Wine and Cheese: J.I.D and 6lack

J.I.D and 6lack have more in common than just hailing from the same rap group, seen in collaborations together that highlight their natural chemistry.

It’s your dream collab. The artists you add back-to-back to the queue. The pairing you can’t get enough of. You know they sound good together, but why? Welcome to Wine and Cheese, a series investigating the why and telling you all about it.

Written by Thomas Galindo

Photo courtesy of J.I.D

J.I.D is a 28-year-old rapper whose claim to fame is his ability to fire off clever metaphors and tell playful stories about his experiences with women. 6lack is a 26-year-old R&B singer whose wheelhouse consists of somber depictions of exaggerated anecdotes about romance. These two Atlanta natives may not seem like a great fit on paper, but in their two collaborative tracks, it’s apparent they’re a match made in lyrical heaven.

J.I.D and 6lack are both signed to Interscope Records, and a part of the collaborative group Spillage Village. Spillage Village was founded by Atlanta rap group EarthGang, but the group has released only one song where just J.I.D and 6lack are present, which was the song “Sky” on their 2015 record Bears Like This Too. Since then, the only collaborations between the two artists are both J.I.D songs — “8701” from The Never Story and “Tiiied” from DiCaprio 2, which also features Ella Mai. Both of the tracks exemplify that their individual lyricism and ability to craft narratives gel perfectly.

On “8701,” from J.I.D’s 2017 debut studio album, The Never Story, 6lack spits the line “Ushered in a new flow for the old one,” which is exactly what he does in the song. 6lack’s verse and bridge challenge an unnamed opponent to see whose music catalog is better. 6lack is usually never this aggressive or pompous, but he matches J.I.D’s confident attitude very well. Lyrics such as “Your best shit ain't better than my worst shit” and “So much on the shelf, that if I take a verse off the shelf / It probably break the Earth, raise Hell,” capture 6lack’s cocky attitude in the song, claiming that even his unreleased rap verses would trump any competitor’s best work. J.I.D continues this swagger with a characteristic verse, making any opponent feel unworthy of his presence. He raps “You can be whatever you gon' be but you can be never / J.I.D the monster,” highlighting his superiority. Both artists come with the same perspective on this guitar-infused track, making for an impressive two-minute display.

On “Tiiied,” from J.I.D’s 2018 album, DiCaprio 2, J.I.D steps into 6lack’s realm of melancholic and spiteful narration, but adds an upbeat aesthetic to the track. So while it touches on unnamed women who he and 6lack are both at odds with, the listener can still groove out to it. J.I.D croons in the chorus:

Life been kickin' my butt but that ignited the fire

And maybe it's when I'm spillin' my guts

I know you don't trust me, you love me, instead you call me a liar

Or maybe you really hate me, you can't be

I need for somethin' to save me 'cause, little baby, I'm tired

While J.I.D appears to be desperate and in love, he still manages to include his trademark cocky flow wherever he sees fit. 6lack then continues the narrative in the second verse about why this girl makes him tired. However, his exhaustion doesn’t stem from the girl's refusal to love him, but from having to put up with her. He methodically sings his animosity towards the woman when he says, “I'm feelin' a little sluggish, you think I'm entertainin' all the rubbish / It's a no from me, dawg / I guess I gotta let you free fall.” Ella Mai then finishes the track with a beautifully sung verse in a woman’s perspective, bringing a balance to the emotions of the two men, and the song finishes with a playful skit about men’s unworthiness.

No matter the theme, a track with these two will guarantee a display of lyrical chemistry, without sacrificing the talents and tendencies of each artist. J.I.D and 6lack compliment each other perfectly, and are comfortable enough with each other to bounce off of and take from one another. Hopefully these two will continue to collaborate in the future, and through their Twitter interactions, it appears they are very good friends, on and off the mic.