JID: The glow up continues to blow up for the Dreamville star

Do you need even more reasons to keep tabs on how much rap artist JID is glowing up these days? Just look at how he’s staying busy-busy from leveling up on the Billboard Hot 100 to flexing on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’

JID is on a non-stop flex from live shows to chart movement

It’s all about JID staying extra busy during the coldest season of the year. Pulling through for a recent performance on the ‘Tonight Show’ though? Extra tough.

Platinum certified rapper and Atlanta artist JID opened the first late night show back in 2024 by taking The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon stages by storm with a stirring performance of his viral hit “Surround Sound” backed by his long time collaborator and producer, Christo.

“Surround Sound” has amassed over 500 million streams and ended the year with #1 positioning on three different charts including Billboard Viral 50, TikTok Viral and TikTok 50. The song also re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts late last year and has climbed up to the #44 position as of this morning.

The Platinum certified track also features fellow Atlanta artists 21 Savage and Baby Tate  is off JID’s critically acclaimed album, The Forever Story (Dreamville/Interscope) which debuted at #12 on the Billboard Hot 200 when it first released last year. Last week JID dropped “30”, a freestyle produced by Christo as a way to prime fans for all new music dropping this year.

JID's hitting the road with Smino on their Luv Is 4ever Tour

There’s nothing better than seeing your favorite artists in-person. Dreamville’s own JID is gearing up to get 2023 started off right-right with a full-fledged nationwide tour alongside singer Smino. The duo have plans to hit up cities throughout the country on their Luv Is 4ever tour.

JID and Smino are hitting the road to start 2023

While details are still coming together, the Atlanta rap heavyweight and Smino will invade over 32 cities at the start of the new year. Fortunately, you only have to wait a few days to secure your tickets.

Atlanta rapper and renowned live performer, JID has announced brand new headlining dates alongside R&B/Soul artist Smino. Aptly titled, Luv Is 4Ever Tour, the 32-city tour kicks off on January 22 at Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA making stops across the U.S. in Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, and more before wrapping up in Nashville, TN at Marathon Music Works on March 29. Tickets go on sale starting Friday, October 14th at 10AM Local at www.LuvIs4Ever.com.

JID recently wrapped a two week stint in Australia and New Zealand bringing his unique brand of high-octane energy and powerful storytelling to festival stages across the continent. He performed fan favorites alongside tracks from his recently released album, The Forever Story. JID recently sat in at NPR to perform for their Tiny Desk series which showcased JID’s vocal abilities live and unfiltered, watch below:

JID dishes on The Forever Story album, Lil Wayne collaborations and more on Apple Music

JID has a lot to talk about these days. The Southern hip-hop star steps forward to dish on everything from his music-making habits and putting out a new The Forever Story to doing more than just rubbing elbows with hip-hop icons like Lil Wayne in a new Apple Music 1 feature.

JID has lots and lots and lots to talk about with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden

There’s way too many things to list out from JID’s solid conversation with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden. So of course everything’s been made bite-sized with quotes from the conversation. Tap in and scroll on.

JID Tells Apple Music About Paying Homage To The Rappers That Came Before Him and Representing Atlanta…

“I ain't always want to be a rapper or artist or nothing like this. This wasn't my dream. It was my first love, but you don't always marry first love. This was just, I'm really fire at this, I'm really gifted at this. It kind of came to me in a time of craziness, turmoil, bad (censored) was going on and the music kind of saved me from that. Yeah. I always wanted to be a football player. That was my whole (censored). I try to do my due diligence when checking off those little hip hop purest boxes - When I'm making a song, whatever. I always want to show love back to where it came from, the origin of it. That's why we sample certain songs. That's why we try to pay that homage back and even try to rap with some of the older OGs that's still kicking flavor. I know father time is a (censored), but there's still some (censored) out there kicking flavor. I don't know. I just love it, and I love all the sub genres of hip hop, all the new stuff. I love the NY drill scene right now. I love them sampling these big ass pop songs. Love that (censored), and then I just be trying to represent my city. Georgia, Atlanta. I just try and put that on the map and make sure I pull somebody up along with it because that's how Atlanta is Doing well, because we help everybody.We help each other.”

JID Tells Apple Music About Collaborating With Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) and His Influence on Him…

“He's just been a big inspiration for forever. One of my favorite artists of all time and he stands for something so I always took heed to that. Just him even saying he wanted to do it, him respecting the art and just showing love to the future generation, that's what I got to do. This is where I want to be, in that light and I just respect it. That (censored) crazy to me too, bro. Him even being on the album.”

JID Tells Apple Music About Collaborating With Lil Wayne…

“Insane. I can't even listen to it. I'm waiting for the album to drop. I don't want to. I've heard it. I made it good to go through mix and mastering with it…But I don't want to hear it until the people hear it. Just because it's a big moment for me. It's an out of body thing. I don't even want to touch it just yet. I want to celebrate it with everybody else.”

JID Tells Apple Music About The Optimistic Tone of the Album…

“That's what ‘Forever’ essentially means. It's definitely that light at the end of the tunnel. That silver lining and it just going to lead me into becoming more of a man, stepping into it. Stepping into who I am for real, the man of God I'm trying to be, you feel me?”

JID Tells Apple Music How ‘The Forever Story’ and ‘The Never Story’ Go Together…

“Never came from a very humble mindset. It was coming from a never had (censored). That was the main song. A few people may know that song. The Forever Story is just the evolved origin story. It really just gave you a more tapped in to who I am.Telling more family stories, where I'm from, why I am kind of how I am, and it is just a full circle moment because it was a time I wouldn't even imagine that I would even be here. Being able to buy this. Now I'm thinking about the future. Never was just like, "Damn, this might not even be a real thing." It's just a dream. But, of course, with all the hard work and stuff I put in, it's just a blessing to still be able to do this (censored).”

JID Tells Apple Music About Featuring Audio From His Grandmother’s Funeral On The Song "Kody Blu 31”…

“The way it starts is actually at my grandma's funeral. I have the actual footage. I'm sitting there crying, holding the phone, recording this, because I know it's a big moment. A couple years before that we lost my other grandma on my mother's side. This is my dad's mother we lost. Recording this, my dad is singing his heart out on this recording. At the beginning of the song, if you listen to it, the first 15, 20 seconds, you could hear my whole family singing. You could hear my mama say, "Thank you, Lord." It's super powerful, and it's just literally about keep pushing through. The song is saying, "Swing on, swing on." It's a choir type feel. My family is all over the album.”

JID Tells Apple Music About Purchasing His Grandparent’s House and Honoring His Family’s Legacy…

“Legacy is just family. I'm trying to add to the legacy of my family so I had to purchase this land, purchase this house, because they're very important to the future generations, my kids, the kids after them.This is my grandmother and my grandfather's old house. I just bought it. This is the jukebox. We used to have family gatherings or whatever. This is probably the first time I ever put my lips to a microphone, not even knowing this had become a profession. The next few years I just want everybody to be closer in my family, essentially. For real, my granny passed. They were the owners for a minute. It's some family land, so my granny passed, and not a lot of people take care of it, so I just copped it. I had to buy it, keep it in the family. Legacy type. 100%. Just being able to leave something. For my kids, for the kids after them. Keeping it in the family, starting the foundation, you feel me?”

JID’s Family on Why They’re Proud of Him…

Ebro: Now, did you ever think that we'd be doing an interview for your album with your family?

JID: Nah, I ain't even think about it, but it's intentional because it makes more sense. Because that's what the whole project was about, essentially.

Ebro Darden: We call him JID or J-I-D. What do y'all call him?

Group: Destin.

JID's Mom: Destin to be here.

Ebro Darden: Destin to be here, that's right. He's Grammy nominated. He bought this property back for the family. Dad, we'll start with you. What words describe your feeling right now?

JID's Dad: I've always known there was greatness in him, but I didn't know that greatness would be shown during my lifetime.

Ebro Darden: What about you, mom?

JIDs Mom: We're just so proud of him. It's just beyond words when he can reach inside of himself, as we always have encouraged him to do so, because we speak greatness over all of our children and he manifested that greatness from his words. He is a wordsmith and he is a G.O.A.T. We're just proud of him.