Sep 12, 2025 IDK - Is He Real? This isn’t my favorite IDK project but I do enjoy it and I enjoyed listening to it again, I hadn’t heard it in awhile. I don’t have too much to say about it besides that I don’t think this album does anything super special or anything but it also doesn’t do much bad so if you like IDKs sound you will like this album. fav tracks: 42 Hundred Choices, Alone, Porno least favorite: European Skies rating: 7/10 edit: @Justin Trudeau so you can count the score I forgot I need to do that lol
Sep 12, 2025 I think I agree with this rating as well. It’s not the most amazing album ever but it’s a nice, short listen that packs a punch while having substance, lyricism, and catchiness at the same time. Thanks for the nice rating!
Sep 13, 2025 IDK - Is He Real? I usually start these review off by mentioning if I'm familiar with an artist beforehand. And fitting with his name, I don't really know what I knew about IDK prior to this album. I had heard OF him, and I might've checked out a song or two, but I don't really remember. So I was essentially going into this record blind, with nothing to go off of really. To start, I think that the production is pretty good all around. Beats on songs like "Digital" were pretty d--- good. I think that some of the songs on the first half were a bit too short, and I feel like songs "42 Hundred Choices" and "Lily" could've resonated with me more if they were longer. It's pretty rare for me to actually be surprised by unlisted features, but hearing Pusha T and JID on "Porno" was pretty cool. There are some really good songs on here like the aforementioned "Porno", "December", "Digital", "Michael What TF". Then there's the album's theme. While listening to the first half of the album I was thinking "this is like some r/atheism stuff". And to be perfectly clear, I do think that there are some corny lines on the record. Like, as much as I like "Porno", I still think that the beginning of IDK's verse is reallyyy corny. But by the time "Michael What TF" and "Julia..." close the record I felt VERYY differently. I feel like finding out the background info about IDK's mom really changed my view on the album as a whole. It made me go from "this is some pretty corny XXXTENTACION- esque stuff" to "d---, he really does have a meaning for all this". Basically what I'm trying to say is: IDK pulled a bait and switch on me, and I was caught completely offguard. So yeah, this was definitely a surprise. I had a pretty good time, and I'm glad I checked this out. Big thanks to @Ripper Roo for the pick, and yeah FAVORITES: Alone, Porno, December, Digital, Michael What TF Rating: 7.5/10 @AOTWClub @Justin Trudeau
Sep 13, 2025 I think IDK was of that ilk where shorter songs = you’ll replay it more. It works for the more catchy songs, but the songs with deeper meaning can sometimes fall flat because they don’t have enough time to make the listener resonate, as you said. I personally don’t have much of a problem with the song lengths on this album but I see where you’re coming from. Nice, I’m glad you got surprised. I tried to stay quiet about it because I was honestly surprised too upon my revisit of the album. Also thinking back on it, that song was probably the first time I even heard JID. Nice picks. These bars on “Porno” lmaoooooo: “The bible say beatin' my d-ck and killin' is equal (Huh?) But that don't add up (Right?), 'cause the amount of times That I milk my s--- I'll probably be considered serial (Ayy, hahaha) Them Cocoa Puff tittie balls make a n----- balls Fall inside of her jaws while her drawls fall” “December” is so smooth and wavy, “Digital” gotta be the catchiest song on the album, and “Michael What TF” is dope and kinda reminds me of Ye. I see you also have “Alone” as a favorite. That hook is what stuck with me most after listening to this album which is why I posted the lyrics in here earlier. Love it Lmao I think some lines were corny too. I can see why you thought it was r/atheism type s--- at first Yeah man that was a really shocking and powerful moment on the album as I also have family members going through health issues right now. You actually weren’t far off. They both knew Denzel Curry so there’s that connection. Plus, IDK was a fan of X: Yup, he did exactly what he set out to do with the album and I commend him for that. The whole point of the album was actually hidden in plain sight. The reversed audio at the beginning of “Alone” actually says, “Welcome everybody to the f---in' craziest ride you’ll ever go on, hahaha. We’re gonna test your faith right now, ahahaha” No problem man glad you were surprised and had a good time. Thanks for the nice review!
Sep 14, 2025 @AOTWClub my pick is something you may have heard gain some steam when it released in May if you're in more music nerd circles, a rap album made by a couple college students. A personal AOTY contender for myself. Egotrip by John Michel & Anthony James Hope you all enjoy!
