Back To His Roots

In today’s thicket of Soundcloud rappers who flaunt gaudy face tattoos and a few pounds of diamond chains around their necks, it’s easy for hip hop’s tradition of storytelling to get lost in the weeds. J.I.D pushes the boundaries of modern hip hop by sticking to its roots, avoiding the mumble-rap craze while adding a contemporary twist.

Soon after he dropped out of high school in the mid 2000s, J.I.D began churning out mixtape after mixtape. The Atlanta native crafted a sound akin to a home-cooked meal and offers a main course of ’90s lyrical structure with a heaping side of New York-paced beats. It’s filling, and hard to say no to seconds.

By the release of his debut album The Never Story in 2017, he’d worked alongside popular rappers like 6LACK in the music collective EarthGang. He found his mainstream niche — boom bap with a dash of soul — which led him to sign with J.Cole’s label Dreamville Records. J.I.D. dropped his much-anticipated second album, DiCaprio 2, in 2018.

His most consistent themes revolve around sex, growing up poor and grinding away at his path towards fame. OK, we get it: He’s another up-and-coming rapper who spits bars about pussy and hustling. Anyone can drop a beat, post it on YouTube with flashy visuals and gain shooting-star fame over night.

But J.I.D doesn’t lose his momentum — he stokes it. His impressive poetic hooks and prowess over uniquely sewn staccato put his craft in the league of Kendrick Lamar and Anderson Paak. He’s a modern classic, which is an oasis among today’s quick-burning entertainers.

A lucky handful of folks will enjoy J.I.D’s sold-out show, part of his first solo tour “Catch Me If You Can,” 9 pm Tuesday, Jan. 22, at WOW Hall. Check out his music on Spotify or at his official website, jidsv.com. — Kelsey Anne Rankin

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!