Destin Choice Route (born October 31, 1990), better known by his stage name JID (also stylized J.I.D), is an American rapper. He is a part of the musical collective

Spillage Village Spillage Village is an American musical collective from Atlanta, Georgia. The group is composed of rappers, singers and producers, and was founded by the members of EarthGang. Spillage Village was primarily made up of five initial members with ...

, founded by

EarthGang EarthGang (stylized EARTHGANG) is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu (aka Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot – born Eian Parker). They are co-founders of the musical collective Spillage Village, with JID, Ho ...

in 2010, with Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, and

6lack Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper. He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, " Prblms ...

, among others. He is signed to J. Cole's

Dreamville Records Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lenno ...

and Interscope Records. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with

Smino Christopher Smith Jr. (born October 2, 1991), better known by his stage name Smino, is an American rapper and singer. Smino is the founder of the musical collective Zero Fatigue with Bari, Monte Booker, Jay2, and Ravyn Lenae. He is a member o ...

Buddy Buddy may refer to: People *Buddy (nickname) *Buddy (rapper), real name Simmie Sims III (1993–Present) *Buddy Rogers (wrestler), ring name of American professional wrestler Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. (1921–1992) *Buddy Boeheim (born 1999), Amer ...

, and

Guapdad 4000 Akeem Ali Douglas Hayes (born July 26, 1992), professionally known as Guap aka Guapdad4000, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino, and Buddy. He released his f ...

. JID began gaining recognition after releasing several independent projects such as ''Route of Evil'' (2012), ''Para Tu'' (2013) and ''DiCaprio'' (2015). His debut studio album, ''

The Never Story ''The Never Story'' is the debut album by American rapper JID. It was released on March 10, 2017, by Dreamville Records, Spillage Village and Interscope Records. ''The Never Story'' was supported by four official singles; "Never", "D/vision", "Her ...

'', was released in 2017 to public praise and included the single "Never". He released his second album, ''

DiCaprio 2 ''DiCaprio 2'' is the second studio album by American rapper JID, hosted by DJ Drama. It was released on November 26, 2018, by Dreamville Records, Interscope Records and Spillage Village. The album serves as the follow up to his debut album, '' ...

'', in 2018; it contains the singles " 151 Rum" and "

Off Deez "Off Deez" is a song by American rappers JID and J. Cole. It was released on November 6, 2018, released as the second single for JID's album '' DiCaprio 2''. The song is produced by ChaseTheMoney and Dro Fe. It also includes vocals from DJ Drama, ...

" (with J. Cole) and also received critical acclaim. In 2021, he released the single "

Enemy An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of d ...

" with

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

band Imagine Dragons, which became his highest charting and most popular single, peaking at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His most recent album, ''

The Forever Story ''The Forever Story'' is the third studio album by American rapper JID. It was released on August 26, 2022, through Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, L ...

'' (2022), received widespread acclaim from critics and became his highest charting album peaking at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Early life

Destin Choice Route was born October 31, 1990, in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. His parents were Carl Louis Route Jr. and Kathy Jean Route. The youngest of seven children, he adopted the moniker JID from his grandmother's nickname for him based on his "jittery" behavior. Route grew up listening to

Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi ...

and

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

before shifting to the 1990s New York hip-hop scene and rappers such as Jay-Z,

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

and Mobb Deep. He attended Stephenson High School, where he played football as a defensive back. He received a scholarship to play NCAA Division I football at Hampton University, where he redshirted his first year, then played two seasons before he was kicked off the team. Route eventually moved in with Doctur Dot and Johnny Venus from

who he met from his time in Virginia.

Musical career

2010–2016: Career beginnings

JID released his first mixtape ''Cakewalk'' on May 18, 2010. Earlier that year, he formed

with EarthGang, Hollywood JB, and JordxnBryant. He released his second mixtape, ''Cakewalk 2'' on June 29, 2011. He released his third mixtape, ''Route of All Evil'' on June 25, 2012, with guest features from relatively unheard artists EarthGang and Stillz. JID funded his music career with jobs at call centers and delivering pizza before he started to get booked for local live shows. On October 22, 2013, his next mixtape was released titled ''Para Tu''. The mixtape was later re-released on December 29, 2017. In 2014, he opened up with EarthGang and

