Before diving into J.I.D's new album, 'God Does Like Ugly,' get to know the GRAMMY-nominated Atlanta rapper's back catalog. From the lyrical force of 'The Never Story' to the vulnerability behind 'Dicaprio 2' and beyond, J.I.D is never without depth.
Vernon Ayiku
|GRAMMYs/Aug 5, 2025 - 07:50 pm
In the eight years since his debut release, J.I.D has gone from standout underground rapper to two-time GRAMMY nominee and one of the most technically gifted MCs of his generation. The breakout star of J. Cole’s Dreamville collective, J.I.D has since carved his own lane. His rapid-fire flows, intricate wordplay, and genre-blurring production are instantly recognizable.
Born in Atlanta and the youngest of seven children, J.I.D got his name from a nickname his grandmother gave him as a child: "J.I.Ddery" (a playful twist on "jittery") reflecting his restless energy. In 2009, at 20, he began channeling that energy into a series of mixtapes, laying the groundwork for his critically acclaimed 2017 debut album, The Never Story. The album blended André 3000-level charisma, animated deliveries, gospel undertones, and melodic pockets with East Coast lyrical sensibilities.
Beneath the technically sound lyrical display and flow lies a cohesive, and impressively compelling narrative. Throughout, J.I.D opens up about his family's struggles, trauma, his fears, addictions, self-doubt, and the weight of being the one who might lift his family out of poverty; a burden that lingers behind every verse. At its core, The Never Story is a nod to stories that often go untold.
In 2018 J.I.D released DiCaprio 2, a cinematic project that broadened his production range into more whimsical and theatrical territory. The album feels like a series of short films, with scene-setting lyrics, larger melodic hooks, and dramatic beats. Throughout, J.I.D plays multiple roles, adopting new cadences, accents, and perspectives to craft worlds that seem lifted from a Tarantino or Scorsese script.
Combining the personal storytelling of The Never Story with the dramatic world-building of DiCaprio 2, in 2022, J.I.D released The Forever Story, his most complete album to date. The spiritual sequel to The Never Story, it is technically sharper, emotionally deeper, more ambitious in scope, and richer in storytelling. While The Never Story painted a picture of who J.I.D was and where he came from, The Forever Story invited listeners to walk in his shoes.
With his new album God Does Like Ugly out and three GRAMMY nominations under his belt — including Best Rap Album for his work on Dreamville's Revenge of the Dreamers III and Best Rap Performance for "Down Bad." J.I.D continues to evolve, sharpening his pen and stretching his technical skills further. If you're just getting into his catalogue, here are five songs to help you dive in.
"Never" (The Never Story, 2017)
If there were only room for one song on this list, it'd have to be "Never." As J.I.D put it during his 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Concert, the track is "very important to the ecosystem of J.I.D." A near-perfect debut single, it showcases everything that makes him compelling: dizzying flows, cadence agility, intricate lyricism, and raw storytelling. But more than that, it serves as a thesis statement for both The Never Story and J.I.D as an artist.
The song is lyrically dense, layered and emotionally loaded, like a private journal entry; it chronicles J.I.D's hunger, frustrations, vices and the weight of expectations. You can hear the tension between his humility and aggression. J.I.D's artistic duality is mirrored when the beat switches halfway through: reflective and personal on one side and then aggressive and sharp on the other. The structure of the song alone hints at J.I.D's range, blurring sub-genres seamlessly as it goes from Atlanta trap to New York boom bap. It's not just a great debut single; it's the foundation on which his career was built.
"151 Rum" (DiCaprio 2, 2018)
"151 Rum" is a pure technical showcase. From the opening bars, J.I.D launches into an onslaught of flow switches and sharp lyricism that doesn't let up over the track's sub-3 minute runtime. Try rapping the opening verse to yourself without tying your tongue in a knot. If you even get through the first 30 seconds, you've probably mastered breath control, because that's what it took for J.I.D to lay this track down.
During his 2019 Catch Me If You Can tour, J.I.D would often bring fans on stage to rap the song with him. And when they did manage to deliver, it was nearly as impressive as watching J.I.D himself, a testament to the song's complex structure.
Production by Christo and Nice Rec perfectly captures the big cinematic feel of DiCaprio 2. Thematically, "151 Rum" is about paranoia and survival, anchored by frenetic drums and eerie synths that never let the tension drop. It feels like a car chase scene shot using entirely practical effects. Play it during the final stretch of a cardio workout, and you'll understand. It's pure audio adrenaline.
"Crack Sandwich" (The Forever Story, 2022)
If "151 Rum" is J.I.D's technical showcase, "Crack Sandwich" is his storytelling masterclass. The track plays like a flip through the Routes family scrapbook, brought to life by J.I.D's vivid imagery and the audio recordings threaded between verses.
Structurally, it's a song of two halves. The first sets the stage, outlining the harsh environment and financial hardship that shaped his upbringing. The second zooms in on one vivid memory: His older brother's graduation party at a New Orleans nightclub, which spirals into a street fight and ends with J.I.D and his six siblings crammed into a holding cell. It's a chaotic, but also oddly affectionate tale, told with pride, humour, and razor-sharp clarity.
Even in its most intense moments, there's an undeniable warmth and the sense that his family is both the root of his troubles and his anchor through it.
"Kody Blu 31" (The Forever Story, 2022)
Created in memory of the son of a close friend who passed away unexpectedly at 31, "Kody Blu 31" is both J.I.D's most vulnerable track and the emotional heart of The Forever Story. In an interview with Apple Music, J.I.D revealed that the choir at the intro of the song isn't sampled from a gospel record but his actual family singing at his grandmother's funeral. That context adds incredible emotional weight to the song's aching chorus, "swang on, swang on," a mantra for pushing forward through grief and pain.
At the center of it all is J.I.D's most affecting vocal performance to date. While flashes of melody have appeared in his earlier work, this is the first time he fully leans into a singer-songwriter, and the results are stunning. Raw, restrained, and deeply personal, "Kody Blu 31" shows a new side of J.I.D, less concerned with proving his lyrical brilliance and more focused on honouring his loved ones and letting the listeners into a very intimate moment.
"Animals (Pt. 1)" feat. Eminem (God Does Like Ugly Preluxe, 2025)
Both a prelude to God Does Like Ugly and a showcase of his growth as a technical MC, "Animals (Pt. 1)" finds J.I.D going toe to toe with Eminem — the ultimate litmus test for any rapper who takes lyricism as seriously as J.I.D does.
The two trade dizzying verses that demand multiple listens just to start unpacking. But the song isn’t just about lyrical complexity; it’s a career-defining moment. A co-sign from one of the greatest ever to touch a mic and a statement that J.I.D belongs in that rare tier of MCs. Released as part of the GDLUPreluxe EP, it’s also a sharp preview of the form J.I.D is heading into the next chapter of his career.
Vernon Ayiku
|GRAMMYs/Aug 5, 2025 - 07:50 pm
In the eight years since his debut release, J.I.D has gone from standout underground rapper to two-time GRAMMY nominee and one of the most technically gifted MCs of his generation. The breakout star of J. Cole’s Dreamville collective, J.I.D has since carved his own lane. His rapid-fire flows, intricate wordplay, and genre-blurring production are instantly recognizable.
Born in Atlanta and the youngest of seven children, J.I.D got his name from a nickname his grandmother gave him as a child: "J.I.Ddery" (a playful twist on "jittery") reflecting his restless energy. In 2009, at 20, he began channeling that energy into a series of mixtapes, laying the groundwork for his critically acclaimed 2017 debut album, The Never Story. The album blended André 3000-level charisma, animated deliveries, gospel undertones, and melodic pockets with East Coast lyrical sensibilities.
Beneath the technically sound lyrical display and flow lies a cohesive, and impressively compelling narrative. Throughout, J.I.D opens up about his family's struggles, trauma, his fears, addictions, self-doubt, and the weight of being the one who might lift his family out of poverty; a burden that lingers behind every verse. At its core, The Never Story is a nod to stories that often go untold.
In 2018 J.I.D released DiCaprio 2, a cinematic project that broadened his production range into more whimsical and theatrical territory. The album feels like a series of short films, with scene-setting lyrics, larger melodic hooks, and dramatic beats. Throughout, J.I.D plays multiple roles, adopting new cadences, accents, and perspectives to craft worlds that seem lifted from a Tarantino or Scorsese script.
Combining the personal storytelling of The Never Story with the dramatic world-building of DiCaprio 2, in 2022, J.I.D released The Forever Story, his most complete album to date. The spiritual sequel to The Never Story, it is technically sharper, emotionally deeper, more ambitious in scope, and richer in storytelling. While The Never Story painted a picture of who J.I.D was and where he came from, The Forever Story invited listeners to walk in his shoes.
