J.I.D
Sharper rhymes. Tougher strains.
Interview: Vanessa Satten
Editor’s Observe: This story seems within the Fall 2025 challenge of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and out there on the market on the XXL web site.

“I desire a BET nomination,” J.I.D says when requested about his bucket record. It’s not far-fetched. He already has three Grammy nods and with the best way he’s been dropping music, a BET trophy appears possible. Born Destin Selection Route, the Atlanta native is cemented as one in all hip-hop’s premier lyricists, sharpening his pen with each challenge.

Throughout mixtapes, collabs, EPs and 4 acclaimed albums—The By no means Story (2017), DiCaprio 2 (2018), The Perpetually Story (2022) and this yr’s God Does Like Ugly—J.I.D has carved out a transparent lane of his personal. For him, phrases aren’t simply rhymes; they’re the muse of his artistry, a puzzle he takes pleasure in piecing along with precision and intent.

Challenges don’t scare him. The youngest of seven children, J.I.D, 34, grew up taking part in severe soccer in highschool and at Hampton College. In 2012, he walked away from the sport and from school to pursue a music profession. He grinded over the subsequent 5 years earlier than signing to J. Cole’s Dreamville Data, beneath Interscope Data, in 2017.

Since then, J.I.D has constructed his profession on his personal phrases. For the considerate rhyme slinger, rapping isn’t nearly flexing expertise; it’s about crafting one thing significant that connects, challenges and lasts. On a lovely September afternoon at Decrease Manhattan’s Sunday Afternoon studio, J.I.D discusses his profession and assortment of rhyme notebooks, being boxed in as a lyricist, his cowl brother Joey Bada$$ and the need of the gods.

XXL: You have been an XXL Freshman in 2018. Now right here you’re on the duvet. How does that really feel for you?

J.I.D: To be on the duvet, that’s exhausting. I really feel just like the final cowl I had was Dreamville [Editor’s Note: J.I.D was part of the Dreamville Records group XXL cover in Spring 2019] or one thing like that. So to be on it with much less Dreamville folks, only one, yeah, I’m taking that.

Is that this your time proper now? You’ve had an incredible response to your most up-to-date album God Does Like Ugly. Your singles are working. “Encompass Sound” was a giant look and your collaborations are getting spectacular. Is that this the beginning of what you’ve been ready for?

Every thing been intentional with my profession. So, if this appeared just like the time to everyone else, I really feel prefer it’s simply the subsequent step I should be taking, so far as attending to regardless of the subsequent stage is for me. Some would say it’s the time with me. I’m simply saying that is already like, orchestrated. It’s the need of the gods.

The desire of the gods. How a lot management do you give to the need of the gods?

You gotta be ready for alternatives. I’ve been simply making ready for no matter could come, so I might simply execute and know what to do when no matter presents itself. It’s actually nearly execution.

I put my finest foot ahead, you recognize what I’m saying? I really feel like that’s while you go away it as much as the need of the gods. After you place your finest foot ahead, you place your self on the market and let the followers or let the individuals who take heed to it do no matter they need with it
as a result of it’s out your arms.

You’ve now been within the sport for eight years. You’ve had success. You’ve toured and seen the world. Is all the pieces you’ve skilled inside hip-hop to date what you thought it might be? As soon as the door was opened? As soon as the Eminem relationship existed?

It’s type of a double-edged sword, sure and no. As a result of I got here into the sport a little bit bit older like once I received signed, I already had went by school and all that sort of stuff. So at this level, it wasn’t nothing I used to be not ready for, you recognize what I’m saying? As a result of I’m not like actually a deer in headlights. I’m a fan of the artwork and I’m a fan of hip-hop and all the pieces that we do, however I do know that it’s like a darkish undertone to it typically. I don’t lean into it for one second, even like a few of the negativity, even the forwards and backwards. I don’t wish to actually lean into it.

Do you suppose you’d be larger when you did? Or do you suppose that simply doesn’t matter?

That don’t matter. I wanna hold my integrity about who I’m. I don’t wish to do issues that I don’t care about. I’m not faking it. I’m not making an attempt to go viral. I don’t wish to go viral. I feel that, viral, often earlier than it meant such as you’re sick. Viral is a illness to me. Not in a nasty means. It will probably work in each methods, however I don’t wanna be your viral sensation. I’d slightly work for it. If my payoff comes 10 years from now and I’m nearly 50, that’s tremendous with me. It’s about actually placing my ft into the mud.

So, it’s actually not the celebrity.

You heard “By no means.” Bear in mind my first track? “I ain’t [even] on this sh*t for the celebrity, bruh, it’s the ache, bruh.” I nonetheless say that to today. I’m solely telling these painful tales or these nice tales about motivation. Then I really feel just like the stuff that I make [is] simply because I used to be an athlete. You possibly can work out to it, like you’ll be able to higher your life to a few of my music. I kinda love when folks say that.

Do you suppose there’s a scarcity of depth in hip-hop proper now or in what’s connecting?

I feel it’s a lot info and a lot stuff on the market. You will discover no matter you’re searching for. It’s there. The depth that folks say just isn’t there, it’s simply, they not wanting. It’s like how one can get your info is rather like whoever’s first. So, whoever everyone likes first and say, OK, that is that depth artist to me, the herd is gonna observe.

What I’m searching for in hip-hop, I can discover it. It’s by no means missing in any realm or regard as a result of I might discover the depth if I want it. I might discover that second. I can discover all of it. You simply need to look. Folks these days, I’m unsure, however I simply know, I don’t suppose everyone seems to be caring to go looking and discover as a result of it’s simply a lot stuff, and searching for these moments…

Search for these moments and artists. Do you suppose these artists are popping out and what you’re speaking about nonetheless exists?

