REVIEW: JID - God Does Like Ugly

“You say you’re on demon time and I think you sound foolish”

57:18 // August 8th, 2025 // Dreamville

Author’s Note: This review does not cover the additional four tracks released on the album’s “PreLuxe” version.

From shaky start to confident finish, God Does Like Ugly is a powerful reminder that JID can do it all. Long renowned for his frenetic flow and byzantine wordplay, the Atlanta mainstay’s fourth full-length album utilizes every available square inch of its area to branch off in thrilling, impressive, and sometimes disappointing directions. Filled to the brim with pristine production and jaw-dropping bars from JID and friends alike, God Does Like Ugly can certainly be applauded for looking to make the most of its 57-minute runtime, even if a handful of its artistic aims come across as unrealized.

Let’s begin with the record’s most obvious and praiseworthy aspect, that being JID’s prodigious talent as an MC. Listeners are clued in to the man’s undeniable gifts from the get go, as opening track “YouUgly” alternates between crazed breakbeats and hilarious Westside Gunn adlibs to anchor his deeply layered storytelling. Unraveling over tense, murky bass and crackling trap drums, the narrative navigates filthy beat switches that mirror the rapper’s swift fluctuations between self-aggrandizement and crippling spiritual doubt. Gospel influence is present in both the album’s production and its predominant spiritual themes, angels and demons lurking around every jam-packed corner. “Glory” expertly incorporates a sample of producer Christo’s own father preaching a sermon, while you can almost hear a wry smile breaking out onto JID’s face as he has the time of his life spitting effortless fire over the final verse’s infectious switch-up.

Listeners can easily look elsewhere to be amazed by JID’s rhythmic gymnastics, particularly on the tracks “Gz” and “On McAfee”, but it would all amount to mere noise if it weren’t bolstered by phenomenal lyricism. The aforementioned “Gz” showcases him at the height of his allusory power, its incendiary second verse linking his car being robbed at an Atlanta Falcons game to the ramifications of remaining under the thumb of violent institutionalized racism. “VCRs” is in its literary bag from the very beginning, starting with its humorous reference to Djimon Hounsou’s iconic Amistad monologue, continuing through JID crowning himself Romeo Montague and the Prince of Egypt in the same breath, right on down to Vince Staples’ stunning guest verse. I’m not sure why he sounds more invested in this feature than he has in any music of his own he’s released this decade, but that’s beside the point…for now. As “VCRs” draws to a close, JID recapitulates the album’s core themes of spiritual powers at work, demonic enticements, and the ugliness that permeates everything. By the time this pressure cooker of emotional energy explodes on the climactic “Of Blue” and “K-Word”, the harvest he has been sowing for himself for quite some time threatens to tear the record’s sonic identity apart at the seams, only for the triumphant “For Keeps” to close the album in a joyful choir of gratitude and nostalgic reflection on coming up from nothing. As JID returns to first principles, a salient emotional takeaway makes itself known; the love of the game itself has become the escape from spiritual crisis.

Circling back to Vince Staples’ performance, each feature offered up on God Does Like Ugly deserves to be dissected, although this is often for wildly differing reasons. Clipse rounds another bend on their cinematic victory lap with their blazing feature on “Community”. JID’s opening verse is admirable enough in its simultaneous humor and emotional intensity (“I’ll put a bullet in Bob the Fuckin’ Builder” is one for the ages), and Pusha T delivers the heat listeners have come to expect from him right on schedule, but it’s Malice who runs away with the MVP award, each of his bars tightrope-walking across incalculable tension, every rhyme landing with the thump of a fist into a heavy bag. However, outside of these two, the goodie bag of features quickly becomes wildly mixed. EARTHGANG’s feature on the infectious club banger “Sk8” is highly volatile, with Johnny Venus contributing what is essentially an inferior version of JID’s opening verse, while Doctur Dot’s sung verse will stay stuck in listener’s heads for days on end. Ciara’s triumphant return to the same track after briefly popping in for the song’s intro is undoubtedly its major highlight, and the primary reason why it will effortlessly approach earworm status. “What We On” is less of a JID song and more of a Don Toliver exhibition piece, which makes the fact that it’s a disappointment self-explanatory. Subsequent track “Wholeheartedly” is less egregious, primarily because Ty Dolla $ign is an expert at improving songs without forcefully wrenching the spotlight from the star player. At the same time, one can’t help but listen to the bulk of this song without wondering where the hell JID has been for the majority of the last two tracks. On a positive note, this song has a Crash Bandicoot reference, which automatically makes it the song of the year. The guest spot problem reaches its nadir on “No Boo”; Jessie Reyez’s lyricism and vocal delivery on this track are regrettably TikTokified, and while I remain fully aware that JID’s most popular song on streaming platforms is his feature on Imagine Dragons’ “Enemy”, I didn’t think I’d ever hear a song with this degree of DID I JUST WRITE THE SONG OF THE SUMMER? energy on one of his personal projects.

For the bulk of God Does Like Ugly, JID’s solo cuts are reliably solid and carry the weight of the album into net positive territory, with one major exception. Lead single “WRK”, slotted in at third on the tracklist, represents the album’s first and most puzzling misstep. JID’s wordplay is as impressive as ever here, and the rhythmic complexity of his bars reaches a fever pitch compared to the first two tracks. Unfortunately, his herculean rapping effort is offset by the shrill repetition of one of the most unforgivable choruses of 2025. It’s a 24-hour blinding stew of infuriating background vocals, even more infuriating foreground vocals, inexplicable timpani rolls, and incessant handclaps that resemble a fly being swatted against a wall with a dress shoe.

That being said, as one reflects on the admittedly glaring flaws of God Does Like Ugly, they can at least muster up a modicum of respect for the record, and for JID himself, for aiming for the stars and occasionally missing the mark in an admirable way. When the album enters a middle third slump or stumbles over yet another disappointing guest spot, it’s easy to respond with wrung hands and a dismissive attitude, but all this does is enable the listener to miss JID’s position of relentlessly trying new things. While God Does Like Ugly is not perfect, it’s commendably imperfect, and paints a vivid picture of an artist who can be relied upon to never deliver the same product twice.

7/10.

Yo Yo, check out these highlight tracks:

-”Glory”

-”Community (ft. Clipse)”

-”VCRs (ft. Vince Staples)”

-”For Keeps”