The Forever Story
| JID
The Forever Story
The Forever Story is the third studio album by American rapper JID. It was released on August 26, 2022, through Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Yasiin Bey, Lil Wayne, Johntá Austin, Ravyn Lenae and Eryn Allen Kane.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
The Atlanta rapper’s latest LP is an ambitious and overwhelming experience, a bridge between his upbringing and his place within hip-hop canon and Black history at large.
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Essence
The Forever Story is an examination into the mind, body and soul of a man on the path towards stability and peace of mind. Throughout its hour-long duration, we see him realize the importance of learning from all past experiences, along with the value of true human connection, for better or worse. As his star continues to rise, let’s hope that JID continues to tell us his story for as long as he can.
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Sputnik Music
Really, it's the kind of album that an artist could use to make Their Name, and not a minute too soon for a phenomenally talented rapper who seemed stuck on albums that were really just loose collections of songs (sorry, DiCaprio 2) and heading for the slippery slope of gaming Spotify numbers with features on Imagine Dragons songs. If I were in the mood to anger everybody I'd compare The Forever Story to JID's good kid, m.a.a.d. city, less in sonic terms than how it frames the rapper's life as a narrative that's simultaneously curated for the listener's enjoyment, disarmingly sincere, and communicated over absolutely banging beats. That doesn't make the next thing on JID's docket To Pimp a Butterfly, nor should it – all I hope is what comes next is as fun, idiosyncratic and personal as The Forever Story.
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Hip Hop Wired
The Forever Story is the talented Atlanta star's third studio album, and arguably his most important work to date.
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The Alternative
As a whole, the album feels like a complete project, united by the single theme of JID’s success; however, unlike some artists who reach levels of success, the album does not end up falling flat, relying not on the “can-I-talk-my-shit-again”-ility of the artist outside of the music. Rather, JID’s success comes from the command of his art, creating catchy yet nostalgic bangers that really do exemplify why he has reached such success in the first place.
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Medium
The Atlanta native strikes gold once again on his third studio album.
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Ratings Game Music
The Forever Story is not an easy listen, and that is because the Atlanta rapper makes it clear that he didn’t have an easy life growing up. Way to make a body of work that embodies who you are, JID.
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Clash Magazine
JID’s latest release is a wonderful insight into the rapper’s formative years, and ultimately through the introspective manner allows for an enthralling listen. Through ‘The Forever Story’ JID has claimed his seat at the prestigious table of Atlantan greats.
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Legends Will Never Die
I’ve gone on record numerous times saying that J.I.D’s the future of Dreamville & if The Forever Story doesn’t further prove that, then I don’t know what to tell you because it’s a great sequel to his full-length debut & I’ll even say it’s arguably better than The Never Story. I admire that he comes through with more in-depth stories throughout, the production is incredibly dynamic & the feature list is pretty tight.
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Daily Trojan
In all, “The Forever Story” is an amazing album and a contender for rap album of the year thus far. While it has some glaring faults, including some features that feel unnecessary or could’ve been suited for other songs, the album continues to build upon the modern day legend of JID. He recaptures the sound that made so many dedicated hip-hop fans fall in love with him right before the turn of the decade.
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Epigram
Overall, The Forever Story is a good album, and nowadays that is not something I find myself saying a lot. Obviously it has it's weaknesses, with the Lil Durk and Lil Wayne features playing into the hands of hip-hop critics and satisfying hype chasing supporters. However, as a JID album, or just a music project in general, The Forever Story loves up to the hype.
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The Nuance Magazine
In a sense, his latest offering, The Forever Story, serves as a prequel of sorts for the Atlanta rapper, where he showcases his upbringing. JID gives us a peek behind the curtain of his life before we knew him and how that turned him into the man he is today.
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Spectrum Pulse
And I think that’s enough - J.I.D. proved that his scope and vision is bigger, unique to him, and has enough nuance and complexity to expand past traditional hip-hop power structures while easily satisfying everyone comfortable within them. But there’s more than that - it’s not just wildly entertaining and can sustain its scope and runtime, but also reflects a lived-in maturity, refined flair, and eye for clever detail that finally reflects all the potential he’s showcased for the past year. It’s a breakthrough in every sense of the word… and again, one of the best rap albums of 2022, I can’t praise it highly enough. It seems like a lot of folks both in and outside the mainstream are onboard with this, and you should be too - check it out!
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The Weekly Coos
The Forever Story is a triumph for JID, weaving together his strengths and compacting them cleanly in his own transformative journey. We get a balance between production styles, allowing them to connect through distinct transitions. It left me zoning, retaining it on repeat, and feeling the immersive nature of his music. And with features that boast the messaging of their respective tracks and equally great production, JID continues to add credence to his momentous strength as a lyricist/MC.
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East Side Vibes
On The Forever Story, his lyricism is way more accessible and relatable than ever, letting the listener into his life in a way he has not done before while still keeping up his lyrical complexity. The Forever Story is JID’s best work to date, and it cements JID as one of the most talented and important artists making Hip Hop today.
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The Needle Drop
Phenomenal.
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13way
The scope of the project makes it easy to occasionally lose the plot, but the raps and production are strong enough to draw focus away from its awkward sequencing.
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The Urban Daily
The Forever Story is the talented Atlanta star's third studio album, and arguably his most important work to date.
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