by Sam Wolstenholm
First of all, I'll say right now that I'm not 100% sure if it's "JID" or "J.I.D" because different sources do it differently. It's annoying. I'm going with J.I.D because that's what he wrote on the album cover of DiCaprio 2, his last album (which was good by the way). Anyway, his third album, The Forever Story, was released on August 26th, 2022 and is a sequel of sorts to his album The Never Story (also a good album). The artwork of that album has even evolved a bit for this sequel project's imagery. It's been four years since we've been blessed with a solo J.I.D album, though he's shown up plenty of times for features and group albums/mixtapes.
J.I.D is a rapper, singer, and part of J. Cole's Dreamville group (the one that did said albums/mixtapes). This guy has been called the next Kendrick Lamar. The praise has been high for years, so the expectations for this long-awaited project were huge. Without further ado, let's see if The Forever Story lives up to the hype.
1. "Galaxy"
Alright, here we go. This album starts out with a short intro. It's part music, part voicemail. It features singing over some heavy keys followed by an angry voicemail from who I assume to be a family member or something of the sort. This man is angry at J.I.D for not answering the phone and calls him fake. That's pretty much it. It doesn't really do much in my opinion to set up the sound of the whole album, but it's not like it's out of place either. (EDITING NOTE: This actually makes a lot more sense to me now. He gets very personal and introspective in this album, so calling him "fake" at the beginning is ironic and sets up the rest of the project as almost a direct response to this voicemail...nice.)
2. "Raydar"
Now, I consider this more of an intro track as it actually does give the audience a taste of how unique this album is about to be. It hits hard, switching beats like five different times. Some of the switches are more subtle than others, but they all work in my opinion. It begins with a short little chant (which sounds pretty cool too) that leads into the main beat of the song. This is a bass-heavy 808 and simple drum beat. This goes for about half the song as J.I.D is just absolutely spitting. He's proving here why he's one of the best rappers in music right now. "With my .9 I'm like ten avengers. Snap my fingers I can end adventures" ...LIKE COME ON! (If you don't get that, it's referencing Avengers: Infinity War) I'll talk more about his actual lyrics later, but you can always listen for youself. This first half is broken up by a couple breaks from lyrics where it just sounds like chaos. There are crowd noises, whistles, and referee statements. It sounds like a football game. THEN, it goes into the second half with the most abrupt beat switch in the song. Just know, if you like bars, you'll love this track. And I like bars. If he wasn't on your "Raydar" before, he should be now. I think you get it.
Add this song to your playlist right now...done? Okay, now I'll review it. Before I even say anything about the sound of this, you must know that it is about his newfound fame. He claims to be "dancing with the devil" because of how big he's gotten. Knowing that (it's not something I picked up on right away), this song has A LOT going for it. First of all, it's a banger. Simple and plain. He's rapping his ass off, of course, and changes up his delivery to keep it interesting. In fact, he's one of the more animated rappers that there are, and he leans into that here by even using a different accent for a few lines. Yea, it's weird but dope. The beat sounds like a demonic chant. It's honestly kind of offputting, and it's supposed to be. The refrain is catchy in an earworm kind of way. He makes sure to capture a menacing but engaging vibe on this song, paralleling the enticement of making a deal with the devil. Phenominal track.
Storytelling at its finest. Well, maybe not its finest, but I wouldn't know how to make it much better. I'll talk about the story after the sound. The beat is somewhat understated, but that's to allow the spotlight to shine on the story being told. It's a cool sound with weird keys and/or guitar sounds looping. It doesn't get stagnant though because it does have enough variation. It's got a chorus that isn't particularly catchy, but it kind of hits hard when you listen to what he's saying. That leads me to the topic of the song. It's about his siblings and how close they are. More specifically, he makes that point by detailing a story about a time they all got into a fight at a club in New Orleans. The track features a few clips of his siblings telling the story too. It's definitely interesting. If you enjoy storytelling, this is the one.
I linked the Rap Genius page for this song since I can't seem to find it on Spotify? Drop it in the comments if you got it. Anyway, we got an odd one here. It was produced by Kaytranada, and he does his thing on here. It's a collaboration I actually didn't realize I needed until now. There's a smoothness to the sound led by the bass line. That's contrasted during the chorus by a wild J.I.D performance. It's repetitive, but he knows when it starts to be too much. I actually hated it at first, but I love it now. It's been stuck in my head almost every day since I first heard it. I would understand not really connecting to this hook, but I like the creative risk taken for it. The verses by J.I.D and EARTHGANG are solid, but there doesn't seem to anything crazy going on in that realm.
