Released: 2022 • Features: Kenny Mason, Lil Wayne
“Just in Time” by JID, featuring Kenny Mason and Lil Wayne, takes listeners on a journey into the world of hip-hop culture, tackling themes of time, survival, ambition, and societal pressures. The artists navigate these aspects through cryptic bars, complex metaphors, and intense wordplay.
Peep JID’s opening verse: “Woke up at six (six), pray to a .9 (.9) / 12 (12), was already runnin’ from twelve, a nigga was flyin'” – he’s depicting a grim reality where the first act of the day is often survival. In hip-hop slang, ’12’ refers to the police, suggesting JID was on the run from law enforcement. The next line “I got the time today, bitch, I got the time” is a phrase implying he’s ready to face whatever problems come his way.
Throughout the song, time is presented as a central theme. This is highlighted when JID and Lil Wayne both assert that they’ve “got the time today,” a clear indication they’re prepared to tackle issues head-on. Their usage of time aligns with the essence of hip-hop—overcoming struggles, hustling, and grinding against societal constraints.
When JID spits, “From a city where niggas on killin’ time / In your pockets for nickels or penny, dimes,” he’s expressing the ruthless environment he comes from. Here, “killin’ time” is a wordplay used to describe idle or casual activities but also hints at the dangerous possibility of literal killing due to the harsh circumstances of poverty.
Lil Wayne’s verse is densely packed with metaphors and wordplays. When he says, “No sinus, but I got plenty slimes,” he references his affiliations (or “slimes”) while playfully linking it to sinus, a reference to his nasal voice. Furthermore, when he raps, “That’s homicide, that’s genocide / I’m large in size, they minimized / I’m armed this time, can’t miss this time,” he’s addressing both the violence prevalent in society and how he’s preparing to combat it. The term ‘genocide’ here carries a deeper meaning, hinting at systematic oppression and violence that affects entire communities.
Overall, “Just In Time” is a lyrical deep-dive into the complexity of survival and ambition in a society fraught with injustice. By exploiting the motif of time, the artists paint a vivid picture of their experiences, thoughts, and struggles within the hip-hop landscape and broader society.
