Ride through any part of ATL, from East Atlanta to downtown, and you’re likely to spot a billboard repping one of the city’s most prolific, multi-hyphenated artists, rapper JID. His third studio album, The Forever Story, dropped last month and was met with critical acclaim and praise from both his seasoned fanbase and any newcomers tardy to his party. JID recently pulled up to NPR Music’s D.C. headquarters to bring his vibrant artistry to their Tiny Desk Concert series. Backed by a full band and vocalists, he flowed through a medley of songs from the new album, as well as his previous releases The Never Story and Dicaprio 2.
JID kicked things off with a soulful, stripped-down and seamless mash-up of “Galaxy,” “Workin Out” and “Off Da Zoinkys.” Following an introduction of the band, he transitioned to the fan favorite “Never,” which he described as one of his “favorite songs ever” and as “very important to the JID ecosystem.” He rounded things out with three tracks from the new album – “Sistanem,” “Surround Sound” and “Kody Blu 31” – covering a range of emotions and topics from family to staying afloat in the grind of the rap game.
Though he exuded agility and confidence throughout the entire performance, for the final track, his humility and perhaps his sensitivity as an artist peeked through. He playfully prepped the crowd with a disclaimer, saying, “I’m doing a little bit more singing on this, so I’ma ask y’all to bear with me if I get a little pitchy.” However, any off notes were lost in JID’s passion and skilled storytelling making for one of the best Tiny Desk Concert performances we’ve seen.
Watch JID’s full Tiny Desk Concert below, and, if you haven’t already, be sure to add his latest album The Forever Story to your collection from your preferred digital platform.
