a top 5 current emcee, especially as his risk taking and experimentation displayed a lot of his potential for creativity too – the ‘Spilligion’ record was laced with ambitious folk influence amongst trippy Outkast-esque instrumentals, whilst ‘Never’ from ‘The Never Story’ showed his incredible ear for zany beat-switches and mind-bending flows. ‘The Forever Story’ sees JID pushing his artistry further, with his most ruthless storytelling raps, consistently flawless production choices, and unlimited machine gun flows. After four years of anticipation, it’s clear this autobiography took years of sweat, as his passion bleeds into every verse and lyric, and he hones his craft. With a stacked line-up of features and production credits, there’s more than enough to dig into on this LP.
The album opens with an uplifting, heavenly instrumental, courtesy of monte booker, as JID and vocalists sing together like a choir, embracing one another and encouraging listeners to stay strong. This blissful introduction is quickly over, and we are shot with the first lethal weapon in JID’s arsenal, ‘Raydar’. He cockily spits his braggadocious bars over guttural, rumbling 808s and scattered hi hats, before diving into aggressive, politically charged rhymes like “In the danger, n***** been endangered, been indentured, now my n***** got business ventures, with my .9, I’m like ten Avengers, snap a finger, I could end adventures. Rapper? Singer? No, killer, n*****, you a cop or you a n***** killer, woah”. JID’s pain over mistreatment of black people is viciously honest, and all the more impactful for it. One of many things this album does incredibly well is showcase JID and his producer’s knack for deadly beat switches, this track included – JID somehow sounds even hungrier on the second half, making it feel almost like this album’s ‘Never’ or ‘Stick Talk’.
The knockouts don’t end there, the next three tracks are some of the hardest rap tracks this year, as JID links up with fellow ATLien Kenny Mason on ‘Dance Now’, for a lyrical masterclass in murderous, vengeful rhymes. JID toys around with goofy, animated inflections that build up his exaggerated villainous portrayal, with tongue in cheek lines like “I could step on a ant, ant pile, I’ma shoot at the ground, dance now”. “Crack Sandwich” delivers my personal favourite cut from the LP, a dingy, gritty horror movie of a track, with John Carpenter keys and an anti-coming of age narrative that sucks you into JID’s dangerous world. Taking us through his formative years of violence, with intricate rhyme schemes, whispered refrains, and more grimy instrumental switch ups. JID lowers his tone in the second half, as if the story he’s telling us is a secret, before erupting into survival mode with lyrical punches like “now we fighting in the street, it’s like ten against twenty-three, I was seventeen, swinging on any and everything”. As the narrative continues to take us through JID’s adolescence, we grow more attached to his character as we hear of his protectiveness and loyalty to his family. JID has claimed this was the hardest song on this album to write, and it’s easy to see why. His storytelling is so lurid, you feel wrapped up in the disastrous New Orleans brawl - its an intense listen, and maybe the best Hip Hop track of the year so far.
More catchy, fast-paced raps show up ‘Can’t Punk Me’ – which maybe has the most infectious, deranged hook on the whole project, and shows the undeniable, almost unrivalled high-energy chemistry between JID and EARTHGANG. JID’s rapid fire flows increase as the jazz influenced breakbeats speed up – it sounds so effortless for JID it’s almost like the drums are trying to catch up to him, rather than the other way round. The growling bass line gives it a classic east coast feel, but the southern emcees take the KAYTRANADA and JD Beck produced track and put their distinctive, sticky southern twang on it. It’s a clear highlight on this album, which is yet to slip up.
‘Surround Sound’, the first single for the project, demonstrates JID’s appreciation for Hip Hop, sharing an Aretha Franklin sample with Mos Def’s timeless classic ‘Ms Fat Booty’. JID revitalises the vintage gem with a contagious trap beat and a surprisingly technical, earworm hook. 21 Savage, as always, kills his feature, with his signature blasé stories of crime. JID once again pays homage to his southern Hip Hop roots with a chopped and screwed beat switch, but despite the syrupy, slowed beat, he is still running rhymes like his life depends on it.
One of the most beautiful, poignant moments on the LP comes in the form of ‘Kody Blu 31’. This cut seems surprisingly left field for JID, as he delivers flawlessly sung vocals – genuinely, he sounds superb as he sings over this silky smooth, soulful production. We’ve heard JID sing the occasional tune, but he really shows off an unexpected amount of range, rivalling any melodic autocrooner. The theme of uplifting others persists on to this track with words of encouragement like “I hope a change is comin’, just keep on swangin’ on”. Dedicated to his friend Kody, this sincere, bittersweet moment on the album will likely be remembered for years down the line.
