‘USEE4YOURSELF’ by IDK: New Release Review

DMV rapper IDK (A.K.A. JayIDK) is back with his second studio album, USEE4YOURSELF, three years after his last project, Is He Real?  His first major mixtape, IWASVERYBAD, is a masterclass self-study laced with interesting production and brutally honest bars while introducing Hip-Hop to one of its most unique new voices.  Unfortunately, Is He Real? couldn’t quite match the brilliance of the prior project. However, USEE4YOURSELF shows that IDK is back on track.

IDK is one of the most interesting figures in the current scene. A former gangster who mapped out his rap career from prison who now teaches a one-week course at Harvard (with a new Nike deal) certainly has a lot to say. Fittingly, USEE4YOURSELF attempts to cover an overwhelming variety of topics, styles, and emotions.  It’s a very complicated and personal album with at least one song for everybody out there.

“My album isn’t for everyone to like, it’s for the people that need it and relate to it. I needed to make this album to become a better person. “

IDK tweeted the above quote, and it’s definitely important to go into the album with that in mind. He tackles all sorts of relevant themes that are particularly prevalent in his own life, like toxic masculinity, relationships, women, abuse, and religion. Scattering the themes throughout, Jay puts strong emotional emphasis and focus into how he approaches each one.

The structure of the album is odd but flows decently smoothly. The first ten tracks are interspersed with minute-long songs in between regular-length ones. On the other hand, the last six out of seven are of full length.  This is due to all of the most emotional tracks being near the end. While it feels very personal and intentional, the pacing becomes frustrating after getting acquainted with the faster-paced first half.

From IDK’s YouTube

The first song, Santa Monica Blvd, further reinstates the constant comparisons to Kanye West that IDK faces. As a rapper-producer, he’s intimately familiar with his beats, soaring on the biggest ones while smoothly crawling over the smallest. This song in particular, however, sounds exactly like a Kanye song, even in Jay’s voice.

Dogs Don’t Lie helps to establish the vibe of the album’s first half. It’s not too short but definitely not long. Jay accomplishes a lot on the mic and the boards, making the song feel longer and fuller than it would first appear. This track, and the subsequent sub-minute track, Truth, are a smart placement in between Santa Monica Blvd and the next two heaters.

PradadaBang single cover

“Milkin’ the game, I want everything from hundreds to change!”

The two heaters in question are appropriately two of the singles. PradadaBang is an absolute club banger, definitely the most fun track on the album due to Young Thug’s awesome feature. Shoot My Shot featuring Offset is an even harder banger perfectly supplemented by following PradadaBang. The two tracks pair to give the album its heaviest pulse and serve as a buildup to the album’s most anticipated song, Red.

IDK promoted Red months before its release, and for good reason. A collaboration between IDK, Westside Gunn, Jay Electronica, and MF DOOM is a true Hip-Hop head’s dream. In hindsight, it was fairly obvious that this song would be all over the place. It is admittedly a fun listen, but its purpose is impossible to gauge at all moments.  In chief, MF DOOM’s verse, the most anticipated moment of the whole LP, is nothing more than ONE WHOLE BAR.  Beyond that, Westside’s verse is kind of random while Jay Electronica continues to transition from mystery man to annoyingly controversial with another anti-vax verse.

IDK announces ‘Red’

“Understand I’m a free agent but I’m yours today”

In between the final short tracks, we get Puerto Rico. Many will be quick to label this a cheesy love song, but it makes for the most atmospheric cut on the record. Collaborating with Lucky Daye, the pair pour out short verses between their beautiful chorus and richly layered beat. It’s an experience of a love song and serves as a great transition from the rich production of the album’s first half into the emotional content of the second half.

10 Feet is familiar territory for IDK as he has a history of making (somewhat awkward) songs about having sex.  It’s a pretty sounding song, and Jay performs competently, but the content is skippable. Even the T-Pain feature doesn’t redeem the song a whole lot. This blemish on the album is quickly covered up by the subsequent Keto. With verses from Rico Nasty and Swae Lee, this track vibes from the prior hard singles.  It’s not an entirely memorable track, but it’s got a kick, a necessary rise in energy before the album winds down.

‘Shoot My Shot’ single cover

1995 dives into Jay and his mother’s relationship with his stepfather, reflecting on the disrespect he witnessed and how it affects his own relationship with women. The interest of the song is deeply rooted in the lyrics, with Jay’s soft storytelling nearly submerged in the quiet instrumental. This transitions perfectly into Peloton. Another single, and though it’s fairly sex-based, IDK exhibits his care for how he treats women, making for a respectable moment.

“Father God, I’m just learning how to pray–bear with me”

Hey Auntie featuring THE Slick Rick and Cry in Church wrap up the album fairly well. Jay narrates the former masterfully, explaining his family dynamic while briefly addressing his molestation. The latter is a continuation of those themes but with more of an ending as it wraps up the album.

IDK’s effort and talent yield a very impressive project.  It’s extremely honest, equally diverse, and demonstrates outstanding talent as a writer, rapper, producer, and person. It is a whole experience, leaving us at a very different spot at the album’s end than when it begins. Its success rides on how personal it is mixed with Jay’s strong ability to tangibly manifest his artistic vision. Many might not relate to it, and it is quite hard to gauge its pulse at many different moments. Despite that, it’s an impressive piece of modern Hip-Hop and proves that IDK is still worth betting on.

USEE4YOURSELF Rating: Silver

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Jason Heilbronner | Twitter: @JasonHeilbronn1