JID

Atlanta rapper JID turned his back on a football scholarship to pursue music, working for years to develop a quickly shifting lyrical style that stood out in a sea of sound-alike rappers. After time spent collaborating with the Spillage Village collective, JID signed a solo deal with J Cole’s label and produced a string of highly musical and powerfully complex albums, reaching a new wave of critical acclaim with 2018′s masterful DiCaprio 2. He rejoined Spillage Village for 2020′s Spilligion project, then collaborated with Imagine Dragons a year later. The Forever Story, JID’s acclaimed third studio album, arrived in 2022. “Half Doin Dope,” a collaborative single with Lil Yachty, appeared in 2023. JID was born Destin Route on Halloween in 1990. Raised in East Atlanta, JID (a name adopted and adapted from what his grandmother called him as a jittery child) had his first connection with music through his parents’ collection of classic funk and soul LPs. After a stint at Hampton University playing football, JID also hooked up with fellow MCs as part of the Spillage Village collective. By 2012, he had dropped out of college to focus on music, and in 2014 he headed out on what would be a productive tour with EarthGang, Bas, and Ab-Soul. Touring allowed JID to hone his skills, and a year later he recorded and dropped the DiCaprio EP, which saw him team up with a host of producers, as well as EarthGang. While keen to distance himself from the generic abrasive trap sound that had dominated the Atlanta scene, JID wanted to deliver something that was about more than just a beat, and instead focused his time and effort on lyrics as well. In 2016, JID, with the rest of the Spillage Village crew, released the album Bears Like This Too Much, which saw the rapper displaying his unique delivery and inspired lyrics. In 2017, he signed to J Cole’s Dreamville label (a connection made with the rapper via JID’s part in the 2014 tour with Bas and Cole’s friend and producer Cedric Brown), which released the single “Never” and full-length The Never Story at the beginning of the year. In September 2018, he issued the single “151 Rum,” the first offering from DiCaprio 2, his sophomore full-length and sequel to his 2015 EP. The album arrived in late November and included cameos from 6LACK, A$AP Ferg, Method Man, and others. DiCaprio 2 was received warmly by fans and critics alike, appearing on many year-end best-of lists despite its being released so late in the year. The record expanded JID’s fan base significantly, and he spent the next few years touring and showing up for cameos on tracks by other, increasingly famous artists such as Pusha T, Vince Staples, and T.I. In September 2020, JID reconnected with the Spillage Village crew for the release of the collective’s fourth project, the religion-themed concept album Spilligion. The stylistically versatile set debuted at number 141 on the Billboard 200 chart. Throughout 2021, JID issued a handful of stand-alone singles and collaborated with Imagine Dragons on the song “Enemy.” In January 2022, he announced his third full-length with “Surround Sound” featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate. The Forever Story landed in August, with additional guests including Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), Lil Wayne, and Ravyn Lenae. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and 8 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. In March 2023, the rapper appeared on the song “Ma Boy,” with Dreamville and Lute, as part of the soundtrack to Creed III. That September, he and Lil Yachty came together as BlakkBoyz for the singles “Half Doin Dope” (with BabyTron) and “Van Gogh.” ~ Rich Wilson