While “Monsieur Dior” boasts a serene soundscape, the lyrics have a distinct edge. “I got a problem showing people love that I never had,” IDK raps on one of his contemplative, Instagram caption-ready bars. “This room is kind of dark, I’m trying to get it bright.” Produced by TK, the track samples "Huit Octobre 1971" by French jazz band Cortex — a groove MF DOOM fans might recognize from the renowned rapper’s “One Beer.” In the cool black & white docu-style music video, IDK takes us with him to Howard University’s Homecoming and Dior’s show in Paris before paying tribute to the late great MF DOOM.
IDK is currently on the road with Pusha T as part of the rap icon’s acclaimed It’s Almost Dry tour where he is performing songs from Simple., an eight-track collaborative project with Grammy Award-winning DJ/producer Kaytranada. Also on the setlist is W13 (Free Slime/Drive) — two recent singles showcasing the rapper’s trademark witty bars and percussive flows.
In many ways, “Monsieur Dior” is a bridge to the next stage of IDK’s career. In 2021, he released his sophomore album, USEE4YOURSELF, launched his Apple Music 1 radio show, Radio Clue, and led a 10-day music business program at Harvard University in collaboration with No Label and partners NIKE, Logitech, GUESS, Brand Jordan, and Converse. This year he’s extended his existing partnerships and added HBCU’s to further his vision for No Label Academy. Last week he performed for thousands at Bison Madness- Howard University’s homecoming event in partnership with Jumpman. IDK's dedication to pushing boundaries is now on full display and he up’ing the ante with each release.
Short for Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge, IDK is as much a moniker as it is a mission. The Prince George’s County, Maryland, artist has long dedicated his life and art to presenting big ideas in accessible ways. Using witty lyricism, percussive flows, and a chameleonic musicality, IDK turns life lessons and philosophical musings into utter bangers. In the process, he’s become one of rap’s most inventive practitioners. His new album, USEE4YOURSELF, is his richest work yet, a sprawling meditation on love, materialism, masculinity, and the effects of a troubled upbringing. Loaded with unpredictable features and recollections from childhood, it’s a character study framed in fierce beats and blockbuster productions. It’s also a culmination for the man born Jason Mills, who began his musical journey behind bars about a decade ago. Through albums like Subtrap (2015), IWASVERYBAD (2017), and Is He Real? (2019) IDK built a proper body of work. And he using that foundation as a jump-off point for not just music, but action that enriches the world: his inquisitive Radio Clue Apple Music radio show; No Label Academy, his music biz course in collaboration with Nike and Harvard University; and his Clue Records, which in 2020 released IDK & FRIENDS 2, a soundtrack for Kevin Durant’s Basketball County: In the Water documentary full of DMV-area artists. As IDK puts it, with that trademark mix of flex and humor: “I'm in competition with myself and only me. And I'm whooping my ass every time.” using that foundation as a jump-off point for not just music, but action that enriches the world: his inquisitive Radio Clue Apple Music radio show; No Label Academy, his music biz course in collaboration with Nike and Harvard University; and his Clue Records, which in 2020 released IDK & FRIENDS 2, a soundtrack for Kevin Durant’s Basketball County: In the Water documentary full of DMV-area artists. In 2021 he dropped confessional and guest-laden album USEE4YOURSELF, which featured Young Thug, Offset, Swae Lee, the late great DMX, and more. The critcically acclaimed offering received praise from NPR, Billboard, Office, i-D, NME to name a few. His most recent project Simple. with Kaytranada finds both artists in peak form, pushing each other to new limits. As IDK puts it, with that trademark mix of flex and humor: “I'm in competition with myself and only me. And I'm whooping my ass every time.”
