As I walked out of the now musky halls of the O2 Academy in Birmingham, as the cool night breeze chilled the surface of my wet skin, not knowing if all of the sweat was from me or not, I knew I just experienced something special: a generational talent.
JID is not new to the hip hop scene, but he is finally gaining recognition in the mainstream due to his most recent album, The Forever Story, where he showcases his lyrical, storytelling, and even singing prowess. He teamed up with his Dreamville counterpart, Earthgang, in his UK tour, embodying southern hip hop to its core.
The opening acts of Atlanta rapper SwaVay, proclaiming that this was his first time leaving the US, and the aforementioned Earthgang, controlled the crowd and perfectly hyped up the venue in preparation for JID. To my surprise, JID pulled a left turn by using a live drummer and keyboardist in his performance which made the songs feel like a once in a lifetime experience.
From the almost rock-inspired rendition of “Raydar,” to the soulful performance of “Off Da Zoinkys,” JID shows off his range that his fans have come to expect from a rapper as technically proficient as himself.
Banger after banger to start the venue such as “Dance Now,” “151 Rum,” “Never,” and “Off Deez,” were then offset by a string of more laid back, chill cuts like “Bruddanem,” “Sistanem,” and “Workin Out,” which gave a much needed breath of fresh of fresh air before jumping right back into the fray.
A couple of standout moments include the performance of “Kody Blu 31,” where JID shows off his underrated singing ability, while also letting the crowd sing the emotional anthem of “swang on swang on” which exclaims to keep going after all of our “stresses and woes” of our lives. The other standout was an unexpected trip down memory lane, starting with Aretha Franklin’s “One Step Ahead,” which is known for being a legendary hip hop sample, not only for JID, but for Yasiin Bey, formerly Mos Def. That then transitioned into the previously mentioned Yasiin Bey song, “Ms. Fat Booty,” in which they played some of his first verse before transitioning again into JIDs “Surround Sound.”
Wrapping up the show on, of course, “Stick,” before JID and Earthgang decided they should do 3 more songs that the audience requested, then performing “Can’t Punt Me,” “Wells Fargo,” and “Costa Rica,” all of which include Earthgang, which made for a fitting sendoff for the show.
All in all, an incredible performance from everyone involved. As Rakim once said “to me, MC means ‘move the crowd’,” which is exactly what they did. JID will go down as one of the best to touch a mic. His flows and lyricism are the best in the game right now, and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.
