With charismatic punchlines, a plethora of beat switches, and one of the best collections of flows in hip-hop today, JID’s recently released album, The Forever Story , is a front runner for rap album of the year. Grammy-nominated artist JID worked with Dreamville Records (again) to top his last project, Dicaprio 2 . JID successfully sets a stage to allow for his skillset to shine and to share his story. Collaborations with artists like Kenny Mason and Lil Wayne and a feature from the king himself, 21 Savage (21 21), not only display his artistic versatility but also complement the tone of the album. From nostalgic melodies on “Surround Sound” and “Money” to his own R&B vocals on “Kody Blu 31,” JID once again proves that he is one of the most talented rappers of this era. Further, he is able to make his music accessible to the average listener without compromising the quality—a feat few artists are able to accomplish. One of my favorite aspects of the album is JID’s sonic references with hooks on songs similar to classics from legends like OutKast and Michael Jackson. Without a doubt, I would recommend listening to this project all the way through and then three more times over. Arjun is a sophomore in the School of Health studying Global Health. He is still trying to time the beat drop for “Raydar.”