Bas Bas may refer to: People * Bas (name), a given name and a surname * Bas (rapper) (born 1987) Chemistry * Boron arsenide (BAs), a chemical compound * Barium sulfide (BAs), a chemical compound Other uses * ''bas'' (French for "low"), as in bas ...

on Ab-Soul's These Days Tour following the release of

's first collaboration project, ''Bears Like This''. On January 26, 2015, he released his first extended play ''DiCaprio EP''. On July 6, Spillage Village released their second collaboration project ''Bears Like This Too''. He also toured with Omen on the Elephant Eyes Tour and Bas on the Too High to Riot Tour. On December 2, 2016, Spillage Village released ''Bears Like This Too Much'' with features from J. Cole and Bas, and production from Mac Miller, Ducko Mcfli, Childish Major and J. Cole among others.

2017: ''The Never Story''

On February 20, 2017, it was announced that he had signed to J. Cole's Dreamville label, first releasing the single "Never". The full-length album, ''

'' was released on March 10, 2017. The album includes guest features from EarthGang,

6LACK Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper. He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, " Prblms ...

, and Mereba, and production from J. Cole, Hollywood JB, Christo and Childish Major, among others. He later released three more music videos from the album: "D/vision", "Hereditary", and "EdEddnEddy". He was also an opening act on the 4 Your Eyez Only Tour in 2017 in the North American and European legs. On October 10, JID appeared alongside rappers

Cozz Cody Rashad Osagie, (born October 1, 1994), better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album '' Cozz & Eff ...

, Kodie Shane and Ali Tomineek in a cypher at the

BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...

. In November 2017, JID co-headlined in his Never Had Shit Tour with EarthGang, and guests Lute, Chaz French, and Mereba. It included 15 dates in North America, and continued in 2018, with 19 dates in Europe. On December 13, JID appeared on a remix with

Foster The People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members are singer Mark Foster, guitarist Sean Cimino, and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in ...

and

Saba Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Şaba (Romanian for Shabo), a town of the Odesa Oblast, Ukraine * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Saba (river), ...

called "Pay The Man".

2018–2020: ''DiCaprio 2''

In June 2018, he was featured on the cover of '' XXL's 2018 Freshman Class.'' In July, he was featured on

Denzel Curry Denzel Rae Don Curry (born February 16, 1995) is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Carol City, Florida, Curry started rapping while in the sixth grade and began working on his first mixtape in 2011. Influenced by underground Flo ...

's "Sirens" from ''

Ta13oo ''Ta13oo'' (stylized ''TA13OO'' and pronounced ''Taboo'') is the third studio album by American rapper Denzel Curry. It was released on July 27, 2018, through PH Recordings and distributed by Loma Vista Recordings. The album serves as the follow ...

'', and was announced he would go on tour with Mac Miller and Thundercat. However, the tour has since been cancelled due to the passing of Mac Miller. The first single for his second album was released on September 18, titled " 151 Rum". On October 3, 2018, JID premiered the song "Working Out" on ''A COLORS SHOW''. On his birthday, his second album ''

'' was announced for a release date of November 26, 2018, and revealed the tracklist soon after. The album's second official single, "

" featuring J. Cole, was released on November 6. Other collaborators on the album include

A$AP Ferg Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Ferg (stylized as A$AP Ferg), is an American rapper from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Aside from his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop collec ...

Ella Mai Ella Mai Howell (born 3 November 1994) is an English singer-songwriter. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of ''The X Fa ...

, BJ the Chicago Kid,

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of ...

and

Joey Bada$$ Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), known professionally as Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro ...

, with production mainly coming from his in-house team of Christo, Hollywood JB, J. Cole and Elite, among others. ''DiCaprio 2'' was released on November 26, 2018, to positive reviews and critical acclaim. JID announced the first leg of his headlining Catch Me If You Can tour, which included 34 dates, beginning in January 2019. The supporting acts were revealed to be

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...

, Hardo, and Lou The Human. On February 9, JID's show in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named ...

was shut down by the police due to a visible crack forming in the ceiling underneath the venue where the concert was held. On February 12, 2019, JID announced the second leg of his Catch Me If You Can tour. The tour includes 26 dates starting in May, and features supporting acts

, Deante' Hitchcock, and Mereba. In 2019, JID was part of the Dreamville compilation album ''

Revenge of the Dreamers III ''Revenge of the Dreamers III'' is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records. ''Revenge of the Dreamers III'' includes contributions from Dreamville artists, ...

