JID - God Does Like Ugly

I only discovered JID after hearing him as a feature on a few songs before he released his 3rd studio album The Forever Story. That album is an incredible record, front to back, and got JID high on my radar of artists to watch. Since then, he’s put out some unbelievable verses as a feature (“Crazier” by Ab-Soul and “Fuel” by Eminem), but the real anticipation was for his next studio album. When he finally announced it earlier this year with the lead single, "WRK", I was very excited. The title intrigued me immensely - God Does Like Ugly. I didn't know what to expect, but I'll be honest, the initial part of the album rollout felt somewhat disappointing. "WRK" was good, but it didn't grab my attention like his previous songs had, and then it felt like there was silence for a few months. That was, until he released a few freestyles on Youtube (the 32 freestyle is my favorite) and then an EP in July, titled GDLU (Preluxe). Four songs that finally felt like what I and many others had been waiting for: "Behold", "Knew Better (with Lil Yachty)", "Lisa (with 6lack)", and "Animals (Pt. 1) [with Eminem]". I won't spend too much time on it, but seriously, just give the whole EP a listen. The sample flip on "Behold" to start things off still gets me so hyped, the beat on "Knew Better" is one of my favorites in recent times (not to mention the fact that JID released this EP on the 4th of July and has a line where he says "N**** fuck the fourth of July" makes me whoop out loud each listen), "Lisa" shows off JID's versatility to go from hype beats to smoother, more mellow joints, and the speed and intensity of the verses from both JID and Eminem on "Animals (Pt. 1) is absolutely phenomenal.

All this to say, I was finally feeling the anticipation. August 11th couldn't come soon enough. GDLU did not disappoint. 15 songs of JID displaying a fire and staking his claim as one of the best to ever do it. First listens on rap albums are some of my favorite experiences lately when artist choose to hide any features on streaming for the first few days. Not knowing who might appear on a track and hearing a voice you know is an incredible feeling in that initial time listening through. This album has some excellent guests - Clipse (brothers Pusha T and Malice), Vince Staples, Ciara, and Earthgang were my favorite moments. From the opening track of “YouUgly (with Westside Gunn)”, it is evident that JID isn’t here to play. JID is a student of the game, a man of the culture, and its undeniable how much he cares for what he does and why he does it.

One of the strongest elements JID has as an artist is how multifaceted he is. Tracks like "Community (with Clipse), "Gz", "On McAfee (with Baby Kia)", and "K-Word (with Pastor Troy)" showcase his more raw, aggressive side. "Glory" features a beautiful gospel sample (which only was approved if JID removed all profanity, hence it being the only song on the album without an explicit tag) and JID talking about his faith and upbringing, and "For Keeps" is a wholesome love letter to all of his fans, from casuals to die-hards. "Sk8 (with Ciara & Earthgang)" is a nostalgic bop - you can't help grooving along to the beat, which JID and Earthgang slide over, and Ciara provides an angelic bridge that I would listen to as a song on its own (I also just love that he got Ciara to contribute to this, her voice is gorgeous).

Another element that stood out is JID's unmatched ability to switch flows and flip words and phrases. "Gz" shows this so well; the first verse has a flow switch that is so smooth (along with one of the harder lines of the project -

I be thinkin' maybe Martin was wrong, Malcolm was right

but then the second verse showcases his storytelling abilities while still containing flow switch ups. "VCRs (with Vince Staples)" has insane number schemes from both artists, each working from 1-10 and 1-12 respectively in a way that seems so effortless and immaculately well-written. While those are specific examples, there are countless moments on the project that show how remarkable his abilities are.

"Community" is, by far, my favorite track from this project. The subject matter, the intensity JID brings to his verse, and the contributions from Pusha T and Malice make it unforgettable. Some of the most memorable lines of the album come from this song - JID's opening bar sets the tone from the jump:

I don't give a fuck about no industry beef Ain't nobody give a fuck when Tay was dead in the street

My personal favorite bar from the entire project:

I'll put a bullet in Bob the fuckin' Builder 'Fore they try and kick us out the building, what about the children?

Pusha T has some hard hitting lines in his verse:

What's missin' in my hood, I identified. Then I brought white to my hood, shit, I gentrified

and

Caged in, one way in, one way out Robocops on mountain bikes, ain't pullin' mace out Just tryna get back home from gettin' chased out A week ago, a boy like me don't got a face now

And Malice, (who has been on a run this year that makes me I’ve been sleeping on him as an artist):

My ghetto's not your culture, n***** really die here

and an incredible Prince reference:

When kings can't raise a young prince, the doves cry here

The way all three manage to touch on this hard subject, where they grew up and the types of things they experienced, is remarkable. They all talk about different aspects, different stories, but it all ties together in a powerful way. It's a sobering reminder of the POC experience in America and how that conversation has to continue and be brought to the attention of a wider audience.

It's only been a week, so it's hard to make judgements yet. I don't think this album quite matches The Forever Story as a cohesive piece of work, but in no way does that mean this fell short of expectations or was a disappointment. This is easily one of the best records of the year, and continues to cement JID as an amazing artist. He uses every part of the music to communicate, from the beat selections to the samples to his words to even his voice. There's very few out there who are putting out music at the level that JID is, and I cannot wait to watch his story continue. Hopefully, that'll be sooner rather than later - he stated in interviews that he is working on a sequel to this album, titled God Doesn't Like Ugly, as well as a full collaboration album with J. Cole somewhere down the line (which I didn't know I needed, but I desperately need to hear).

If you haven’t yet listened to JID, give this record a spin. If you’re not into “fast raps”, you might have a hard time appreciating some of his work, but I strongly urge giving him a chance. He’s so much more than that, and is an insanely talented artist.