IDK Tells His Own Story And More In New LP "IWASVERYBAD"

Unfortunately, Jason was the only one to go to jail in all of his family’s history. Fortunately, this is where he learned to rap. Now, years later and free from jail, Jason Mills, also known as IDK, is turning his past into music.

Through his new soundtrack LP, IWASVERYBAD, IDK animates the events and emotions in his life that brought him to where he is today. He poetically raps about his time in and out of jail and the struggles he faced being from a middle-class family while hanging out with troubled, poverty-stricken peers. He also raps about his broken relationship with his mother and his thoughts looking back at what he could have done differently. Apparent influences to IWASVERYBAD are the Gorillaz, Kendrick Lamar, Ludacris, Logic, and more. The LP is multilayered, full of trap drums and experimental synth soundscapes. IDK’s vocals are an incredibly powerful, deep sound that’s intimidating at times, and soothing at others.

‘Pizza Shop’ and More

IDK teamed up with Adult Swim to create an accompanying video for each track on IWASVERYBAD. IDK wanted to bring to life the parts of his experiences that are different from what other rappers sing about.

Although his family was middle-class, IDK went to one of the worst high schools in his hometown in Maryland. He ended up switching schools three times within the first three years of high school. IDK hung out with the wrong crowd due to peer pressure and media influences, despite his parents’ cautious remarks. He was caught between what his family was like versus what the kids at school were like. On one hand, he had doctors and lawyers as family and role models. On the other hand, he was going to school with kids who were roaming the streets looking for stuff to steal and people to rob, leading to the pizza shop heist.

“Pizza Shop” is the most recently released music video on IWASVERYBAD. The track features Yung Gleesh, Doom, and Del the Funky Homosapien. It’s one of IDK’s songs about his life before he went to jail. He raps about his idols as a teen who are all in prison now. Furthermore, the story-telling visuals do more than just represent IDK’s life as a teen. It contains more layers up for interpretation. One example is the scene of the group of friends driving around with guns, hot-boxing the car. Right afterwards, the camera zooms in on the street sign that says Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Similarly, the video ends with a cliffhanger. The audience doesn’t know what will happen next. They’re left with the image of IDK holding the gun to the cashiers head as the police lights flash outside.

IDK Presents Questions that Need to be Asked

After all is said and done, IDK projects a strong and relevant message about “the system.” He ended up going to jail three times, one of which was because he was late paying his rent. At this time, he had bills piling up, he was paying his college tuition, and he was working at Burger King. IDK’s point is that the system is messed up and it doesn’t give people a chance to better themselves after getting released from jail. He also poses a lot of questions revolved around the connections between race, poverty, prison, and much more. Not only is IDK telling the story of his life, he is raising societal questions that need to be asked and answered.

In many of his songs, IDK calls himself “the bad apple” or “the black sheep.” He’s recognizing who he was in his past and he’s changing his ways for his future. In the end, the lyrics in “Maryland Ass Ni**a” are looking on the bright side. He sings, “I’m trying to right my wrongs, but I’m sorry that I’m saying wrongs helped me write this song.” Overall, IDK decided to make a difference in the world through his music, but it all started with his past.

Connect with IDK: