Atlanta’s own J.I.D has been one of the most beloved acts to come out of J. Cole‘s label, Dreamville. With critical acclaim for his albums The Never Story and DiCaprio 2 plus big hits like “151 Rum” and “Off Deez,” the 31-year-old rapper is ready for his next big splash in the game. His newest album, The Forever Story, is set to release this Friday, August 26th, and he shared the album’s tracklist via his social media pages.


Interestingly, the tracklist has all of its features crossed out, so it seems like J.I.D wants to surprise fans with his guests. It should be incredibly hype given the prolific production credits on the album. There are some familiar names like DJ Scheme, DJ Khalil, and Hollywood Cole, along with frequent pop-ups from Christo, Groove, and Monte Booker. All these are sure to mix well with the almost-Quality Control signee, especially given the singles released for the album.

However, there are some left-field and really exciting inclusions in these credits that have particularly caused a ruckus. These include electronic titan James Blake, Kaytranada, jazz drummer JD Beck, funk extraordinaire Thundercat, and the hip-hop influenced jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD. If nothing else, this seems to be J.I.D’s most ambitious sonic endeavor and one that will likely see him expanding his skillset and venturing into new territory.

The tracklist also includes J.I.D’s single with 21 Savage and Baby Tate, “Surround Sound,” as well as his Kenny Mason-assisted single “Dance Now.” One interesting revelation that came with this announcement is that the album was meant to be 16 songs, halved into two groups of 8 that make for two infinity signs when flipped over. However, the last track “2007” will not be on the album, which fans assume is due to sample clearance issues. Regardless, the full tracks visualized, featuring vocals from J. Cole and Dreamville president Ib, is on YouTube.

J.I.D says 2022 isn’t a mid year for rap at all, contrary to what Tory Lanez believes, and it seems like he’s going to prove that point this week.

[via]