IDK

Maryland-based rapper IDK deals in direct and often nakedly autobiographical subject matter, rhyming about the pain of addiction and the complex world of drug dealing and substance abuse from firsthand experience. A string of mixtapes led up to releases like the 2019 studio album Is He Real? and its fully realized 2021 follow-up, USEE4YOURSELF. IDK continued to manage a new album each year, with Simple arriving in 2022, followed by F65 in 2023. He collaborated with Joey Bada$$ for the 2024 single “DENiM.” IDK was born Jason Mills in London in 1992. IDK stands for “Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge,” another signifier of his often-vulnerable lyrical style. He released a string of mixtapes starting with Sex, Drugs & Homework in 2014, followed by SubTrap the next year and Empty Bank the year after that. These busy years also saw IDK collaborating with musicians such as Deniro Farrar, Cole King, and Jimi Tents and sharing stages with better-known rappers. His debut album, IWASVERYBAD, was released in 2017 on the Adult Swim label. The record featured cameos by a host of well-known names, including Chief Keef, DOOM, and even veteran West Coast talent Del the Funky Homosapien. A host of singles arrived in 2018 including “No Wave” featuring Denzel Curry and “Lil Arrogant” featuring Joey Bada$$ and Russ. The seven-track EP IDK & Friends :) followed later that November. In 2019, IDK’s second studio album, Is He Real?, arrived as his first release with a major label. The record expanded the rapper/producer’s range, exploring topics of faith and society. In 2020, he worked as music supervisor for Kevin Durant’s documentary Basketball County: In the Water, releasing the nine-track IDK & FRIENDS 2 as the soundtrack. The project included appearances from Juicy J, PnB Rock, Denzel Curry, Maxo Kream, and many others. In 2021, IDK issued the studio album USEE4YOURSELF, featuring guest spots from big names like Jay Electronica, Rico Nasty, and Slick Rick. The set, which hit number one on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart, was heavy on emotionally open lyrics and broke through the Billboard 200 chart. The following year saw the release of Simple, which included the hits “Taco” and “Dog Food (feat. Denzel Curry).” IDK kept rolling with the stand-alone single “Monsieur Dio,” followed in 2023 by his fourth LP, F65. A lengthy 22-track set, the album’s guest list included Snoop Dogg, Benny the Butcher, and Rich the Kid, among others. The single “Win” followed the album, and the rapper teamed up with Joey Bada$$ again in 2024, releasing the song “DENiM.” ~ Fred Thomas