7.5

GENRE: Rap    
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2022

Since his debut in 2017, JID has taken the hip-hop world by storm with his jittery, bouncy flow and boisterous wordplay over hard-hitting trap/boom-bap fusion instrumentation. The Never Story, his breakthrough project, was an ensemble of tracks establishing both JID’s sound and vocal abilities—like the music or not, his rapping style was unique and not one to mess with. This mix of talent, capability, and a strong backing with the Dreamville label propelled the Atlanta rapper, born Destin Route, to the top. After a long wait, JID fans are finally given a treat with the release of The Forever Story, the direct sequel to his debut album.

Fans of what made the rapper famous get exactly what they want. On second track “Raydar,” the heavy 808s paired with an unorthodox hi-hat pattern leave plenty of space for JID to kick you in the face with his trademark flow. Here, he boasts about his range, which is no small feat considering this man’s feature run between albums. This song also sets off the tone: this album is a personal anecdote for JID; the inclusion of a football player getting flagged is a reference to his time playing college football before rapping. We then get a trademark beat switch, akin to older songs like “Never,” where JID spits his final verse over a now-added choir sample and a raging synth. The “la-la-la” at the end of the track to transition into the next song is golden and solidifies at least one thing: this album will make you move, whether it’s a slight head-bob or a full-on dance.

The Forever Story is very ambitious, welding together many sounds and themes to create a cohesive view of JID’s narrative. In the moments where he manages to get the formula right, the results are astounding: the eerie piano mixed with JID’s light and haunting flow on “Crack Sandwich” brings a new level of grittiness to a story about fighting on a New Orleans street that places you right behind him, watching the chaos unfold from his perspective. Right after, we get the closest thing to a Dragon Ball Z fusion with Earthgang and JID’s bouncy “Can’t Punk Me.” These three sound amazing together on every song they touch, and the switch-up from calm to aggressive flows that compliment the “bank-robbery” beat displays the ability to make hard-hitting and exciting music that J. Cole and Dreamville artists often get criticized for lacking.

The high points show that JID came at this album with a chip on his shoulder—after so many years away from an album release, he performs like he has something to prove. This leads to a project where JID is more flexible and jittery than ever and gives us some beautiful singing work with the likes of “Kody Blu 31,” where a big choir backs him as he croons, “As I lay myself to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep/The pressure makes me, the journey takes me/to places where can’t stop or break me.” There’s also the skits, whose inclusion of making fun of fans asking for a new album is funny, but also shows that the concerns of his fans have also been concerns of his; every minute away from the mic makes it ever more critical to make an important album.

If I had to describe the best part of this project, it would have to be the production from top to bottom. With the help of producers such as Kaytranada and BADBADNOTGOOD, The Forever Story presents a moody, heavy, and introspective soundscape that makes you feel like you’re within the murkiest parts of JID’s memory. The balance of heavier elements, such as the trademark booming 808 or the triplet attack flow of JID, with the mix of choirs, light pianos, and major-key instrumentation bring soul to sadness and joy to a tearful past and present. If there’s one thing that this project is, it’s ambitious in its attempt to navigate you through a minefield of pain.

Unfortunately, ambition is the most commendable part of The Forever Story, and this ambition doesn’t always do well with hiding its weaknesses. For starters, the choices of some features just don’t work on the songs they were placed on; some examples are Lil Durk’s choppy flow on “Bruddanem,” which removes some of the enjoyment of the smooth instrumental he was placed on top of, and the Kenny Mason hook on “Just In Time,” which felt more like an afterthought than a hook that ties the song together. A few tracks also feel longer than needed: the 21 Savage and Baby Tate-assisted “Surround Sound” is quite tiresome. “Can’t Make U Change” is another just as tiring, with its almost 5-minute long runtime impossible to be justified even by a beat switch.

Still, The Forever Story does live up to the hype. JID is still just as exciting as ever, and the production of this project will carry you through a beautiful narrative about family, fame, and fortune. It is a worthy sequel to his debut record and stands amongst his labelmates’ discographies as a shining moment in Dreamville history. But let’s be honest here—he is capable of more. Many elements of his musicality could be enhanced by simply picking better features or cutting down the length of some songs. JID is on track to be one of the greatest in a generation, but there is still work to be done.

Listen to The Forever Story: