J.I.D is arguably one of the most lyrical rappers in the game right now. Yet his intricate wordplay comes as no surprise considering he’s signed to the storytelling label of Dreamville Records. 

The 28-year-old rapper recently dropped his sophomore album “DiCaprio 2,” a seemingly late follow-up to his 2015 mixtape, “Dicaprio.” In both of the appropriately titled projects, J.I.D draws parallels between himself and his favorite actor, Leonardo DiCaprio.  

“He didn’t have an Oscar at the time. I didn’t have a deal,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Now I got a deal, things going forward. He got an Oscar, things are going forward.” 

J.I.D gives off Kendrick Lamar vibes at first, with his vocal tone and flow very similar to the Compton native. This is quite amusing, considering Dreamville is competing with Top Dawg Entertainment, the label Lamar is signed to, J.I.D said in a recent interview with Complex.  

“DiCaprio 2” showcases his confidence in the form of boastful beats and arrogant wordplay.  

This theme is most prominent in the first six tracks of the album. After an eerie beat switch on “Slick Talk” he raps: “I got a lotta sh*t to say, but I’m a keep my list short / I know a lotta your favorites not gon’ f*ck with this part / when I’m done, please know that I was trying to diss y’all / ‘cause if this is a competition, then I’m setting this bar.” 

Soft-spoken in interviews, J.I.D has an impressive cadence that leaves one speechless after each listen. He executes this well in “Off Deez,” with help from his label mate and Dreamville founder, J. Cole. “Westbrook,” “151 Rum” and “Off da Zoinkys” are also where he asserts himself as an up-and-coming rapper.  

It isn’t until halfway through the album where J.I.D starts to explore different topics. “Tiiied” (feat. 6LACK & Ella Mai) and “Skrawberries” (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid) are his more emotional ballads. He struggled with the latter track for a few years until his friend, and the late, great Mac Miller helped him perfect R.I.P. Mac.   

The album’s penultimate track – “Despacito Too” – is the most humbling, as he dedicates it to the kids and fearlessly plans his next moves as a rapper. 

When I first saw J.I.D’s name I thought to myself, “Here we go. Another wannabe rapper with a senseless name.” It wasn’t until a friend texted me his XXL Cypher and I saw people quoting “DiCaprio 2” that I decided to give him a chance.  

J.I.D brings back the importance of quality lyricism, something currently deprived in the rap scene. His beats are also on par with his voice and wordplay, allowing him to stand out once listened to. Unfortunately, it’s easy for an artist like him to be overshadowed by the seemingly hundreds of other rappers on the come up. I feel like every day, I see the name of a new rapper on my Twitter timeline.  

This begs the question if the genre as a whole is too crowded. If so, these budding rappers better put in the work to stand out from the rest. J.I.D clearly did, and that got him a co-sign from one of the hottest rappers in the game.  

Other rappers: take notes. 

 Cydney Lee is a junior psychology major. Her music column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at cmlee100@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter @cydneylee_.

Published on December 11, 2018 at 7:45 pm