WRK by JID | Song Review

After a relatively quiet two and a half years (save for a feature on Eminem’s last album), the Atlanta wordsmith returns to the music scene with his latest single “WRK”. This single from JID sees him tap back into his niche of crazy flows and equally crazy wordplay over a bass-heavy, banger of a beat. However, it sounds like something we’ve heard from the rapper before.

Assuming what is a teaser for J.I.D.’s next album titled God Does Like Ugly, the track does very little to stir up any hype for me. From a production standpoint, the beat is quite similar to something off of The Forever Story, like “Surround Sound”, and I’m not downplaying that track as it is amazing. However, after all this time, I would have expected JID to experiment a bit instead of sticking to something that sounds like a throwaway from his last album.

Thankfully, though, JID’s lyricism acts as “WRK”s saving grace here. JID sounds hungry on this song, using his time to emphasize his mentality and drive that’s been pushing him since he got his big break through in 2022. Straight from his first verse, JID’s dropping deep allegories on his ambition with lines like: (“You couldn’t even stop my drive if it were 1955
And I’m on 85, doing ninety-five in a 1952 Dodge.”), referring to the 1955 Montgomery bus protests during the civil rights movement.

The song’s chorus, a simple repetition of (“need work, need work”), emphasizes this football player mentality JID has about the rap game. Like an athlete, he has to show up every day and put in the work to improve and excel. It’s something that has me intrigued as to what JID has in store for listeners with God Does Like Ugly.

While the song’s production leaves much to be desired, JID’s lyricism saves the song from being just another throwaway single to tide fans over. Sure, it’s not some dramatic and crazy lead single to kick off an era, but it does enough to pique some interest in what JID’s been cooking the last 2 and a half years.

For my final rating, I’m giving JID’s “WRK” a 7/10. I hope that the next single (if any) shakes things up a bit production-wise. Lyrically, I know I don’t have to worry as JID’s pen game is always impeccable, but from a production standpoint he really needs to differentiate, time will tell if he does.

Final Rating: 7/10