John Legend and JID unleashed real summer vibes on Wednesday with new single Dope. The unexpected collaboration will serve as lead single on the 12x Grammy winner Legend’s upcoming album. As of now, a release date, and name for the project remain unknown.
Produced by Ian Kirkpatrick and Ryan Tedder, Dope’s sultry chords, and bouncy rhythm create a cool, jazzy atmosphere. The ambiance is perfect for the varying vocal performances of the R&B icon and burgeoning Dreamville superstar, who both own the beat with distinctive excellence.
Legend discussed the collaboration with JID on an appearance with Eddie Francis on Apple 1 Music. “He’s incredible, he’s such a gifted lyricist. He’s got such great charisma and great energy and we were looking for the perfect artist to join with me on this record. We were just listening to his body of work and thinking of what we could do on the track. We sent it to him, and he loved the track and wanted to get on it and man… he murdered it.”
Dope is far from complex in subject matter. Legend and JID lyrically explore the addictive qualities of a love interest, using their diverse gifts to touch on beautiful women’s best qualities. Legend’s lines are smooth, sensual, and impeccably delivered: “She beautiful, she magic/She chemical reactive”, he croons in the first verse. His hook is uncomplicated, catchy and merges effortlessly into the beat.
JID
JID’s verse follows suit with on-brand breakneck flow, and some real clever punchlines, concluding with a real gem. “’Cause I’m addicted to your smile like a flower that grows/
In the wild in Colombia that paid Pablo.” JID’s flow has never been in question, but his ability to approach different styles of instrumentals continues to make him one of the most influential rappers in the game.
While there is no music video to accompany the track, John Legend posted the official lyric video on his YouTube Channel. John Legend and JID truly may have the song of the summer.
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