Hi, everyone. Messthony Stachteano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. I had a crazy weekend. But still, it's time to review this new IDK mixtape (new-ish), e.t.d.s.

e.t.d.s, or Even The Devil Smiles, is a new mixtape from IDK, a rapper and songwriter who has been making noise for years now, based in Maryland, I believe, when he first started gaining buzz. It's sad to say, sad to admit a little bit, but I feel like IDK has long been a rapper that I have known about, been aware of, but haven't always been excited for.

I mean, I first heard of him around 2017, back when he dropped his, IWASVERYBAD project as he was starting to make the shift from Jay IDK to simply IDK. Even though that record didn't necessarily blow me away or anything, to IDK's credit, he really kind of kept striking while the iron was hot, regardless of how many people were or weren't paying attention. We've heard many iterations of IDK since this album through his Is He Real? album or his USEE4YOURSELF record, or his Simple. release which saw him riding on top of a lot of Kaytranada beats.

For about the past 10 years, IDK has been very busy, very prolific, and I found myself each time checking in to see what changes or improvements there might be with each new release, but still walking away a little underwhelmed every time and wondering what exactly is an IDK song at this point. Because as many features and tracks as I've heard from him up till now, I'm still not really sure I can define that, even after having heard and obviously enjoying this new mixtape here. But such is the struggle of an artist who's maybe more than all arounder, you could say. Someone who has a reputation for being able to do just a little bit of everything.

Because over the years, IDK has dropped tracks that have more of a pop appeal, have a danceability factor, maybe lean more into storytelling or grittiness. What you're getting is really case by case. But as much as that has prevented him from standing out on some releases to my ears in the past, that is actually now the beauty of e.t.d.s. over here, as Jay is giving listeners these different punchy little portions of everything and somehow smashing it each time with good curation and just good writing and execution, too.

Whether Jay is serving up bangers or more introspective and contemplative moments where he's really giving us his backstory in a way that he hasn't quite before. Primarily, this comes by way of him diving into the time he spent working his way through the prison and judicial system, something that obviously he hasn't kept hidden about his past, but he seemingly has way more lyrical capacity to describe it, to explore it at this point now. Jay certainly has reason to reflect on this time, because as he says on this record, if he did actually do his full bid without parole, he would have essentially been getting out last year. What we know as his entire career, his entire catalog, just wouldn't exist.

In a way, this mixtape is like a celebration of the timeline he's currently on and the way things can fall apart, move left, or even build toward a brighter future, depending on the choices you make. Because throughout all of these tracks, Jay is revisiting all of these various crossroads with regards to music, prison, love, with a bunch of different beats and rap styles and some surprising features, too.

The tracklist also weaves together super seamlessly, which I appreciate. Sometimes cinematically, too, with the opening track, giving us audio from a jail call operator. But instead of being on the other end of the call, Jay is making the call, talking about how he almost pressed the wrong button, too. Again, making mistakes, what could have happened, recurring theme.

But after this intro we head right into "HALO", which has this bump in dramatic beat from No ID, which plays really well into the inspiration that Jay has long pulled from early Ye records. The beat is so melodic. There's so much finesse in it, especially in these little passages of vocal harmonies and guitar layers, this Latin-tinged bass line as well. Meanwhile, lyrically, IDK is really setting the tone, reminding us of how he got here and why he's still at it, showing both a knack for flows, but also choruses, too, because that. "Turning a hat to a halo," is one of many super catchy, super snappy lines throughout the entire tape.

We quickly change over into the track "DEViL", which is a bling-era banger, and IDK knows it, saying, "Don't make me go Marshall Mather's with a little more fifty," which obviously is a statement on his attitude. But the vibe of the track, too, the way it sounds, the way he's rapping on it, raises that, too. The bumping bass on this track is absolutely infectious, and don't even get me started on this insane kids' chorus, vocal chop, which adds a really playful edge to IDK's sinister bars.

