.idk., the artist born Jason Mills, a rapper, producer, singer, creative director, and one of the most forward-thinking multi-hyphenates in modern hip-hop, is preparing to release his new mixtape E.T.D.S. – Even The Devil Smiles on January 23. The project reflects everything that’s made .idk. one of the most respected cultural architects of the last decade: elite storytelling, academic-level intentionality, and a level of creative direction that effortlessly bridges street reality, Black expressionism, and high art. .idk. is opening a door into the version of himself he rarely shares publicly.
E.T.D.S. pulls from the immediacy and rawness of 90s/2000s mixtape culture, days when music felt like community currency and a burned CD could define an era. But this project uses that foundation to tell a much deeper story: the story of a young Black man navigating the U.S. penal system, surviving long enough to reclaim his voice, and rebuilding the world around him.
.idk. calls it “proof that creation could breathe in captivity.” That idea hits different when you understand what he escaped.
The Sentence That Could’ve Changed Everything
At 17 years old, .idk. was sentenced to 15 years. If he had served that full stretch, he’d be stepping out right now in 2025. He served three. And he’s been rebuilding — spiritually, creatively, mentally — ever since.
E.T.D.S. is a direct conversation with the version of himself that almost never got a second chance. It’s not glorification; it’s documentation. It’s a reclamation of memory and identity from a system built to erase both.
The project digs into:
- the events that led to his incarceration
- the mindset he developed on the inside
- the trauma and transformation that shaped his adulthood
- betrayal, loyalty, and spiritual conflict
- the internal dialogue of a kid forced to survive circumstances bigger than him
- Black expressionism
- .idk.’s real lived experiences inside a broken criminal justice structure
- The urgency and grit of early mixtape DNA
- The psychological aftermath of incarceration
- And the contrast between freedom and captivity
Real phone calls with Deangelo Sneed, a high-ranking Blood who recognized .idk.’s potential and helped keep him grounded, serve as emotional checkpoints throughout the tape.
It’s introspection through the lens of someone who lived the consequences.
A Production Lineup With Real Cultural Weight
The sound of E.T.D.S. is powered by a heavy roster of visionaries:
- Madlib
- Kaytranada
- No I.D.
- Conductor Williams
- Joey Valence & Brae
- Goldie
- Ratboy
- And .idk. himself
That lineup alone tells you everything: this mixtape isn’t built for trends or virality. It’s built to outlive them.
The track “SCARY MERRi” sets the tone for the project, a dizzy, sinister Conductor Williams beat that captures the energy of late fall: cold, weird, anxious, and transitional.
.idk. raps with frantic urgency. It’s the type of song you don’t just listen to, you brace yourself for it.
Before this mixtape cycle even began, .idk. released “S.T.F.”, a collaboration with Kaytranada and the late DMX.
What makes it historic is this:
It’s the first posthumous DMX collaboration officially approved by the Estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons.
DMX appeared on .idk.’s Is He Real and USee4Yourself, and anyone who listens can hear the emotional lineage, the way .idk. channels vulnerability and raw honesty without losing control of the narrative.
An Artist Operating Beyond the Boundaries of Hip-Hop
Born in London, raised in Maryland, .idk. has built a reputation for blending worlds that shouldn’t coexist, but do under his direction.
Over the years he has premiered work at MOCA in Los Angeles, designed a lecture series at Harvard with No Label Academy, hosted thinkers like Virgil Abloh and Issa Rae, collaborated with Tyler, The Creator, Pusha T, Pharrell, Chief Keef, MF DOOM, JID, Rico Nasty, and built partnerships with Nike, Dior, Land Rover, McLaren, and Mercedes-Benz F1. He’s dropped incredible music and continues to remain at the top of his game year after year.
.idk. builds ecosystems.
The Land Rover Defender 110.3 Collab: Life Coming Full Circle
One of his most recent creative milestones is the Defender 110.3 by .idk. and thr33dot, a special collaboration with Land Rover. For him, it represents years of obsession, experimentation, and design coming full circle.
“It’s full circle, from a kid spray-painting cars in his mom’s garage to designing something that can live in a museum and on the road.”
That’s the same energy behind E.T.D.S., creating from the chaos, and turning survival into something that moves people. Alongside the mixtape rollout, .idk. launched a new website that evolves in real time, giving fans access to the visual universe surrounding E.T.D.S.
E.T.D.S. is hip-hop at its highest purpose documenting truth, transforming trauma, and turning survival into expression. For .idk., it’s the closest he’s ever come to putting his full story on tape.
And for the people who know what it means to rebuild your life piece by piece, this project is going to matter.
