Since the disappearance of Maxwell,D'angelo and Donnell Jones I have been yurning for a smooth and unique voice to get me all dreamy eyed again. Well one unexpected Saturday while doing house errands and blasting BETJ(don't sleep on that channel) from the other room I heard a sound and a voice I never heard before.It didn't sound familiar and I'm usually real good at detecting a song or voice of any artist. So I ran to my room almost breaking my toe tripping over my nephew's truck and plastered my eyes on the television. Immediately caught up,I started biting my nails, had my eyes fixtated like a zombie and was swaying my waist(LOL). I was so impressed that I honestly,no joke thanked GOD for my eyes and my ears for introducing me to Jesse Boykins III.He is simply the shit...(sorry I had too)
At twenty-three years old he is a former musical apprentice of the one and only mind, body and soul vocal R&B crooner, Bilal. With a keen ear for all eclectic genres of music, Boykins like his teacher has added to his vocal gift.Boykins is a writer, vocal arranger,composer and intense performer. Now, imagine sitting home folding some clothes and unexpectedly you hear a voice that gives you goose bumps, engages you so much you want to quit your day job and become his A&R(industry talk for Artist Rep) just so the whole world can experience what you did when your first heard him sing. Boykins bares new life to a very mild phase in R&B where no dude is really pushing the bar as much, other than trying real hard to be a sex symbol and MJ the 2nd. Boykins has no corny crotch grinding on stage gimmicks, irritating and might I add probably stinky constant lip-licks during interviews and wild outfits with leather bullets with tongue buckles(R.Kelly,Yucks). Without all that his talent, delivery and swagger will sure enough make ladies swoon and fellas rushing to take some lessons from Boykins lyrical teachings. This fresh talent is on a mission to recreate and introduce “new soul” like when R&B’s forefather’s like Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and D’angelo had us all mesmerized. Boykins has created a very honest album titled, “Dopamine,” that is destined to help him be referred as one of the greats in the near future. With the popularity of Jesse's single and BETJ fan fav video "Tabloids," everybody is all ears waiting for more.Fortunately I got to chop it up with Jesse and get inside his dope mind(get it,hehehehe).
CC:It's very unlikely today for artist to embodie such delivery, swagger and stage presence and I think it has a lot to do with great mentoring and also being a sponge.So tell me how did working with my booskie(lol) Bilal contribute to the Boykins persona and who else did you work with?
JB3: Bilal is the reflection of a true artist,passionate,not afraid to try something if it comesto himin a dream, and he creates from ideas pictures whatever...that's what I do with my music. At the end of the day music is my therapy for the artist and the listener. Other than Bilal I've worked with Eric Roberson,J.Holiday, Anthony David,Emily King and sang background for Keyshia Cole.
CC:Currently you are unsigned,are you looking for a label or waiting for them to find you?
JB3:Honestly was never really looking for a major label to pick me up because I was young and most of the industry people were fast talkers...so I purposely turned down stuff until I felt like I understood and could comprehend the music industry enough to know what a good and bad situation is..I feel like I'm at the level where I have a strong team behind me,along with the litlle momentum from my first release that I'm ready for whatever and I'm going to take it to the next level with or without the majors.
CC:For the Dopamaine album how did you come up with the name and what's the feel,themes and inspiration?
JB3:The Dopamine album was really like a spur of the moment thing inspired by relationships and the toll the world takes on Love.Dopamine is a chemical released in your body when your in love,it's also released when your addicted to something.
CC:What are you working on now?
JB3:Right now im completing an album called,"The Beauty Created," due out Early August. It's actually inspired by Spike Lee movies. What I love is the culture, different faces and attitudes so it's definitely a Crooklyn inspired album!
Kudos to Jesse:)
To purchase Jesse's music go to itunes, cdfreedom.com, rhapshody and nimbit.com
Also for any Jesse updates hit him up on myspace, trust me he'll actually respond too. Tell him I sent you.
http://www.myspace.com/jesseboykinsiii
Visit his blog!
http://www.jbiiimusic.com/
Watch his video that made me run from the other room, LOL!
