THE FOREVER STORY – JID
Released: August 26, 2022
Genre: Hip-Hop
Runtime: 59 minutes
Dreamville signee JID is back with his most adventurous and bombastic project yet. A sequel of his 2017 album “The Never Story”, an album I quite enjoyed and still go back to. JID has always been able to go and mix different styles of RnB and Hip-Hop to create some of the hardest hitting bangers you’ve heard this year, or surprise you with his blissful melodies and singing. Yes. Singing. A term I thought I’d never use with the speedy lyrical rapper.
The Forever Story has a strong start, the opening 8 songs are a mix of hard trap hitters like Raydar, Surround Sound and Dance Now, then somber songs about brotherhood and sisterhood with the songs Bruddanem and Sistanem. One of the highlights of the album is Kody Blu 31, which is a slow, sorrowful and celebratory song about his friend Kody who died at the age of 31. Enticing crooning chants and a simple but inviting drum beat. The perfect blend for the Atlanta rapper to test his writing chops on.
Speaking of writing, my lord, JID has undoubtedly the best penmanship in the current Hip-Hop game at the moment. The way he turns a phrase Michael Jackson popularised “Ma ma-se, ma ma-sa, ma ma-kossa,” and turned it into “momma said, “The messiah’s in moccasins” without losing his flow and ruining the tempo. The way JID is able to accompany 5 different flows on the song Raydar is astonishing in its own right.
JID is one of Hip-Hops brightest young stars and I hope you get the opportunity to bathe in his talents.
AGE/SEX/LOCATION – ARI LENNOX
Released: September 9, 2022
Genre: RnB, Neo-Soul
Runtime: 41 minutes
Dreamville singer, songwriter Ari Lennox is back with her second studio album, following 2019’s Shea Butter Baby Lennox is allowing herself to be more expressive and open in her music. A/S/L smells of brand new sheets, seductive lingerie, lavender scented candles and self acceptance. This album, to be straight up… is horny. Ari Lennox dances around the elegance of a plentiful night out with the girls, to a sensual date night with a partner.
The album opens with “POF” (Plenty Of Fish), slow keys accompanied by a cruisy drum beat, POF follows the well known phrase you hear after a break up “there is plenty of fish in the sea”. However, Ari questions this and why all the fish (men) that keep swimming to her are mediocre at best, hanging on to the notion that she doesn’t need a man and is happy to be accepted by herself. Which is immediately contradicted by the following track “Hoodie”, where she seeks out a man willing to come into her life and be willing to share his hoodie with her. Her vocals are sharp, assertive and almost commanding, piercing through the microphone and granting dominance over the track.
Ari Lennox isn’t alone on this 12 track album though, accompanied by the likes of Lucky Daye, Chlöe and Summer Walker on the latter half of the album. The back and fourth sexual tension between Ari and Lucky Daye on the song “Boy Bye” is so thick in the air you’d run into it thinking it’s a pool. The playful nature and lyrics of the song comes as a nice break and a half way switch up for the record in terms of being more women empowered and the thirst for self love.
Ari Lennox may not be as mainstream as her contemporaries, but in terms of raw vocal talent and ability to create beautiful songs, she has quickly proven herself to have the ability to make it big.
