BJ the Chicago Kid - In My Mind

BJ the Chicago Kid
In My Mind
2016
Spotify

On this very blog I have discussed the difficulty with playing modern R&B today. The genre has taken some hits as of late forcing some to either change, or fall behind the times. That was before I heard BJ the Chicago Kid and his first major label release In My Mind. On this record Bryan James Sledge takes the genre and turns it on it's head while still holding a deep affection for where this music came from. It would with the very clear skill that BJ has to just slide into creating some generic pop/R&B/Hip-Hop tracks but He never does, He pushes and evolves to create something really special with this album. Where on the more avante garde R&B singers tend to side on the highly sexual, BJ seems to prefer a tender approach to his music. There is an air of sweetness to each one of these tracks, like on "Church" where He says that He can't stay over because He has to go to church in the morning. You would expect a song like this to sound trite and more than a bit goofy, but it never does, it feels honest and real. This does not mean that BJ shies away from being overt, on "Love Inside" there is not question He is talking about straight up sex but it still has a bend that gives it a little more than what you expect.

BJ's song structure on In My Mind is also very interesting. They often don't follow the verse chorus verse structure, but instead they play around flowing from one movement to another. He speaks plainly throughout the record opting for telling seemingly real stories rather than crafting catchy or clever lyrics. This may sound like a criticism, but it is quite refreshing to hear someone giving it to you straight. The features on this record is also a murders row of destroyers including: Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, Eric Ingram, K.I.R.T. and Isa. However the album is 15 tracks and over an hour long so the features don't even take up a majority of the record, which gives you more time with BJ. In My Mind is not just a flash in the pan, BJ has been killing it as a feature on many albums for almost 15 years, a grind that has provided him a very special voice. What you really get to take away from In My Mind is that soul music, and positive music, still has a place in the world and BJ the Chicago Kid is the one who is going to bring it to us. Do not miss this record, you will regret it.

8.8 out of 10