Jesse Boykins III has a new album out Love Apparatus, and you should know about it! We at Qrtd are fans of the soul star and dedicated a look book to this remarkable artist.
In a former life I used to write about and introduce upcoming music artists. This soul head was the first to introduce artists and groups like Angie Stone, Kelis, Lucy Pearl and N.E.R.D to the Belgian market. Although I've set music journalism aside, scouting new talent never stopped. With the Qrtd project my need for searching inspiration has only broadened.
A couple of years ago - thanks to thisisrealmusic.com (currently relaunching, ask for a beta test account!) - I was introduced to the work of Jesse Boykins III. In many ways I think JBIII personifies the new breed of musicians for the 21st century. The way he is paving his path is very inspiring.
“James Brown was touted the hardest working man in show business and I guess it is no coincidence Jesse Boykins has the legend’s initials in common.”
Jesse Boykins may not be world famous (yet), yet he is already worldwide. He loves to perform and basically is constantly on the road. I guess JBIII must have a support band at his disposal in every continent. Wherever you are located on the globe, his nomadic lifestyle brings him to small clubs and mid sized venues near you . This way he conquers the hearts of his public and evangelizes his followers with his World Soul. He is a real singer singer, hardcore soul vocalist. With his untamable hair and bohemian outfits on stage, the performer portraits his signature swag: Schwaza!
Social and the birth of Schwaza
Social Media enables JBIII to communicate and reach out to all the people; the soul man has evangelized on earth. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr makes him omnipresent.
The story of Schwaza - the word JBIII introduced and promoted - proofs the importance of Social in his master plan. When on tour in Germany he overheard a conversation. They were talking about swagger but pronounced in an Arnold Schwarzenegger kind of tongue it sounded like schwaza. JBIII loved the sound of it and started using the newborn word. It became his personal hashtag. Schwaza found its way into the Urban Dictionary. Eventually a look book publishing startup picked up the word to dedicate a fan app ; )
Love Apparatus
On the cover of the new album Love Apparatus , Jesse Boykins is portrayed as a love guru. This image really suits the man whose smooth lyrics are all about relationships and women. To promote his latest, JBIII took his Social Media content to the next level. Armed with a camera and a list of questions he approached the beautiful women he encountered in his travels.
“What do you like about being a woman? is his standard opener. The result is amazing intimate videography, a celebration of womanhood.”
You can enjoy more of this ongoing video project on Jesse's website and find snippets on his Instagram account and in the Schwaza look book.
The music
Chillwave R&B! That's maybe a good label to describe JBIII's music. Jesse lays down his soul on an electronic blanket of slow beats produced by Travis Stewart aka Machinedrum. And hey… I don't think I need to describe the good stuff; Spotify and iTunes are here to make up your mind!
But here's my favlist:
- For the catchy slighter up-tempo tracks check out "B4 The Night Is Thru" and "Plain"
- For the deeper stuff "I Wish" and "The Wonder Years"
- For great collabs check out "Tell me" (feat. Thelonious London) and the majestic A "Matter of the Heart" (featuring Phonte)
So now you know the story about the love guru and the startup! Spreading inspiration is our mission and with Jesse Boykins III it's all about the love for music, beauty and women.
Kristof Van Brussel | Qrtd