JD. Reid

The music world is starting to become over-saturated with producers making the same kind of music. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trap banger or a deep R&B beat as much as the next person, but sometimes it just seems like there is too much of it around. So, with that being said, it’s always refreshing when a producer drops a beat tape or EP that sounds out of the ordinary. Introducing JD. Reid, one of the UK’s rising stars when it comes to the boards. Hailing from the north of London, Reid has been working with some of the cities prominent emcee’s such as ItsNate and Piff Gang amongst others. His last EP, Word Gets Around, garnered a lot of attention from UK critics and artists alike, with many of the scenes hottest rappers appearing on the project.

88 is the newest release from Reid, which sees the young producer show exactly how diverse he can be. The five-track project contains two instrumentals and three further tracks that feature a host of artists including ItsNate, Milkavelli and Denzel Himself. The mix of eclectic, atmospheric beats are a showcase of the work ethic and talent that JD. Reid possesses, and each individual artist selected for each instrumental sounds like they belong on their respective tracks. Not only does Reid show that he can produce some fine hip hop instrumentals, but he also demonstrates his softer side with the track “Amber Waves” which features Yordanos and Gabriella Skies.

JD. Reid explains the thought process behind 88, “In making this EP I wanted to try and take people on a journey. “I wanted the 5 tracks to show my versatility and help people feel my vibe as a producer. 88 is like a representation of where I’ve been and where I’m at right now, and I see it as a starting point for where I want to take it next”. The EP has a constant Asian theme throughout, with Chinese dialogue being heard at some point on all 5 tracks, as well as the sampling of anime and manga cult classic, Akira. Also, as Reid discloses after his recent trip to Asia, “I was told that 8’s represent good fortune in oriental culture. You’d be surprised interesting theories and philosophies surround the number 88. The time I spent in Asia made the number feel relevant to me and I hope that titling the project 88 will bring it good fortune”.

You can stream and download each track from 88 below, or if you want it all in one place you can download the EP from here.