Sep 14, 2025 @AOTWClub @Justin Trudeau IDK - Is He Real? I've heard IDK on a handful of songs but never had the urge to give him an in depth listen. I found myself pleasantly surprised, not that I didn't think he was a fine rapper before but this is a solid project. I definitely feel some X, Chance, Gambino influence in bits and pieces but he makes it his own mostly, it gets in and out quickly while showing versatility and vulnerability. It kinda begs to be listened to front to back which can be a positive or negative depending on how you listen to albums but I appreciate it. I do think there's a bit too many interludes and songs that are too short for their own good on the top half but I still enjoyed myself, but I think the experience got stronger in the second half when the songs were getting time to breathe and started becoming more personal. I think making a concept album about being an atheist and the ins and outs of why you feel that way and how it's a product of trauma to end at seeing the contradictions in his own thinking and taking an agnostic approach by the end is pretty interesting. I think it's a little corny at times especially in songs like Porno (even though that's one of my favorites lmao) and some of stuff like Could Blu is a little try hard but it kinda has to be for the concept to work. I think No Cable to Julia is easily the strongest run on the concept, it's pretty heartbreaking but those last couple songs are incredible and really justify the whole record. He's always been a solid rapper from what I heard and this is no different, he's not necessarily exemplary in any one aspect but he does well, good beat selection, solid flows, decent when the songs get more melodically driven, some silly writing but really locks in when he needs to. All the features were cool as well, even the ones that didn't rap were nice surprises to add to the concept. In terms of the songs they're all pretty good, my personal stand out as something I'll go back to a decent amount is Digital for sure. It's very obviously a single but it does what's need to me done and is super catchy with fun flows. Lyrically Michael What TF, Julia, and No Cable are my favorites, those few really bring the whole project together from what could've been corny if not executed write to re-centering and grounding the whole album in real s---. Overall I really liked this record, idk if it's something I'd go back to a ton but I'm glad I listened and I'm happy you picked it! @Ripper Roo Favorite Songs: 24, Porno, December, No Cable, Digital, Michael What TF, Julia . . . RATING 7.5/10
Sep 14, 2025 I feel the X influence and Ye influence but now that you mention it yeah he definitely has a lot of Chance The Rapper influence as well. Trueeeee I feel like only 24, Digital, and maybe a few other tracks are fit for isolated listens. I totally see where you’re coming from. Who knows how much better the album would be if that first half was fleshed out more. Yeah a lot of music has religious themes but I can’t think of any other rap albums that have this exact concept. On my revisit of this album, there were definitely moments throughout where I was thinking, “I don’t remember this album being this corny.” lol I get where you’re coming from but honestly I liked Cloud Blu just because of how it caught me off guard. I forgot the album started that way lol even though it’s a little edgy it made me more intrigued to keep listening to the album For sure. This second verse from No Cable is the best verse on the whole album to me: “Why every time I see a white person I question myself, like "Am I gonna scare 'em 'cause I'm black?" But when I put my white voice on and ask him for directions He just gives 'em to me with a dap And then smiles, see, not everybody racist and s--- But we just tryna be prepared for all the hatred we get 'Cause if I make the wrong turn and stop at a gas station Listen, there's a small chance that I could probably be lynched In 2019, and probably still in 2020 And probably 20 years later 'cause this s--- ain't gon' leave It's never gon' end, that's why I gotta scribble this pen 'Cause I got a voice and no one in my generation don't ever say s--- 'Cause it ain't cool to talk like this But chalk lines tracin' of bodies make me jot my s--- (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) My job is this, say truth to make your jawlines drip So if I get flipped, this message is in all my hits” This verse is crazy especially considering what happened with George Floyd soon after in 2020. Great description of him as a rapper and the album as a whole No problem bro I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for the kind review
Sep 14, 2025 Complaining about albums feeling long when they're only a little over an hour then picking a Swans album would've been diabolical lmao. The covers are super similar though
Sep 14, 2025 @AOTWClub @jankland has chosen: Egotrip by John Michel & Anthony James Lowkitz: 10/10 Yeez: 9/10 Ripper: 9/10 Wreckless: 10/10 Get your reviews in for IDK- Is he real?I'll Tally it up Thursday night!
Sep 14, 2025 John Michel & Anthony James - Egotrip Yet another blind listen for me. I'm pretty sure I had seen the cover to this album on the RYM top 25 for this year, but I didn't really know what I was heading into. Like, I thought that Anthony James was a rapper that would be going back and forth with Michel lmao. I was VERY pleasantly surprised however. I have to start by mentioning my favorite part of this album: the production. The whole album flows together so well, and the beats...Dear God. The sample from "Going Down" has been stuck in my head since I finished the album (it's also my favorite ). "Confrontation" has a great gospel sample as well, and the transition from "Going Down" to "TAKE NO MORE" was also really well done. I didn't expect a chipmunk soul record based off of the cover, but this was VERYYYY fun. Then there's the rapping, which was pretty cool too. Before discussing lyrics, I have to say that John's rapping style was very cool. It's hard hitting, and it sounds very slick in an Aesop Rock-ish way (without all of the dictionary words thrown in of course). I like how John's lyrics start off incredibly braggadocious before slowly being withered down on songs like "Admit My Guilt" and "World's End". "Sunday Morning, Genesis" was a pretty good outro, with a stellar final line The hooks were good too, with "Don't Save Me" and "NOBODY" being especially good in that regard. The features were pretty cool as well, with Yung Senju's verse on "NOBODY" being my favorite. So yeah, I really enjoyed my time with this record. I had no idea what I'd be getting into, but I loved the experience. Big, BIG thanks to @jankland for the pick, and yeah FAVORITES: Don't Save Me, Going Down, TAKE NO MORE, NOBODY RATING: 9/10 @Justin Trudeau @AOTWClub
Sep 14, 2025 You have the correct favorite songs Fr though its not hard to pick up on but I'm happy you got the brag raps are a facade, one of the criticisms I've heard of the record is the content of the early songs being similar but without that set up the more emotional songs at the end wouldn't work as well! Anthony James is an incredible producer I'm interested to see what he works on next
