Music Album Review: “The Forever Story” by J.I.D

5 Boomboxes

“J.I.D "got that shit you would light with a lighter.""

REVIEW PRESENTED BY

FIRST RATE THRIFT

Consignment At An Affordable Price

Album “The Forever Story”

Released: August 26, 2022

Length: 59:06

Genre: Rap Hip Hop RnB

Written by: Destin Route, Ahmanti Booker, Gary Fountaine, Markus Randle, John Welch, Jesse Gumer, James Icart, Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Edwin Green, Jr., Aviad Poznansky, Shlomo Gaisin, Zachary Goldschmiedt, Elisha Mlotek, and more. See the full list here.

Produced by: A.J. Hall, Aviad, BadBadNotGood, Bass Charity, Benji, Cardiak, Christo, DJ Khalil, DJ Scheme, E. Jones, Elite, Groove, Hero the Band, Hollywood Cole, James Blake, JD Beck, JID, Kaytranada, Khrysis, Latrell James, Matuê, Monte Booker, Nami, Nurі, Tane Runo, TBHits, Thundercat, Yuli

First Effect - Season 1, Mid-October News Segment - Where Is Everyone? (2022)

If you've been under a rock, then wake up! You might want to call the fire department. J.I.D "got the shit you would light with a lighter." No, "Fuck a lighter!" "The Forever Story" can be lit by "the stove." But warning, your home will be ablaze in a gulf of flames.

"The Forever Story" is Atlanta rapper J.I.D's third studio album, and he starts where he left off on "DiCaprio 2" (2018) with witty lyrics and high energy. But what renders "The Forever Story" a fascinating album is that it has something for all listeners. "I got the shit you could play for your mama. I got the shit you could play for the hoes."

The mastermind, J.I.D, is correct. For example, in Kody Blu 31, a track one could see an older woman listening to while driving, J.I.D sings with a heart in pain, redolent of contemporary RnB tracks produced by Anderson .Paak.

Although in Kody Blu 31, he tapers down his forte (quick and witty raps,) J.I.D never loses J.I.D, his voice (literal and metaphysical), and his energy never dwindles. He's so smooth and catchy, so filled with feelings.

For die-hard J.I.D fans, "The Forever Story" is the bridge that connects J.I.D's first two studio albums, "The Never Story" (2017) and "DiCaprio 2" (2018.) Furthermore, it's an album that genuinely exhibits J.I.D's growth as not merely a lyricist but an artist. In "The Forever Story," J.I.D is comfortable. He has come to his own.

J.I.D is playful and severe, a thin line many try to walk but fail. "The Forever Story," openings with "Raydr" and "Dance Now," lures in the listener, making them want to pump their fist, bop their head, and create a new Tik-Tok dance move. Steezy Dance Studio took the challenge of creating dances for "Dance Now" in their 3 Dancers, 1 Song series. J.I.D in "The Forever Story" gives any listener so much energy and life.

It's contagious. You will not stop listening or dancing.

Many listeners may comment that J.I.D's lyricism, mic presence, and passion are unmatched, and many may comment, as a compliment, that he's like Kendrick.

Even first-time listeners will fluctuate between these trains of thought, siting J.I.D's Kendrick-like play with words and allusions to God's infuence: "Momma said the Messiah's in moccasins, Tryna save the kids in them apartments and Show a way to live with other options." Doesn't it sound like Micheal Jackson's "Mama-say-mama-sa-mama-coosa"?

However, J.I.D. in "The Forever Story" is here to clear the air. He is his own rapper. He is a poet and an artist. He's done his "10,000 hours," so listen!

And right away, his affiliations with J.Cole and his similarities to Kendrick are out of the window, forgotten like a cold winter day.

Why ruin good music with comparisons? Why pigeonhole an artist? Why say, "He should be a good man; he signed to Cole?" No one is ever good without the work, without the blood, sweat, and tears.

But it is more work to put down an album and distinguish yourself, stepping out of all the boxes around you.

Work that J.I.D. obviously doesn't shy away from at the slightest. This listener remembers when J.I.D first came out: a silent hitter, an acquisition by J.Cole that made a lot of sense. What made more sense was how J.I.D sat back, practiced, and came out blazin' on every feature, song, and album. "Never Story" hit 197 on the top 200 Billboard Chart upon its release. That's heavy for a rookie.

However, this listener believes J.I.D's work in "The Forever Story" is more impressive. There's not one track that doesn't deserve a replay. There's not one moment when the listener isn't enjoying themselves, whether through dance, the lyrics, the instrument, or whatever.

The production is impeccable, and a cacophony of sounds never engulfs the instrumentals and J.I.D. The lyrics are potent, always a double or triple meaning, always honest to J.I.D's plights. And the album flows, moving from fun songs to dance songs, to slow jams, from hip-hop to RnB, leaving the listener wanting more of each. Throughout, J.I.D shows his versatility shows why he should be considered a force to watch.

J.I.D has a way of inspiring the best out of people. May it be from his features like 21 Savage in "Surround Surround," Earthgang in "Can't Punk Me," Lil Wayne in "Just In Time," and J.I.D's long-time collaborator Kenny Mason, to inspiring his listeners, who may want to be like J.I.D, giving themselves to their life path with God on their side.

Liked this music review on the Hip Hop album, “The Forever Story“ by J.I.D? Check out something similar with “Cash in Cash Out” by Pharrell Ft. 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator.

If you enjoyed “The Forever Story“ by J.I.D, check out his NPR 2022 showcasing.

Artwork by Bolivar T. Caceres

Bolivar T. Caceres is a Bronx-based artist and writer. His poems appear on ShortEdition and Ariel Chart. He is also the author of the chapbook Outside My Garret Window, published in 2020. He currently writes for the quarterly film blog Film Studies 401 and the news blog New York Positivity. Connect with him on social media @BolivarTCaceres and at www.BtcArt.co.

Follow Us: