Is He Real?

Covering a stretch spanning Delaware all the way down through Virginia, the DMV movement in hip-hop has a strong representative in IDK. After the Maryland rapper’s profile grew considerably via 2018’s *IDK & FRIENDS :)* project, an EP of collaboration with the likes of Denzel Curry and Wale, his major-label full-length debut provides more space for him to thrive on his own. Contemplative and candid throughout, he vigorously debunks religious dogma on “European Skies” and speaks bluntly on the harsh realities of neighborhood life on “42 Hundred Choices.” When IDK opts to bring in guests, as with J.I.D and Pusha T on the bassbin-rattling badassery of “Porno,” the results only bolster his bona fides.

The major-label debut from the Maryland rapper clearly wants to appeal to the thinkers. But even at its most lucid, this loosely conceptual album falls well short of lofty ambitions.