I already knew this song would be fire as soon as I heard the Aretha Franklin sample at the beginning. There's somebody I know that would love this song, but, unfortunately, we don't talk anymore. He's the one I would usually talk to music about, and I'm guessing this is his favorite song on the project (because of both vocal samples in the beat and the beat switch). Anyway, this track was the first single for the album, and it makes sense. I mentioned the vocals in the beat. The drums go hard too. I don't like the second half of the song (after the beat switch) as much as the first, but it's fine. The hook has a good flow and melody, but it's difficult to learn and sing along to. 21 Savage is hilariously amazing, as usual. My favorite (and least favorite) line of his is "Pillsbury Man, I keep the dough on me". LOL! As far as subject matter goes, there isn't anything too deep here. It's a classic rap brag track. They make a lot of gun references too (and if you haven't realized it by this point in the album, that's a motif). That's the "sound" that "surrounds"...get it? Yea, you get it. Overall, good song, but it didn't blow me away.
Dare I say it? Dark horse? I'm not sure if this one is going to be a big song or not, but it should be. At this point in the album, I'm glad to hear J.I.D singing. He's got a great voice, and some of my favorite songs of his in the past are due to his singing. This one is no exception. It's somewhat of an inspiring track. "Swang on" meaning "keep fighting". "Swang" = "swing". I'm not sure how much I need to explain, but you get the picture now. He's basically talking about fighting, but in an inspiring fashion. The production here features strings, horns, a swing drum beat, and what sounds like a live bass. It's absolutely beautiful. I needed this one, and so do you. Check it out.
Toast to the homies! This track is one about friendship and loyalty, something that's been shaky in my life lately. It's actually pretty touching how J.I.D shows genuine appreciation for those who have been there for him and continue to be real with him. It's a soulful beat that includes a nice live bass, strings, vocals, and more. There's a lot of space in the sound and the tempo is slow. This lets the vocal flows take lead, and this includes Lil Durk's verse (and I don't even rock with Lil Durk like that). He isn't saying anything crazy, but he actually ends up being a great feature. His voice and flow works really well on this beat, and the concept isn't anything he can't handle. This is a very solid track.
9. "Sistanem"
Smooth as silk, this Hollywood Cole produced beat is as deep as the subject matter. The drums just kind of roll along, but the bass, synth, and voice sounds in the background sound wild in the headphones. It's more of an atmosphere than it is a beat. J.I.D is at his most vulnerable at this point in the album, speaking on the effect his success has on his family. We have another fantastic track on our hands here, even if the music itself is pretty lowkey. It's also six minutes long too, but it isn't really a problem here.
There are two halves to this song, but they both follow the same concept: J.I.D and his behavior in relationships. It is pretty introspective as he both admits to his flaws and defends himself. He explores both sides of the coin, hence the beat switch. Sonically, I like both of these beats. The first one is funky and smooth. It's more bass-heavy and it mostly plays behind the beat, making it sound slower than the second half. There is still a smooth vibe in that second half, but it sounds lighter and a litter faster (even though I'm pretty sure it's still the same tempo). There's a sample (or a synth?) and some keys running in the background. It sounds swirly. Does that make sense? I'm not sure. Both beats are good, but I think I like the first half more. Ari Lennox absolutely kills her performance. Unfortunately, I didn't like the hook very much. It's sung well and all, but it gets repeated a lot. I am fine with repetition sometimes, but if it gets to be too much, then it's too much. Ari Lennox does her best to vary it up, but she can't save it in my opinion. It's kind of like a good actor in a bad movie, not that this is a bad movie. This is one of the weaker tracks on the album in my opinion, but I also think that speaks to the quality of all the other songs too.
This song has a beat switch. This seems to be happening a lot. That's risky because it could go south on any of these tracks, but J.I.D somehow finds a way to make it work pretty much every time. This one is no exception. The main beat has a flute (or oboe, or clarinet, I don't know) with some spacey drums and guitar. It's a nice sonic breather. Like, it literally sounds like the beat is breathing at some points. His vocals are wild as they go back and forth between the headphones and are pitched up and down creatively. It works well, but I can see people disagreeing with me on that. The topic is fame. It gets a bit deeper than that, but I don't need to break that down. He makes a nice Erykah Badu reference when he says "Baby, I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit". This is in reference to her song "Tyrone" where she says pretty much the same thing. Yasiin Bey (AKA Mos Def) gets his own beat for an entire verse after the switch-up. Now, if you want to decypher this verse, be my guest. I'm assuming it is also about fame in some way, but I'm not going to spend a week trying to figure out every line. It sounds good though.
Interestingly, this track ends with the exact same "1-2-3-4" count from the opening of the album. I'm wondering if the corresponding track titles have anything to do with it. The connection I'm seeing is that he started high in the galaxy and has come down to the stars. There are still four songs after this though, so I can't imagine I'm correct. Let me know what you think. Bring the conspiracies.
Kenny Mason delivers a nice, catchy hook on this one, as he did on "Dance Now". J.I.D raps about time and how he'll be rapping forever (aha..album title reference). Lil Wayne raps like Lil Wayne (he rhymes the word "time" with itself like twenty times, and somehow it works). This one is kind of what you'd expect. It's actually one of the more fun tracks in this serious-sounding second half of the album. It's refreshing. The beat is fun and quirky (perfect for these two to rap on together) featuring an odd string loop. I honestly don't have a lot to say about this one. It's good.
13. "Money"
You know, I said "Kody Blu 31" was my dark horse, but it might actually be this one. I almost don't want to say that though because of how upbeat and standout of a track this is. There's a cool guitar chop going on paired with some cool sporatic drums (a lot of snare and cymbal, it's exciting). There's also horns and what I think is an actual children's choir (it's definitely at least one kid's vocals layered). It all comes together to create a really unique sound that I think works really well for J.I.D. I have no idea what the topic of this track is, but I think it has something to do with the title...okay you got me. It's about money. More specifically, he's explaining his experience with money as a black man. He discusses how he came from a household with no money and how that compares to his life now that he has it. The bologna sandwich lines do a good job of making this idea plain and simple. I am personally a white man that grew up in a family that could afford pretty much everything we needed. We weren't rich or anything, but we were fine. That being said, I cannot personally relate to a lot of what he's talking about here. However, I have to commend him for making the idea accessible enough for almost anyone to see his point. I'm not the target audience here, I'm not supposed to relate, but I think he's telling his story to make clear why getting money is so important to African-Americans. They've been screwed (and still are). He wants to inspire kids like him to get their money like Dr. Dre, JAY-Z, and Kayne West did for him. Oh yea, I haven't even mentioned any of his actual lyrics. There are numerous quotables here, including but not limited to "Father Time fucked Mother Nature and had an Uncle Tom. Now, them crackers snatchin' black cats by they tongue, for the cheese, rats creepin' on your TV screens, sellin you dreams. Granny buyin' holy waters off of Joel Osteen". Damn. Okay, I'll leave it at that.
Tears were shed to this song. I'll say why after I praise the instrumental. There's a great drum beat, emotional piano, guitar, and various other sounds. Honestly, I don't really want to spend too much time on the beat. It's good, okay? What's new here? As far as the chorus goes, J.I.D is singing again, and you can hear the pure sadness in his voice. In fact, that pathos runs throughout this track (and album). He's rapping about how he grew up with a guy that was a really close friend of his. This guy ended up in jail, and J.I.D is heartbroken about it and misses him. It's very touching. The second verse is over a slightly different beat (subtle-ish beat switch), and he's discussing the path he went on versus where his friend went. They started in the same place and ended up in very different ones. My friends aren't in jail, but I may as well be. I miss my friends. I miss the good times we had together. Sadly, people go on different paths, even if they don't want to. That's why this song made me cry.
Damn...J.I.D kind of lets loose on this one. He really just rants, letting out his thoughts and frustrations on various topics. His flow is furious, sounding like the guns he references in half the songs here. The beat for the verses is pretty dark and heavy. I imagine it'd sound crazy in the car speakers (edit note: it does). It changes for the chorus to let the features do their thing, and it sounds absolutely angelic. I do think that the stark contrast is a little jarring, especially the first time. However, I also think that it's pretty representative of the whole album because he's got moodiness, inspiration, introspection, and a lot more all on this one track. It's a good closer, but I wouldn't group it with the better half of the songs on the project.
Overall
So far, this is the highest score I've ever given, and I'm not sure how it could be beaten. Obviously, there is room for improvement (if you can put it like that) because it didn't get a perfect 10/10. I'll say right now that the only reason it isn't perfect is because a couple choruses get too repetitive and some of the beats didn't absolutely blow me away. It also isn't the most accessible album from front to back. If you don't normally enjoy rappity-rap, then I can see you being indifferent to some of these tracks. Personally, I think rapping is actually underrated. I know it's widely popular and all that, but people don't really seem to appreciate the intricacies of the lyrics and storytelling that good rappers like J.I.D can pull off. This album is incredible. It's fun. It bangs. It's emotional. It's conscious. It's quirky. It's smart. It isn't stale. It's mixed well. It's performed well. IT'S WRITTEN WELL!
Thematically, J.I.D is pretty consistent throughout the project. He focuses mainly on the relationships between his loved ones and his rise to success (while also diving into topics derived from that). He opens up a lot about his personal life, and I feel like I almost know him personally after hearing it all. I can tell that he took his time crafting this album and that he saw it as a work of art rather than a money grab. He does talk about guns a lot, but he makes actual clever bars about them, so I can give him the pass on that. He has truly created something, in my opinion, that lives up to its title and will last forever. I hope that this is an album we can look back on in ten years and still appreciate its greatness.
9.5/10
If you've read my review, I assume you have already heard The Forever Story, so I want to hear what you think. What'd I miss? Did I tear apart your favorite song? Or give too much credit to one that doesn't deserve it? Any questions or comments? I'd love to respond. Feel free to drop review requests too! I will strongly consider them (this one was a request).
Peace and love.
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