If you have been keeping an eye on up and coming rappers JID must have caught your eye. The Atlanta rapper has recently released two critically acclaimed albums, The Never Story and DiCaprio 2. Although JID has been on the come up, one of his main collaborators, the duo EARTHGANG, has yet to break through to the mainstream audience. This duo, consisting of Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot, started the collective Spillage Village and met JID in college. Although they have made many notable EPs and albums, their talent really shines when in conjunction with JID.

Under J. Cole’s record label, Dreamville Records, JID and EARTHGANG have released several songs together that really show the true talent of these three artists. Two standout singles that I will talk about from this collective are Meditate and D/vision.

In the song Meditate, JID and Johnny Venus highlight how many people in America want to follow the trends of African-American men while also not wanting to experience their struggles in society. In the music video for this single, this is emphasized even more with visuals indicating police brutality. In contrast to this visual violence, the chorus of the song sets up a simple goal: peace in America. With this, Doctur Dot displays his intentions and says he will be one of the people that will break through this cultural barrier and be a part of a “new style of black man...”.

From JID’s freshman album, The Never Story, D/vision was a standout performance within the already highly rated album. With witty lyrics and lots of references to pop culture, sports, and more, JID paints his come up in the rap game as being something of a double-edged sword. Although he is gaining great success, it also seems like he is losing others or he will be the next to be lost. Even with this in his mind, JID shows that he is fearless, resilient, and confident in his skills. Continuing with the theme of popular culture, Doctur Dot shows a different side compared to JID where he talks about how he is under pressure to succeed and how he and his partner are putting in a lot of work to “blockbust,” but are still struggling to get their “stock up”. Finishing off with the last verse, Johnny Venus gives his perspective of his situation by describing how he is holding on to the last of his money and that he is second-guessing his talent, a direct contrast from the previous two rappers’ verses.

Coming from the same city and college and now working under the same label these three individuals have very similar experiences which really push their synergy together to the limits. Just by comparing their perspective on experiences this music gives a lot for the listener to contemplate. In conjunction with this, the lyrical ability and overall message that they represent are a great addition to hip hop. With very relaxed beats and high replayability, the music is very agreeable and can be enjoyed by almost anyone. This trio has many more songs together and separately that are all worth a listen. Momma Told Me, Never, and Proud Of U are some of my suggestions!