Album Review: JID - The Forever Story

RATING: 9.5/10

Standout Tracks: Raydar, Kody Blu 31, Sistanem, Lauder Too

When JID released his debut album, The Never Story, in 2017, all heads turned toward the new signee to the Dreamville label. Online buzz in the hip-hop community immediately followed, with some eagerly anticipating future projects from the east Atlanta storyteller, as well as others dismissively labeling him as a “Southern Kendrick.” Whatever mental gymnastics and comparisons people made in order to acknowledge the promising young rapper, JID quickly silenced doubting listeners in 2018 with DiCaprio 2, one of the most memorable releases from an incredible year in music. Now, four years later, JID has unleashed a raw augmentation of everything that has made him special to this point. He not only reaches deep into his well of talents, he exceeds beyond any expectations placed upon him with The Forever Story, a generational album filled with bold production, insane beat-switches, robust choruses and killer guest features.

After a dreamy intro, JID and producer Christo provide perfect preparation for what’s to come with the blistering opening track, “Raydar.” The fat 808s strike hard in conjunction with JID’s hungry and assertive flows. Despite the aggressive sound, he’s able to convey an envious amount of swagger backed with clever lyrics and impeccably placed samples and vocal manipulations. It’d be near impossible to find a hip-hop head unimpressed by this song. Whether you want bangers or thoughtful bars, JID’s got you covered – and he knows this, as he triumphantly declares, “I got the shit you could play for your mama/I got the shit you could play for the hoes/I got the shit you could sell to the trappers/In Decatur with the ‘K and the Colt.”

Following “Raydar,” The Forever Story continues with a phenomenal run of tracks. JID and Kenny Mason operate like one-time Falcons Michael Vick and Roddy White on the irresistibly catchy single “Dance Now.” The following track, “Crack Sandwich,” spotlights JID’s narrative talents, detailing his past and how it has helped shape him into who he is. This edge-of-your-seat story is made all the more entrancing with its spooky boom bap instrumental. It’s the type of beat to send shivers down your spine, not unlike something that clipping. might have played with on their latest releases.

JID teams up with fellow Atlantans, Spillage Village collaborators and Dreamville legends, EarthGang on “Can’t Punk Me.” Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot offer mind-blowingly unhinged performances and JID’s electric chorus flawlessly offsets the meditative beat. Similarly (and admittedly surprisingly), JID combines forces with 21 Savage on “Surround Sound.” JID’s flows seem limitless on this track, and every switch he makes is simultaneously startling and seamless. With the Aretha Franklin sample (though more likely a nod to Mos Def’s “Ms. Fat Booty”), the 21 verse and Baby Tate’s brief bridge, it’s a miracle that this song comes together as a cohesive unit. JID rarely lets his ideas get too out of control on The Forever Story, with maybe one exception: “Stars,” featuring the aforementioned Mos Def – now known as Yasiin Bey –  is a little all over the place. Sure, Bey provides his best feature in the better part of a decade, but the multi-faceted nature of the track isn’t quite as compelling as the rest.

The Forever Story knows exactly when to supply softer passages during its runtime. The stunningly soulful “Kody Blu 31” is one of the best songs JID ever put to pen. Named after a friend’s son who died at a young age (his football jersey number was 31), the track’s calm and passionate group vocals beautifully manifest into an eye-opening desire to persevere in a cruel world. As he softly raps about personal traumas, societal evils (“Swastikas and the police''), JID joins his heavenly choir and commands his audience to “keep swangin’ on.” His incredible singing voice and inspiring lyrics culminate into a deep love and admiration for his mother. “Kody Blu 31” is the type of track that makes you want to press pause and give your loved ones the strongest hug you can, but JID’s only halfway through this emotional journey.

Themes of family integrity continue on the contrasting tracks “Bruddanem” and “Sistanem.” The former, which includes a powerful Lil Durk feature, touches on matters of brotherhood, friendship and loyalty. Its purposely softer companion is one of JID’s most mature and introspective songs so far. The hypnotic beat and breathtaking vocal harmonies from James Blake support JID’s wish to not let his fame dismantle his family life. Regardless of success, he still wants to provide and receive love from those who mean the most to him.

The Forever Story ends just as strong as it starts. “Can’t Make U Change” is densely composed of a stellar feature from Ari Lennox. Her sensual singing floats along the luscious, laid-back instrumental to provide one of the best guest performances on the record. JID was also able to get one of the best Lil Wayne features of all time on “Just In Time.” The amount of effort from legends like Yasiin Bey and Wayne further prove that JID is one of the most promising artists of our generation; he’s so good, he can hold his own with legends and not overshadow contemporaries on other tracks.

“Money” and “Better Days” are two final catchy trips down memory lane before JID saves the best for last on “Lauder Too.” On this track, his flows interlock with the beat in an impressive and effortless way, but the messaging of this track is just as astonishing as its performance. JID reveals what The Forever Story is: the never-ending struggles of the Black experience, and the ways in which he has felt exploited in his confessions of personal pain and societal strife. The lack of contemporary progress has led him to wonder if his audience genuinely understands his words or if they just accept them as blind entertainment. As somber as this sounds, JID carefully backs his revelations with a truly beautiful instrumental and soft-spoken guest vocals from Ravyn Lenae. His final request to his listener to “come feel the love” is his way of lending a moment of hope for an otherwise bleak moment on the record.

The Forever Story is easily JID’s most consistent and thoughtful project so far. With any other artist, it’d be hard to imagine this being anything but a creative peak … but this is JID we’re talking about. Though there’s not a dull moment on this record, he has continued to outdo himself time and again, so it’s impossible to not feel eager for future projects. For now, we not only have one of the best hip-hop releases of 2022, we’re able to listen to what will inevitably be one of the best rap albums of this decade. It’s a true modern classic and the type of record you can spin for, well, forever.

Rating: 9.5/10