JID | |
|---|---|
.jpg) JID in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Destin Choice Route (1990-10-31)October 31, 1990 (age 35) |
| Genres | Southern hip-hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | |
| Management | SinceThe80s |
| Member of |
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| Children | 1 |
| Website | jidsv |
| Signature | |
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Destin Choice Route (born October 31, 1990), better known by his stage nameJID (also stylizedJ.I.D), is an American rapper.[1][2] Born and raised inAtlanta, he signed withJ. Cole'sDreamville Records, an imprint ofInterscope Records in 2017. He formed the musical collectiveSpillage Village withEarthGang in 2010, and later formed the hip hop group Zoink Gang withSmino,Buddy, andGuapdad 4000.[3] Hisfluentrapping style and usage ofwordplay has been frequently acclaimed bymusic critics.
JID gained recognition after releasing several independent projects, includingRoute of Evil (2012),Para Tu (2013) andDiCaprio (2015). His debut studio album,The Never Story (2017) was met with critical acclaim and contained the single "Never".[4][5] His second album,DiCaprio 2 (2018), was supported by the singles "151 Rum" and "Off Deez" (withJ. Cole), and saw continued critical acclaim.[6][7] His 2021 single, "Enemy" (withImagine Dragons)—theopening theme toNetflix'sArcane—peaked at number five on theBillboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. His third and fourth albums,The Forever Story (2022) andGod Does Like Ugly (2025), both received further acclaim and debuted within theBillboard 200's top 15; the former spawned the top 40 single "Surround Sound" (featuring21 Savage andBaby Tate).
Route was born inAtlanta, Georgia. His parents are Carl Louis Route Jr. and Kathy Jean Route.[8][9] The youngest of seven children, he adopted the moniker JID from his grandmother's nickname for him based on his "jittery" behavior.[10] Route grew up listening toSly and the Family Stone andEarth, Wind & Fire before shifting to the 1990s New York hip-hop scene and rappers such asJay-Z,Nas andMobb Deep. He attendedStephenson High School, where he played football as a defensive back.[11][8] During his senior year he dislocated his hip.[12] He later accepted a full athletic scholarship to play NCAA Division I football atHampton University. Route wasredshirted his first year of eligibility and then played two seasons before he was kicked from the team for skipping practices.[13][14][15] Route eventually moved in with Doctur Dot and Johnny Venus, a popular rap duo with the stage nameEarthGang who he met while at Hampton University inVirginia.[16]
JID released his first mixtapeCakewalk on May 18, 2010. Earlier that year, he formedSpillage Village with EarthGang, Hollywood JB, and Jordxn Bryant.[2] 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 working at call centers and delivering pizza before he was booked for live shows.[17][18] On October 22, 2013, his next mixtape was released titledPara Tu. The mixtape was later re-released on December 29, 2017.[19][20][21]
In 2014, he opened up with EarthGang andBas onAb-Soul's These Days Tour following the release ofSpillage Village's first collaboration project,Bears Like This. On January 26, 2015, he released his first extended playDiCaprio EP.[22] On July 6, Spillage Village released their second collaboration projectBears Like This Too.[23] He also toured withOmen on the Elephant Eyes Tour and Bas on the Too High to Riot Tour. On December 2, 2016, Spillage Village releasedBears Like This Too Much with features fromJ. Cole and Bas, and production fromMac Miller, Ducko Mcfli, Childish Major and J. Cole among others.[24]
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On February 20, 2017, it was announced that he had signed toJ. Cole'sDreamville label, first releasing the single "Never". The full-length album,The Never Story was released on March 10, 2017. The album includes guest features fromEarthGang,6LACK, andMereba, and production from J. Cole,Hollywood JB, Christo, andChildish Major, among others.[25][26] He later released three more music videos from the album: "D/vision", "Hereditary", and "EdEddnEddy".
