BJ the Chicago Kid has the wisdom of a veteran artist, slipping life advice into conversations with ease. He uses sports analogies like an older brother would, and will quickly school you on his influences: the soul of Al Green, the mystery of D'Angelo, and the innovation of J Dilla. When you think he can't cram more adages into his delivery, he does. "Sometimes you gotta eat the vegetables to get to the meat," he says quoting who he believes to be John Mayer. This proverb has nothing to do with food; it's how BJ the Chicago Kid decided to construct the songs on his new album 1123. He approaches songwriting with tact, giving you the testimonies you need to hear before surrendering to what's appetizing, or what it should sound like. With features from Anderson .Paak, Buddy, J.I.D, and Offset, the album makes the Black experience feel universal and cements BJ the Chicago Kid as a forward thinker in R&B.
Advertisement
Advertisement