Yeah, it nonetheless exists…

At that very same stage or is everybody simply making an attempt to have a TikTok hit now?

It may very well be each. Each issues may very well be true. I additionally consider in some artists, and I hope that I may be just like the chief of change for them. I’m one of many artists who like, actually, I’m not the one one, however I care about this. I care about our style. I care about what occurs to hip-hop within the subsequent 100 years.

I care concerning the tales that’s gonna be instructed about it, all the pieces that I’ve heard rising up, I nonetheless consider these tales. The Tupacs and the Bigs and all of that stuff. I nonetheless care about these. I wanna be sure these are like well-handled going into the longer term.

You lately collaborated with Eminem on his file “Gas.” So, you get a name from somebody like Em, a DM, a message from somebody on his workforce. What’s that second like for you? As a result of that’s nostalgia, proper? That’s him saying he sees you, proper?

That’s that nostalgia… That’s a blessing. It type of lets me know that I’ve been moving into the best route as a result of my entire profession has been full circle moments like that. Everybody that I like actually grew as much as or simply beloved and admired and seemed to for one thing of depth or no matter I used to be searching for, most of these artists have circled again round and tapped in, you recognize what I’m saying? There’s a couple of I received the title that simply, it type of blows my thoughts that I’ve sure relationships I’m in a position to textual content a few of these folks on my cellphone, actually.

Who blows your thoughts?

I imply, Em.

Do you get bored with being outlined and recognized as a lyricist?

I wanna have a little bit enjoyable?

Yeah. Is it a torch you’re feeling like you must carry now?

For certain. I simply be aiming for the very best stage of no matter I can do. And if it comes with extra fame, if it comes with all that, like I’m all the way down to take it. That’s the load, the load I want to hold. However, nah, folks can name me lyricist. I’m not upset with it. I feel it’s a lovely factor.

To not be upset with it, however to be all the time labeled?

It’s a field.

It’s a title that’s revered and placed on a sure stage, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a field. Does that restrict you in any respect?

Being from Atlanta, folks type of flip their nostril up on the South and having the lyricists and stuff like that. Yeah, they usually make the exceptions, like with André 3000. I really feel like I’ve been regarded in that exception, however on the identical time, it’s only a completely different dialect. It’s a special means we talk about issues, and I feel it’s lyricists that folks simply wouldn’t even contemplate that due to the way it comes out.

Earlier at present, in one other interview, you talked about that one of many belongings you do while you get up within the morning is write one thing. Are you all the time writing lyrics, or are you writing as a result of it helps you get your ideas out for the day? Are you all the time getting one thing out?

I’m all the time getting some out, whether or not it’s writing a poem, a diary entry, or a manifestation or one thing. I hold a ebook, a pen or many notes on my cellphone. I hold actually books.

Do you simply take into consideration one line that you just like and wish to bear in mind, and write it there? A lyric you wish to use later.

It may very well be a punchline. I bear in mind strolling round through the pandemic and doing the “Encompass Sound” like, simply the stream of it, you recognize what I’m saying? I heard the beat [humming melody of “Surround Sound” hook] and I simply bear in mind doing that again and again. I get voice notes of it, and so it comes with medium, however often it’s one thing like a humorous punchline or one thing intelligent that I’ll jot down, or only a melody that haunts me, you recognize what I’m saying? And I’ll chase it down till I put the phrases down. I’m pondering of stuff proper now.

So, your world is phrases. It’s the way you suppose. It’s the way you get issues out.

For certain. [A notebook is] my pièce de résistance. That’s the one factor I stroll round with day by day.

Then you definitely stack them up and save them as you end them?

When I’ve an album and it’s a ebook that I wrote it in, I transfer it to the aspect, you recognize what I’m saying, like The By no means Story, the entire album that I wrote on this one pocket book, I simply by no means write in it once more. However all the pages have been crammed, you recognize what I’m saying, with stuff that didn’t make the album.

We now have you and Joey Bada$$ right here at present sharing the duvet. You guys are good buddies. You’re just some years aside in age and are dads. What do you consider Joey’s rap type? What do you discover about him? How are you guys comparable; how do you differ musically?

First off, bruh on his Black plight sh*t, similar to me, you recognize what I’m saying? That’s what anyone that be making an attempt to push our Black tradition ahead and add to the little pebbles on the seashore of sand that make up the Black diaspora. Like I’m all for it.

After which bruh from New York, bro. New York ni**as get a cross off like, not from me, however I’m simply saying in hip-hop, if in case you have that accent, some ni**as [will be] similar to, “Oh, ah, ah.” So, I’m not saying that he doesn’t do all the pieces he must do, nevertheless it’s the ethos behind it. It’s the sound of it. Hip-hop began out right here. This is sort of a mecca from the place it was created.

So yeah, bro phrases and all the pieces he’s doing since he was youthful, it’s all the time been on level. It’s all the time been intention behind it. [He’s] a very good dude, good artist.

As you get additional into your profession, do you ever really feel a duty or that there’s something you must stay as much as?

Yeah. At this level in my profession, the older I get, being a father, I’m leaning into extra just like the Nina Simone aspect of issues. Nevertheless it simply relies on what you’re searching for. I’d slightly beef with the system than one other one in all my brothers or anyone like that, you recognize what I’m saying? I’d slightly not add extra into the tradition of hate and folks dying and stuff like that.

Hearken to J.I.D’s God Does Like Ugly Album

See Images From Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s XXL Journal Fall 2025 Cowl Shoot

Watch Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s Interview With XXL