JID

Destin Route, known professionally as Atlanta rapper JID, rejected a football scholarship in order to chase a career in music, devoting multiple years to crafting a fluid and rapidly changing lyrical technique that set him apart from countless interchangeable MCs. His early work within the Spillage Village collective eventually led to a solo contract with J Cole’s Dreamville imprint, yielding a succession of melodically rich and structurally intricate albums that achieved heightened critical recognition with the accomplished 2018 project DiCaprio 2. He reunited with Spillage Village for the 2020 concept album Spilligion and, one year afterward, joined forces with Imagine Dragons. JID’s well-regarded third studio album, The Forever Story, appeared in 2022. The BlakkBoyz collaboration “Half Doin Dope” featuring Lil Yachty followed in 2023.

Born Destin Route on Halloween in 1990 and raised in East Atlanta, JID took his stage name from a childhood nickname his grandmother used for him as an excitable, fidgety youngster. His introduction to music came through his parents’ extensive library of classic funk and soul LPs. Although he initially played football at Hampton University, JID soon linked up with fellow MCs in the Spillage Village collective. He left college in 2012 to concentrate on music full-time and, in 2014, joined EarthGang, Bas, and Ab-Soul on an extensive tour that sharpened his performance skills. That experience informed the 2015 DiCaprio EP, recorded with a range of producers and EarthGang, on which JID deliberately moved beyond the abrasive trap sound then dominant in Atlanta by prioritizing dense, meaningful lyricism alongside the beats. In 2016 the full Spillage Village crew released Bears Like This Too Much, spotlighting JID’s singular delivery and inventive wordplay.

A connection forged during the 2014 tour through Bas and producer Cedric Brown secured JID a 2017 signing to J Cole’s Dreamville label, which promptly issued the single “Never” and the debut album The Never Story. September 2018 brought the lead single “151 Rum” from DiCaprio 2, his sophomore full-length and sequel to the earlier EP; the album arrived in late November with guest appearances by 6LACK, A$AP Ferg, Method Man, and others. Fans and critics responded enthusiastically, placing DiCaprio 2 on numerous year-end lists despite its late release. The project significantly expanded JID’s audience, leading to years of touring and high-profile features alongside Pusha T, Vince Staples, and T.I.

September 2020 saw JID rejoin the Spillage Village collective for its fourth release, the religion-themed Spilligion, which debuted at number 141 on the Billboard 200. Throughout 2021 he issued several standalone singles and collaborated with Imagine Dragons on “Enemy.” January 2022 brought the announcement of his third album via “Surround Sound” featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate. The Forever Story arrived in August, additionally featuring Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), Lil Wayne, and Ravyn Lenae, and reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number 8 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. In March 2023 JID appeared on “Ma Boy” with Dreamville and Lute for the Creed III soundtrack. That September, as part of BlakkBoyz with Lil Yachty, he released the singles “Half Doin Dope” featuring BabyTron and “Van Gogh.”