JID reminds us that the words “forever” and “classic” have similar meanings.
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TOP 5
Honorable Mention. Can’t Make U Change
Everybody, snap your fingers and clap your hands for Ari Lennox!
Ari Lennox’s performance on “Can’t Make U Change” should earn her a max contract. It’s amazing how much vintage and present-day soul she instills into the song. Don’t sleep, JID also puts up a great performance. I love how he pleasantly raps about being someone that is on the difficult road to change. The mix of the two styles makes for an intriguing listen.
For the producer of this song, slowing up Tupac’s “How Do You Want It” beat was genius!
5. Raydar
“Raydar” is one of the greatest intro tracks ever assembled.
JID raps over about four different beats in “Raydar.” He also toys with all kinds of rap styles, he makes some pretty solid football comparisons, he makes political statements, he throws a few punches, and he sounds electrocuted for like five seconds. He literally does everything in this intro. Holy s**t!
4. Better Days
“Better Days” simply feels pure and therapeutic.
There’s no fluff attached to “Better Days;” instead, what you get is JID spilling his heart out about the struggles he and his friend used to go through in the past, the lessons he learned on his way to the top, and his bittersweet present times. I think the song has a way of sounding fruitful, sobering, and feisty all at the same time.
Johnta Austin is featured in this song. Literally, the last song I heard from him is the major hit “Turn It Up.”
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3. Just In Time
Lil Wayne and JID both put up fire-ass verses in “Just In Time.”
In “Just In Time,” you get the exact environment I want to hear JID and Lil Wayne in: A competitive one. Over a beat that knocks hard and probably said “Aba Cadabra” as its first words, the two MCs hit us with silly-good wordplay, unstoppable flows, punchlines that will go over your head like Nancy Pelosi went over China’s head, and lyrics that up-and-coming rappers would comprehend as fighting words.
2. Dance Now
Songs like “Dance Now” tell me that JID is not human.
How did rapping become so easy for JID? Like, he literally shifts aggression levels, flows, and rap styles fearlessly in this song. He also effortlessly drops lyrics that prove that he is on top of his game in various ways. Here’s the crazy thing: JID does all his work over a beat that is on some hypnotizing/free-mason-ass s**t. How Sway?
Even the Uncle Rukus-ass hook to this song caught my attention. I’m under this Ninja’s spell.
1. Surround Sound
JID, 21 Savage, and Baby Tate put on an absolute show in “Surround Sound.”
I want to hear “Surround Sound” every f**king hour for the next five days. First and foremost, I think the hard-hitting/soulful beat that powers the song is legendary (Literally). Secondly, the hook that JID blesses us with is catchy as f**k. Lastly, I feel like both JID and featured guest 21 Savage do fantastic jobs of sounding refreshingly laidback and undeniably gangsta. The only thing that I do not like about the song is Baby Tate’s part (I just feel like it’s unnecessary). Hell, I even f**k with the muddy switch-up towards the end.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Galaxy (N/A)
2. Raydar (4.5/5)
3. Dance Now (5/5)
4. Crack Sandwich (4/5)
5. Can’t Punk Me (4/5)
6. Surround Sound (5/5)
7. Kody Blu 31 (4.5/5)
8. Bruddanem (4.5/5)
9. Sistanem (4/5)
10. Can’t Make U Change (4.5/5)
11. Stars (4/5)
12. Just In Time (4.5/5)
13. Money (4.5/5)
14. Better Days (4.5/5)
RGM RATING
(B+)
I can honestly say that The Forever Story is the first album I’ve heard this year that moved me in a bunch of different ways.
I’m sure JID was the kid in school who had pages full of equations when he took his math tests. Based on his style, he doesn’t take the easy route to get anywhere. Throughout The Forever Story, JID feeds us with all kinds of dynamic flows and talks about powerful topics such as family values, whooping-ass, black oppression, and more in ways that aren’t always direct. The icing on the cake is that he does all of his work over beats that switch up often and tip-toe the line between slavish-sounding and trap-inspired. The Forever Story is not an easy listen, and that is because the Atlanta rapper makes it clear that he didn’t have an easy life growing up. Way to make a body of work that embodies who you are, JID.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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