With his new album God Does Like Ugly out and three GRAMMY nominations under his belt — including Best Rap Album for his work on Dreamville's Revenge of the Dreamers III and Best Rap Performance for "Down Bad." J.I.D continues to evolve, sharpening his pen and stretching his technical skills further. If you're just getting into his catalogue, here are five songs to help you dive in.
"Never" (The Never Story, 2017)
If there were only room for one song on this list, it'd have to be "Never." As J.I.D put it during his 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Concert, the track is "very important to the ecosystem of J.I.D." A near-perfect debut single, it showcases everything that makes him compelling: dizzying flows, cadence agility, intricate lyricism, and raw storytelling. But more than that, it serves as a thesis statement for both The Never Story and J.I.D as an artist.
The song is lyrically dense, layered and emotionally loaded, like a private journal entry; it chronicles J.I.D's hunger, frustrations, vices and the weight of expectations. You can hear the tension between his humility and aggression. J.I.D's artistic duality is mirrored when the beat switches halfway through: reflective and personal on one side and then aggressive and sharp on the other. The structure of the song alone hints at J.I.D's range, blurring sub-genres seamlessly as it goes from Atlanta trap to New York boom bap. It's not just a great debut single; it's the foundation on which his career was built.
"151 Rum" (DiCaprio 2, 2018)
"151 Rum" is a pure technical showcase. From the opening bars, J.I.D launches into an onslaught of flow switches and sharp lyricism that doesn't let up over the track's sub-3 minute runtime. Try rapping the opening verse to yourself without tying your tongue in a knot. If you even get through the first 30 seconds, you've probably mastered breath control, because that's what it took for J.I.D to lay this track down.
During his 2019 Catch Me If You Can tour, J.I.D would often bring fans on stage to rap the song with him. And when they did manage to deliver, it was nearly as impressive as watching J.I.D himself, a testament to the song's complex structure.
Production by Christo and Nice Rec perfectly captures the big cinematic feel of DiCaprio 2. Thematically, "151 Rum" is about paranoia and survival, anchored by frenetic drums and eerie synths that never let the tension drop. It feels like a car chase scene shot using entirely practical effects. Play it during the final stretch of a cardio workout, and you'll understand. It's pure audio adrenaline.
"Crack Sandwich" (The Forever Story, 2022)
If "151 Rum" is J.I.D's technical showcase, "Crack Sandwich" is his storytelling masterclass. The track plays like a flip through the Routes family scrapbook, brought to life by J.I.D's vivid imagery and the audio recordings threaded between verses.
Structurally, it's a song of two halves. The first sets the stage, outlining the harsh environment and financial hardship that shaped his upbringing. The second zooms in on one vivid memory: His older brother's graduation party at a New Orleans nightclub, which spirals into a street fight and ends with J.I.D and his six siblings crammed into a holding cell. It's a chaotic, but also oddly affectionate tale, told with pride, humour, and razor-sharp clarity.
Even in its most intense moments, there's an undeniable warmth and the sense that his family is both the root of his troubles and his anchor through it.
"Kody Blu 31" (The Forever Story, 2022)
Created in memory of the son of a close friend who passed away unexpectedly at 31, "Kody Blu 31" is both J.I.D's most vulnerable track and the emotional heart of The Forever Story. In an interview with Apple Music, J.I.D revealed that the choir at the intro of the song isn't sampled from a gospel record but his actual family singing at his grandmother's funeral. That context adds incredible emotional weight to the song's aching chorus, "swang on, swang on," a mantra for pushing forward through grief and pain.
At the center of it all is J.I.D's most affecting vocal performance to date. While flashes of melody have appeared in his earlier work, this is the first time he fully leans into a singer-songwriter, and the results are stunning. Raw, restrained, and deeply personal, "Kody Blu 31" shows a new side of J.I.D, less concerned with proving his lyrical brilliance and more focused on honouring his loved ones and letting the listeners into a very intimate moment.
"Animals (Pt. 1)" feat. Eminem (God Does Like Ugly Preluxe, 2025)
Both a prelude to God Does Like Ugly and a showcase of his growth as a technical MC, "Animals (Pt. 1)" finds J.I.D going toe to toe with Eminem — the ultimate litmus test for any rapper who takes lyricism as seriously as J.I.D does.
The two trade dizzying verses that demand multiple listens just to start unpacking. But the song isn’t just about lyrical complexity; it’s a career-defining moment. A co-sign from one of the greatest ever to touch a mic and a statement that J.I.D belongs in that rare tier of MCs. Released as part of the GDLUPreluxe EP, it’s also a sharp preview of the form J.I.D is heading into the next chapter of his career.
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