2 days ago
JID's 'God Does Like Ugly' Is a Polished Patchwork
Summary
One of the most eyed albums across the entirety of the vast hip hop ether,JID's fourth studio album,God Does Like Ugly,is here. Arriving about three years afterThe Forever Story,the 15-track album is a profoundly penned tale, piecing together a plethora of genres, guest verses and appearances, and raw anecdotes to create a truly boundless sonic story.
A-list collaborators are ubiquitous, kicking off from the jump withWestside Gunnon 'YouUgly,' a two-part track that sees each rapper take the stage solo for about two minutes. Single 'WRK' falls at track 3, which builds on the predecessor 'Glory''s themes of reaping the benefits of hard work.
Clipsesteps in for 'Community,' with JID handling 'Gz,' track five, – another highlight – fully solo almost to just remind us that he can.
The streak of features picks back up, withVince Stapleshopping on 'VCR,' and, what seems to be the fan-favorite at the moment,CiaraandEARTHGANGsplitting up 'Sk8.'Don Toliverdelivers on 'What We On,' a slower, softer offering, followed up byTy Dolla $ignand6LACK, elevating the ethereal 'Wholeheartedly.'Jessie Reyez, Baby Kia,Mereba, and Pastor Troy contribute to 'No Boo,' 'On McAfee,' 'Of Blue,' and 'K-Word,' respectively.
Intentional interludes carefully splice the selection of sleekly produced tracks, with the rapper's pastor and someone on his team both appearing on 'Glory.'
1. YouUgly (with Westside Gunn)2. Glory3. WRK4. Community (with Clipse)5. Gz6. VCRs (with Vince Staples)7. Sk8 (with Ciara & EARTHGANG)8. What We On (with Don Toliver)9. Wholeheartedly (with Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK)10. No Boo (with Jessie Reyez)11. And We Vibing12. On McAfee (with Baby Kia)13. Of Blue (with Mereba)14. K-Word (with Pastor Troy)15. For Keeps
While not necessarily as unified in sound asDiCaprio 2orThe Forever Story,the entirety of the genre-blurring tracklist is woven together by the rapper's impeccable storytelling capabilities.
StreamGod Does Like Ugly– out everywhere now.
