Stream IDK’s Guest-Heavy Debut Album Is He Real?
Maryland rapper IDK, fka Jay IDK, has just released his debut album Is He Real? This is likely a noteworthy development for you regardless of your prior experience with IDK — whose name stands for Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge — because he has recruited some extremely noteworthy collaborators for the project. Pusha-T, DMX, Burna Boy, GLC, and Tyler, The Creator feature on Is He Real?, and if you believe IDK, it would’ve had Frank Ocean too if his appearance could’ve been cleared in time.
The bad news is that IDK has followed the example of Travis Scott and 21 Savage and has not credited any of the features on his album, so you have to listen through and figure out whose voice is where — that, or refer to Genius. (For reference, DMX is on “The E In Blue,” Pusha and J.I.D are on “Porno,” Tyler’s on “I Do Me… You Do You,” Burna Boy’s on “December,” and GLC appears on “No Cable.”)
The good news is that IDK is an entertaining presence on the mic, a punchline-obsessed stylist who has not only adopted early Kanye West’s vocal tics and charmingly clunky pop culture references (check the Steve Urkel/Stefan Urquelle reference on “No Cable”) but also his gleeful fondness for pushing his listeners’ buttons. Speaking of deities, the “he” in Is He Real? apparently refers to God, whose existence or lack thereof is a subject of much debate throughout the album’s lyrics, interludes, and a cover photo that references the same biblical passages about judgment that inspired Cake’s “Sheep Go To Heaven.”
Stream the full album below.
UPDATE: We originally thought James Blake was featured on “Michael What TF,” but as Blake helpfully cleared up on Twitter, the song merely samples his music. We regret the error.
People gotta stop acting like it’s a feature when somebody samples an instrumental section of a track from years ago… 🙄
That said, it’s flattering to be sampled and I was happy to clear it. https://t.co/FVqjzRkv1Z
— James Blake (@jamesblake) September 4, 2019
I just sampled ‘Imagine’ in this house beat I’m making. Can’t believe I’m getting a John Lennon feature. https://t.co/VGmfK0MK7G
— James Blake (@jamesblake) September 4, 2019
Is He Real? is out now on Clue/Warner Brothers.