He was also an opening act on the4 Your Eyez Only Tour in 2017 in the North American and European legs.[27] On October 10, JID appeared alongside rappersCozz,Kodie Shane and Ali Tomineek in acypher at theBET Hip Hop Awards.[28] In November 2017, JID co-headlined in his Never Had Shit Tour with EarthGang, and guestsLute,Chaz French, and Mereba. It included 15 dates in North America, and continued in 2018, with 19 dates in Europe.[29] On December 13, JID appeared on a remix withFoster The People andSaba called "Pay The Man".[30]
In June 2018, he was featured on the cover ofXXL's 2018 Freshman Class.[31] In July, he was featured onDenzel Curry's "Sirens" fromTa13oo, and was announced he would go on tour withMac Miller andThundercat. However, the tour was cancelled due to the passing of Mac Miller.[32] The first single for his second album was released on September 18, titled "151 Rum".[33] On October 3, 2018, JID premiered the song "Working Out" onA COLORS SHOW.[34] On his birthday, his second albumDiCaprio 2 was announced with a release date of November 26, 2018, and he revealed the tracklist soon after.[35] The album's second official single, "Off Deez" featuringJ. Cole, was released on November 6.[36] Other collaborators on the album includeA$AP Ferg,6LACK,Ella Mai,BJ the Chicago Kid,Method Man andJoey Bada$$, with production mainly coming from his in-house team ofChristo, Hollywood JB, J. Cole andElite, among others.[37]
DiCaprio 2 was released on November 26, 2018, to positive reviews and critical acclaim.[38][39] JID announced the first leg of his headlining Catch Me If You Can tour, which included 34 dates, beginning in January 2019.[40] The supporting acts were revealed to beReason, Hardo, and Lou The Human. On February 9, JID's show inIthaca, New York, was shut down by the police due to a visible crack forming in the ceiling underneath the venue where the concert was held.[41] On February 12, 2019, JID announced the second leg of his Catch Me If You Can tour. The tour included 26 dates that started in May, and featured supporting actsSaba,Deante' Hitchcock, and Mereba.[42]
In 2019, JID was part of the Dreamville compilation albumRevenge of the Dreamers III. The singles "Down Bad" and "Costa Rica" were certified gold by theRIAA.[43] In 2020, as part ofSpillage Village, he was featured on the singles "End of Daze" and "Baptize", for their fourth collective albumSpilligion.[44][45]
JID was featured onDoja Cat's song "Options", included on herGrammy-nominated third album,Planet Her.[46] He later collaborated withImagine Dragons on the mega-hit[47] "Enemy"; it peaked at number five on theBillboard Hot 100,[48] becoming his highest-charting song.[49]
JID teased his third album,The Forever Story, throughout 2021.[47] The first and lead single from the album, "Surround Sound" featuring21 Savage andBaby Tate, was released on January 14, 2022.[50] On March 31, he appeared on the Dreamville compilationD-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape, on the songs "Stick" and "Barry From Simpson".[51] On August 9, JID released the second single fromThe Forever Story, titled "Dance Now", withKenny Mason.[52]
The Forever Story was released on August 26, 2022, including guest appearances fromKenny Mason,EarthGang,21 Savage,Baby Tate,Lil Durk,Ari Lennox,Yasiin Bey,Lil Wayne,Johntá Austin,Ravyn Lenae andEryn Allen Kane.[53] On September 8, 2022, JID performed anNPR Tiny Desk Concert.[54]
On March 28, 2023, American record producerMetro Boomin posted a picture onTwitter that had JID and Metro Boomin in a studio working on music, with the caption "Got a lot of new music coming but when me and @JIDsv drop". JID then would later confirm that he and Metro are working on a collaborative album.[citation needed] On September 1, JID released his third EP titledBlakkboyz present Half Doin Dope/Van Gogh, featuringLil Yachty andBabyTron.[55] On October 13, JID was featured onWestside Gunn's song "Mamas PrimeTime," along withConway the Machine off of Gunn's fifth studio albumAnd Then You Pray for Me. On November 9, JID was featured on the opening of the video gameLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
On July 12, 2024, JID was featured onEminem's song "Fuel" off of his twelfth studio album,The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). On September 20, 2024, JID was featured onKaty Perry's song "Artificial" from her seventh studio album143.
On April 18, 2025, JID released the lead single "WRK" from his upcoming fourth studio album,God Does Like Ugly. The song was JID's first solo commercial release since 2022’sThe Forever Story. He later announced that the album would be released on August 8, accompanied by a trailer.[56]
On July 4, 2025, JID releasedGDLU (Preluxe), after announcing it through a freestyle released on YouTube.[57] An EP featuring Eminem, Lil Yachty and6LACK, it was a build-up to his upcoming albumGod Does Like Ugly, which featured four tracks that were supposed to be on the album, but were not included eventually.[58] The collaboration with Eminem was also released as a single.[59]
God Does Like Ugly released on August 8 throughDreamville andInterscope, featuring guest appearances fromWestside Gunn,Clipse,Vince Staples,Ciara,EarthGang,Don Toliver,Ty Dolla Sign,6lack,Jessie Reyez, Baby Kia,Mereba, andPastor Troy,[60] to positive reviews.[61] A preluxe edition was released a day later, including all the songs fromGDLU (Preluxe).
Growing up, JID's first connection with music was through his parents' collection of classicfunk andsoul LPs.[62] He namesLil Wayne,Sly and the Family Stone,D'Angelo,Wu-Tang Clan,Jay-Z,Earl Sweatshirt, andLittle Dragon as his biggest influences.
He has also expressed admiration for fellow Atlanta nativesOutKast,Goodie Mob,Gucci Mane, andT.I and names them as great influences.[63][citation needed]
Route supportedJon Ossoff andRaphael Warnock in the2020 United States Senate elections, performing at a rally for both in 2020.[64]
Route is a father, revealing the announcement in the closing track of his 2025 albumGod Does Like Ugly.[65]
Headlining
Supporting
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance | "Down Bad"(withJ. Cole,Bas,EarthGang andYoung Nudy) | Nominated | [66] |
| Best Rap Album | Revenge of the Dreamers III | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Album of the Year | Planet Her (Deluxe)(as a featured artist) | Nominated | ||
| Berlin Music Video Awards | Best Cinematography | SURROUND SOUND | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Best Narrative | Money | Nominated | ||
| 2026 | Grammy Award | Best Melodic Rap Performance | "Wholeheartedly"(withTy Dolla Sign and6lack) | Pending | |
| Best Rap Album | God Does Like Ugly | Pending |
