Jesse Boykins III

Though mainly rooted in left-field R&B, US-born singer-songwriter Jesse Boykins III's catalog is as diverse as they come, incorporating various influences from other genres such as reggae, hip-hop, salsa, and neo-soul. Born on February 20, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois, he spent the first years of his life in Jamaica and later returned to the United States, settling in Miami. His music journey began at age 9 when he joined his elementary school's choir, an experience that eventually set the stage for his subsequent involvement with the Grammy Jazz Ensemble. After recording an album with the group and performing with numerous local artists, Jesse Boykins III relocated to the Big Apple and honed his talent at New York's New School University under the tutelage of Kamal Scott and Bilal. His debut EP, Dopamine: My Life on My Back, saw the light in 2008, followed by a full-length album titled The Beauty Created. Over the following years, releases like Way of a Wayfarer (2011), Zulu Guru (2012), recorded in collaboration with producer MeLo-X, and Love Apparatus (2014) firmly cemented his place in the alternative R&B scene, leading to a record deal with Def Jam Records in 2017. Bartholomew, his major-label debut, arrived later that year, featuring cameos by like-minded acts such as Noname, Little Simz, The Internet's Syd, and Alex Isley. In 2020, he received his first Grammy nomination after co-writing the track "Playground" from Steve Lacy's 2019 album, Apollo XXI. Preceded by the singles "Kind and Nasty," "No Pussy for Losers," "Honestly, I'm a Threat," and "Go with the Feeling," his fifth studio effort New Growth hit the shelves in 2023.