''. The singles "

Down Bad "Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside " Got Me" as the dual second single from th ...

" and " Costa Rica" were certified gold by the RIAA. In 2020, as part of

, he was featured on the singles "End of Daze" and "Baptize", for their fourth collective album ''

Spilligion ''Spilligion'' is the major label debut album by American hip hop collective Spillage Village, headed by JID and EarthGang, released on September 25, 2020 by Dreamville, Interscope, and SinceThe80s. The collective consists of EarthGang, JID, Ho ...

''.

2021–present: ''The Forever Story''

JID was featured on

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...

's song "Options", included on her Grammy-nominated third album, ''

Planet Her ''Planet Her'' is the third studio album by American rapper and singer Doja Cat. It was released on June 25, 2021, by Kemosabe and RCA Records. The album, titled after a fictional planet created by Doja Cat, sees her experimenting with sounds ...

''. He later collaborated with Imagine Dragons on the mega-hit "

"; it peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming his highest charting song. JID teased his third album, ''

'', throughout 2021. The first and lead single from the album, "

Surround Sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener (surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to s ...

" featuring

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...

and Baby Tate, was released on January 14, 2022. On March 31, he appeared on the Dreamville compilation '' D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape'', on the songs "Stick" and "Barry From Simpson". On August 9, JID released the second single from ''The Forever Story'', titled "Dance Now", featuring

Kenny Mason Edwin Kenneth Green Jr. (born December 17, 1994), better known by his stage name Kenny Mason, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from West Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his distinctive sound which consists of a fu ...

. ''The Forever Story'' was released on August 26, 2022, including guest appearances from

, Baby Tate, Lil Durk,

Ari Lennox Courtney Shanade Salter (born March 26, 1991), known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. She began gaining re ...

Yasiin Bey Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

Johntá Austin Johntá Austin ( ; born June 28, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, vocalist and rapper, signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is known for collaborating with producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri an ...

Ravyn Lenae Ravyn Lenae Washington (born January 22, 1999) is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Chicago who is currently signed to Atlantic Records and the Three Twenty Three Music Group. She is also a member of the musical collective Zero Fatigue. H ...

and

Eryn Allen Kane Eryn Allen Kane is an American rhythm and blues musician from Detroit, Michigan who has become a frequent collaborator in the Chicago Music scene. Kane released her first EP, ''Aviary: Act 1'', in 2015. In 2016, Kane released her second EP title ...

. On September 8, 2022, JID performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Artistry

Influences

Growing up, JID's first connection with music was through his parents' collection of classic funk and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

LPs. He names

, D'Angelo,

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

Little Dragon Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1996. The band consists of Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards). Little Dragon' ...

boom bap Boom bap is a subgenre and music production style that was prominent in the East Coast during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The term "boom bap" is an onomatopoeia that represents the sounds used for the b ...

New York hip hop East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx, New York City. In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip ...

(i.e.

, Jay-Z) and

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...

as his biggest influences. He also cited fellow Atlanta artists OutKast, T.I.,

Goodie Mob Goodie Mob is an American hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp. History The group was formed in 1991 by Cameron " Big Gipp" Gipp, Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., CeeLo Green (born Tho ...

and

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...

as influences.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2017) * ''

'' (2018) * ''

'' (2022)

Collaborative albums

*''

Revenge of the Dreamers 3 ''Revenge of the Dreamers III'' is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records. ''Revenge of the Dreamers III'' includes contributions from Dreamville artists, J ...

'' (2019) * ''

'' (2020)

Tours

Headlining * Never Had Shit Tour (2017–18) * Catch Me If You Can Tour (2019) * Luv Is 4ever Tour (2023) Supporting * Elephant Eyes Tour (2015) * Too High To Riot Tour (2016) * I Told You Tour (2016) * 4 Your Eyez Only Tour (2017) * The Swimming Tour (2018; cancelled) * Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Tour (2019)

Awards and nominations

References

{{Portal bar, United States, Biography 1990 births Living people American hip hop singers African-American male rappers Rappers from Atlanta Southern hip hop musicians Dreamville Records artists 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians Interscope Records artists 21st-century African-American musicians