Then we have "CLOVER" featuring Joey Valence & Brae, which to me, in terms of IDK's delivery, his lyricism, reads like Ye in sex fiend mode, but over a boom bat beat. The autocroon chorus reads that way, too. I'm loving the narrative dichotomy between these themes of love but also lust. Of course, Joey Valence & Brae are hype as hell on the track and just bring more energy to it, give it more of a pop.

"C.O.P." is a pretty tried and true theme in hip hop, and Jay does it justice. Distrust of police, court system trauma as well. The track is loaded with these bustling drums, these run chants, slinky synth leads too. The whole track sounds like a chase scene out of a film. Keeping the energy high as start to finish with DMX, which is an insane posthumous feature placement. While X's appearance here is really simple, true, his voice sounds incredible and is implemented into the track so well. I mean, pretty much worked in effectively as a hook. I love the way IDK lyrically tributes him on the track, too. "Kay on the beat that make me feel like a wrestler / X got the voice that make me rap with my chest up." He's really rapping his ass off here, and you got to love it.

Past this point, I'm really enjoying the way this tape dives into not just a progression of lyrical themes, but the ways in which the instrumentals complement each part of IDK's story here. Going from "SCARY MERRi", where he's describing these moments in his adolescence, where he was taking to crime and stealing, to where that landed him in "CELL BLOCK FREESTYLE" with these crazy a capella vocal harmonies and loops in the background over him, rapping so well. But then, following that, seeing IDK describe how being in the pen essentially drove him crazy, made him depressed, made him feel isolated, paranoid, against not only some really dreamy string sections, but another incredible, well-implemented posthumous feature from none other than MF Doom, whose words play perfectly into what Jay is saying here.

Then from this point, the story essentially continues with Jay talking about how being locked up impacted this relationship, this first love that he had, how it pulled them apart. But then when he got out, they rekindled things. But then finding that this new fast, fame-driven lifestyle, compiled with a fear of intimacy, ruined this connection once again. Meanwhile, she has moved on, and Jay, in that moment, you can hear as he's rapping about it, his heart just sinks. He is really at a low point. He's full of regret. It's a personal story that plays out in multiple acts, and Jay really allows us to relive it with him.

The final moments on this tape have their ups and downs, in my opinion. "LiFE 4 A LiFE" really dives into that eye-for-an-eye mentality, which does break away pretty hard from the themes of the previous track. While I do like what Jay is doing on the cut, the Pusha T chemistry isn't super exciting. I mean, when it comes to best feature on the record, that handily goes to Black Thought, who IDK is very much outshined by. But how many rappers are rapping better than Black Thought? Either way, "EVERYONE KNOWS :)" featuring RZA, I feel like, is a much sharper cut with IDK really diving into this idea of authenticity and fakeness, how he couldn't live with himself if he existed in any other capacity.

Then we have a closer with Conductor Williams, which I am a little on the fence with, at least for the first portion of it, because it's one of several Conductor Williams beats on the tape that I feel like get a little samey by the time that we've heard the final one here. The instrumental in the track doesn't really pick up for me until we reach these final passages where the string sections are coming in and we're getting this 'to be continued' outro, which, while not a mind-blowing finale, definitely puts us with a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving me wondering what Jay's musical ambitions are going to be in the near future.

But yeah, I mean, got to say, been paying attention to Jay's or IDK's work for a while now. This is really the first project that has had me hooked and had me coming back to the entire thing over, and over, and over, and has also had me convinced this guy truly does have something personal and specific to say. And while his most major influences are still very clear, still very much being worn on his sleeve at this point for sure, he's embodying them all better than he ever has before.

And again, it's led to a project here where he's just doing it all, covering many more bases than your average rapper does and performing and executing at a really high and impressive level. Sure, there are a few tracks that could be a little bit more original or unique in their aesthetics and tone. And the start of the tape is most definitely stronger than the end. But I still ended up loving this thing, which is why I'm feeling a light eight on it.

Anthony Fantano, IDK, forever.