God Does Like Ugly - JID: Review
Review by Lavender:
JID is an Atlanta MC who spent the latter half of the 2010s establishing himself as a versatile and endlessly talented MC with a series of memorable mixtapes and features. His rise all culminated in the 2022 album The Forever Story, one of the best rap albums of the entire decade so far. In the 3 years since, JID has risen drastically in popularity due to a bizarre crossover with Imagine Dragons and an unpredictable TikTok hit in the Forever Story deep cut “Surround Sound.” Now he's back with a frequently promised new record, God Does Like Ugly.
The lead single is as good a place as any to start because it affirms the level of talent JID is working with. “WRK” didn't necessarily blow me away, mostly because its beat feels painfully standard and the chorus is very much nothing. But the longer JID goes on in his verses, it feels like he develops more and more to say. So even though the song is far from a highlight, it's a great example of how, even at the record's low points, JID's ability to conjure interest is unrivaled.
The worst song on the record is definitely “What We On.” The song has a Don Toliver feature with the same painful vocals that drag down many of his appearances. JID doesn't deliver his most pointed verse on the album, though it's still a strong display of his ability. “Sk8” is a dancier beat than JID seems comfortable over, but he knew just who to invite. Earthgang pop up on the song and deliver the exact kind of bright, bouncy performance you'd hope. “No Boo” has a similar approach, tapping Jessie Reyez for an R&B-flavored cut. While I wish he bent his style a little bit more to match, like he does on the much better 6LACK-featuring “Wholeheartedly,” it's still a solid deep cut.
Something that separates this record from JID's previous record is the individual thematic interest of its songs and the overall thematic cohesion they create. Where The Forever Story is packed full of entirely distinct thematic moments, JID doesn't seem to do quite as good a job differentiating tracks here and crosses over similar territory a lot. “On McAfee” and “Of Blue” are a one-two punch of that. The former features an ice-cold vocal performance that amazingly never breaks poise. However, I can't say I'm ever that captivated by the content of the verse beyond its technical efficiency. In contrast, “Of Blue” is the record's longest song, and yet it's the surprise introduction of Thundercat's distinct bass that grabs my attention more than anything JID actually has to say.
So yes, I have nitpicks about half the album, normally songs I ultimately enjoy anyway. But there's another half of the record that is just fucking perfect. That begins with the opener “YouUgly.” It's ushered in by Westside Gunn hyping up JID's lethal opening verse that features some notable bars about fans overvaluing sales numbers. It also has a completely distinct second half with a rumbling beat and sharply unraveling bars throughout.
That keeps up with “Glory,” whose bouncy piano beat and preaching vocal sample make for an infectious base for the song. JID is absolutely locked in with his flow, even as the song briefly breaks down into a funny corporate Zoom meeting skit, then returns with a darker, more dramatic beat. Speaking of dark and dramatic, “Gz” has a sense of vulnerability for JID. He is practically slurring and dragging through his lyrics, only to refocus on the second verse and tell an entrancing story about his car being broken into.
With the exception of Don Toliver, the features on God Does Like Ugly are great. One of the very best is Clipse, who keep their hot streak alive on “Community.” I don't need to go into too much detail here. Three of the most talented MCs alive absolutely dish out heat from start to finish. JID's bar about shooting Bob The Builder is probably my favorite moment on the album. My other favorite feature is Vince Staples on “VCRs.” He's expectedly reserved but stunningly lethal and has a ton of chemistry with JID as the pair eat it up bar for bar.
The album concludes on a memorable one-two punch. “K-Word” is a gutting indulgence into the meaning of karma. It features some of the most purely intense and jagged vocals I've ever heard JID put to record. There's even a jaw-dropping sense of momentum as he screams out bars about karma in fiery succession through pitching effects. That contrasts starkly with “For Keeps.” While it's a bit of a rap standard to end the album off with an inspiring story of your own come-up, JID unsurprisingly does it in his own uniquely memorable way.
God Does Like Ugly absolutely belongs among the best rap albums of the year. It's only because of JID's landmark previous record that there's a blueprint for how this could have been improved. Despite moments that the thematic versatility could have been sharpened, JID's unshakable flow is the core of the record, and it's one that goes uninterrupted throughout. Even without his very best material from start to finish, JID is far more artful and exciting than many of his contemporaries could ever hope to be. 8/10
