JID’s long-awaited album God Does Like Ugly, after his 3-year hiatus, follows the release of his critically acclaimed album The Forever Story. Its casual listen and laid back vibe makes it a great listen for those who love lyricism.
Looking at the title, God Does Like Ugly, the album talks about the imperfections of humanity and the struggles everyone goes through, and although it may be “ugly,” it highlights how people are still deserving of love and compassion regardless of the difficulties of this world.
The first track, “YouUgly,” featuring Westside Gunn, starts with the first song with the lyrics “flygod does like ugly,” being Westside Gunn’s nickname. Playing off the name of the album in the first line. Another standout line that came out of the album is when JID says he will take out Bob the Builder. Although it sounds violent, it has a deeper meaning in that he’s willing to do anything to stay in his current position. Also giving voice to how he doesn’t fear a man that could be seen above him in rap. Giving his take on how modern-day media only cares about things of less importance that happen in rap, like rap beefs.
Talking more about how he grew up in a lower-income neighborhood in his next song, “VCRs,” featuring Vince Staples, who is known for his storytelling rap. He speaks on the American dream, and how it seemed like an impossible dream. Comparing himself to Romeo and the dream as Juliet, they are two different worlds that aren’t meant to come together. The storytelling brings life to the album and shows rap as an art form and the stories that can be shared within it.
The second half of the album shifts towards a more R&B style, showing off his versatility that he’s a genuine artist and not “just a rapper.” Showing off his more melodic style of rap on tracks like Sk8, Wholeheartedly, and No Boo. showing that his rap style is not only grungy but can be melodic.
The album has deep messages embedded into it while still maintaining a catchy sound. Although I like the switch-up he does throughout the album to more R&B-like tracks, it doesn’t feel as authentic to JID’s rap style and feels curated for more mainstream success. The album is considerable, but it doesn’t have the same replayability to me as his previous album. It’s definitely an album everyone should give a listen to, as it is still a great project with memorable songs not only to understand more, but also songs that anyone can just turn on and listen to.