‘Bruddanem’ brings a more optimistic, light-hearted tone, with a beat produced by DJ Khalil, TU!, Christo, and Yuli. It’s a much more genuinely happy moment on the LP, with sunny strings and plucky guitar. Lil Durk delivers a standout guest spot as he shares his own personal stories, fitting comfortably into the albums narrative as he pays tribute to King Von. ‘Sistanem’ sees James Blake and JID join forces again for a gorgeous tribute to JID’s sister, as he spits heartfelt lines about the struggles that come with his way of life – “I'm not the only one affected by the poison in the mind, and the lifestyle that shine from the iced-out diamonds”. Yuri’s feature highlights deep-rooted issues within Hip-Hop relating to the genres neglect of mental health, and tendency to glorify using drugs as a vice – “Why do I get so damn high that I can't feel my face? Try and try to free my mind, but I can't find a way”. It’s another intelligent moment on the album that shows JID’s maturity and vulnerability.
Dreamville labelmate Ari Lennox contributes a stunning feature, bringing things full circle with the previously mentioned ‘Kody Blu 31’. On that track, JID hopes that change will come, but on this track, Ari sings about how she “can’t make you change”, suggesting that some issues have to be addressed within, rather than just hoping for change to happen. Ultimately, if you’re stuck in your ways, something internal might be the issue. Once again, JID continues to treat us to fantastic beat switches that could be songs in their own right, really letting us indulge on this rich, dynamic album.
The production credits get more and more impressive as the album progresses, as BADBADNOTGOOD masterfully paint a hypnotic, spacey instrumental on ‘Stars’, as JID’s psychedelic pitch-shifting vocals create an overwhelming, intoxicating feeling. Yasiin Bey shows up for his own expectedly great guest spot – JID commented on this, stating “The contrast of sampling ms. Fat booty by mos def to actually having Yasiin Bey on the same album is insane to me”. JID shares inspirational stories about the birth of his rap career and how he made it to where he is, making feature from veteran Bey feel all the more earnt.
Kenny Mason and Lil Wayne both bring life to ‘Just In Time’, a fairly standard trap cut in comparison to the rest of the album, but by no means lacking on the lyrical front, with razor sharp flows from Weezy and JID. Following this track, Khrysis blesses the boards with the rosy, soulful production of ‘Money’, as JID talks about just that topic, but it’s not the usual flex track you’d expect, as he explores his families struggles and difficulties through the subject matter – “Thinkin’ about them days mama said she had to pray more, ‘cause feedin seven kids, plus the mortgage got to pay more”.
The albums closing moments continue the transition into optimistic, poignant raps, making a stark contrast to the dirty, heavy-hitting bangers of the first half. ‘Better Days’ is another touching family story, whilst the closer, ‘Lauder Too’, not only features the endlessly talented Ravyn Lenae, but ties the perfect bow on this bold, cinematic journey, whilst nodding to ‘The Never Story’s ‘Lauder’. The sombre, plinky James Blake beat is quickly overridden by the fast-paced rhythmic strum of Thundercat’s bass guitar. JID rides the beat with ease, as he raps about his newfound fame, finally having made it, and thus completing the ‘Forever’ story. The journey isn’t without it’s struggles though - even though JID has achieved success, he wonders if it’s really worth it, or if anyone really hears the importance of what he’s saying in the stories he shares, marking an important, thought-provoking moment in the LPs final minutes.
JID’s ‘The Forever Story’ is an inspirational one, but also a dark, troublesome, and grungy one. He’s not afraid to share intimate anecdotes about his childhood background to inspire others to endeavour for what they want to achieve, whilst diversifying his sound with near flawless instrumentals and somehow improved song writing and wackier flows. JID’s 3 for 3, but this is by far his greatest achievement to date, and one of the finest rap albums of the 2020s so far. The Dreamville rapper now sits comfortably alongside critically acclaimed backpacker favourites like Pusha T, Freddie Gibbs, Vince Staples, Denzel Curry, and Kendrick Lamar. But, despite JID’s popularity in the Hip-Hop world, this album is projected to sell far too little for how big in scale this project is. But no doubt, amongst music fans, this album glues him firmly into his spot as one of the greats of his generation, his two prior records seeming just like a warmup in preparation for this big budget masterwork. At age 31, JID has been putting in work for years, and it’s all starting to pay off, whilst still somehow carrying the youthful energy of rappers half his age.
Listen to the album here.