Beat 1's Zane Lowe on J.I.D’s The Never Story
Never grabbed my attention right away. When I heard it and saw the video, I thought, who is this guy? Then I found out J.I.D. is from Atlanta, Georgia, which is producing some of the most exciting music in the world right now.
But he sounded like he was coming at it from a different place. I’m excited about him.
J.I.D. is from east Atlanta. Never is a two-part production by Christo and Childish Major, and J.I.D. recently announced he has signed to J. Cole’s label, Dreamville, which is a very exciting collaboration.
He’s a great rapper, but there are layers of creativity at work here. He’s creating a world, or at least bringing us into his.
The project feels like a complete thought - not just great rhymes over great beats. Sonically, J.I.D. falls in line with the kind of music J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson Paak have been making recently.
Heavy beats and captivating storytelling, with a more cinematic vibe. Hopefully, we’ll see him release a lot of music this year.
From speaking with him recently, it sounds like he has it all mapped out in his head. This is what is so exciting about music today; the artists have such a clear vision. I feel like J.I.D. is just getting started...
Zane Lowe (@zanelowe)
Beats 1
