Album Review: The Forever Story - JID

Dreamville Records took the hip-hop community by storm in 2017 by signing both Atlanta native rapper JID and duo EARTHGANG within a span of six months. Dreamville’s founder J. Cole has already established himself as one of the most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful conscious rappers of his generation, but one of his underrated skills appears to be having an eye for young, undeveloped talent with limitless potential. JID, whose artist name references the nickname his grandmother gave him as a “jittery” child, has continually put out impressive feature performances as follow-ups to his debut albums The Never Story and DiCaprio 2. In the four long years since his most recent studio-length project, the hype and conversation regarding JID’s potential has continued to build, and the highly-anticipated third studio album The Forever Story quickly became one of the most looked forward to in 2022. Now that the project is here for us to unpack, the conversation needs to evolve from how JID could be a great artist one day to how he may already be one of the most talented rappers in the industry, especially out of those from Atlanta.

The opening track “Galaxy” quickly demonstrates that this project isn’t just a typical rap album; instead, this soulful and spacey intro track foreshadows a complexity and nuance that will be realized in greater depth later in the album’s tracklisting. That isn’t to say, however, that there will be no bangers on the project, because the hard-hitting songs here are some of the best in years in the hip-hop community. “Raydar” is our first example of this, with JID immediately dropping intricate and multi-layered bars over a relatively simple instrumental backing. A repetitive hi-hat drum is all JID needs as he weaves his verses, leading to a chorus that references his college football days by incorporating audio from a referee’s penalty call. Precisely halfway through the track signals a beat switch that allows JID to show off his ability to find a pocket on any beat, changing tempos and rhyme schemes impressively all while staying in connection to the track’s overall themes of systemic corruption and Black struggle in America. Next is “Dance Now (feat. Kenny Mason)”, an equally impressive banger that served as one of this project’s lead singles. A masterful example of the use of homophones, this project’s lyrical scheme is incredibly impressive, particularly the Ja Morant line found at the end of the first verse. Check out this track’s music video here.

“Crack Sandwich” is a detailed storytelling track that further demonstrates JID’s comfort and skill with writing compelling verses that flow together effortlessly. This is the first example of many references to familial bonding and generational trauma that JID and his siblings encountered in their youth. “Can’t Punk Me (feat. EARTHGANG)” incorporates both members of the Dreamville duo perfectly as this track outlines overcoming difficulties in Atlanta streets growing up. The Atlanta references continue on “Surround Sound (feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate)”, a deceptively deep banger with one of 21 Savage’s best features in years. The variety referenced earlier first appears with the next track “Kody Blu 31”, a melodic and heartbreaking story about JID’s friend Kody’s son who died at a young age. His advice to continue to “swang on” serves as a beautiful reminder that life is worth living even in the darkest of times, especially with the right people around us.

“Bruddanem (feat. Lil Durk)” and “Sistanem” serve a duo package in the middle of the tracklisting that shows love and respect to JID’s siblings, a continuation of the family appreciate theme established earlier. “Sistanem” is a particularly insightful and introspective track outlining the timeline and evolution of JID’s relationship with his sister, while I found Lil Durk’s contributions to “Bruddanem” slightly underwhelming. Plus, who doesn’t love a surprise James Blake appearance? He fits perfectly on the chorus to “Sistanem”.

The back half of this project has unique and interesting deep cuts, such as “Can’t Make U Change (feat. Ari Lennox)” which uses her vocal abilities wonderfully on the bluesy instrumental backing track. This track allows JID to reflect on his stubbornness and inability to mature given his challenging upbringing, which is a sign in and of itself that he’s willing to put in the work to continue to grow. “Stars (feat. Yasiin Bey)” is an inspiring look at JID’s perspective of fame, especially before he made it as a success in the industry. This track also accomplishes getting these two artists together on the same track, which fans have been clamoring for for years.

“Just In Time (feat. Lil Wayne & Kenny Mason)” is a bit less substantive than its surrounding tracks, but both features contribute impressive verses, with Wayne’s effort standing out as particularly strong when compared to his recent guest appearances on different albums. “Money” discusses JID’s relationship with newfound money and pursuit of generational wealth, but this track’s dissonant tempo and choppy sample doesn’t stick the landing for me. “Better Days (feat. Johnta Austin” is a beautiful reflection on JID’s childhood friendship that reveals a friend whose path led to prison, while JID’s led to worldwide success and opulence. “Lauder Too (feat. Ravyn Lenae & Eryn Allen Kane)” serves as a sequel to one of his previous album’s tracks “Lauder”, as JID continues to question if the success he has achieved is enough, or how high his ceiling truly goes given that he is so young and talented at just 31 years old.

Because “2007”’s sample wasn’t cleared in time for the album’s official release and will likely appear on the deluxe, I will consider “Lauder Too” the closer on this review, which while isn’t JID’s vision, still fits very aptly in reflecting on JID’s sudden rise to prominence and questioning how much higher he can go from here. In my opinion, the sky’s the limit, as JID’s substance, skill, and authenticity on this project are up there with the best in the industry at the moment. “2007” is an incredible track, however, and serves this project beautifully as an epilogue that reflects on JID’s entire journey. You can listen to “2007” here. “The Forever Story” feels like the launchpad for JID to take his craft to the next level, rivaling the masters in his field and establishing his prominence as the king of Atlanta rap. I cannot wait to see where he goes from here - J. Cole found a special talent in JID.

Favorite tracks: “Raydar”, “Dance Now (feat. Kenny Mason)”, “Crack Sandwich”, “Can’t Punk Me (feat. EARTHGANG)”, “Surround Sound (feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate)”, “Kody Blu 31”, “Sistanem”, “Stars (feat. Yasiin Bey)”, “Just In Time (feat. Lil Wayne & Kenny Mason)”, “Better Days (feat. Johnta Austin)”, “Lauder Too" (feat. Ravyn Lenae & Eryn Allen Kane)”, “2007”

SCORE: 9/10