A Young Man For All Seasons

Not so long ago BET’s 106th and Park helped make Jesse Boykins III a household name among the under 25 set with his sleeper hit, “Tabloids” from off of his debut “Dopamine: My Life On My Back” EP. A gazillion East Coast gigs, hundreds of blog posts and hipster articles about the 24-year old who would be soul’s “next big thing” helped quickly usher in Boykins debut album, “The Beauty Created,” a consummate balance between experimental electro-soul and commercial R&B conscious of its origins. His latest single, “The Itis,” is making a lot of noise, but who’s the young star behind the hype?

LMG: You got an awful lot of tastemaker love and attention almost immediately following your debut EP, “Dopamine.“ Why do you think you managed to break through and become NYC’s hipster boy wonder so quickly when so many other grinders haven’t come close?

JB: Ha! I think it had a lot to do with timing and the fact that people are always searching for a new sound that they can connect with. NY is known for accepting innovators and people trying to push the boundaries and I’m not afraid to do so. That, combined with my consistency in my live performing, might have swayed their ears my way.

LMG: What role has/does the artist Bilal (“1st Born Second”) play in your life as a mentor and musician and where does the Boykins’ style depart from his teachers and influences?

JB: Bilal teaches without even him noticing. It’s just in him to say things or show you aspects of living and life you probably wouldn’t have seen yourself or slowed down to notice. He taught me what artistry is. I just remember in our voice lessons, him constantly asking me how I felt about certain things in music and just in life. He taught me how to look at one issue from as many perspectives as possible. We don’t have lessons as much anymore, but we still stay in touch and sometimes, if I’m lucky, he’ll come through to a show and give me some advice and what not. We have a show in ATL together along with Foreign Exchange on Feb 12th at Centerstage. Im excited!!

LMG: Your music has been described as “eclectic,” “esoteric” and “progressive”—words that often read: niche. Do you think you have mainstream potential or are you comfortable becoming a star among only the most discerning music fans?

JB: I think every artist has “maintstream” potential; it just depends on the machine behind that artist, and how much they’re willing to sacrifice to get that attention. I look at it differently, if my message reaches the masses, then that’s great. If it reaches 20 thousand people, then that’s great also. I don’t measure success by the whole “mainstream” thing. I measure it by my expressing exactly what it is I’m trying to communicate to people’s ears, and having them actually relate.

LMG: At this career juncture, do you think you’ve broken out of being only a name in East Coast markets; is Jesse Boykins III national and international yet or are you still working toward this goal?

JB: I feel like I’m an international ghetto (“ghetto” meaning the streets) superstar. LOL. I like have people reach out from Amsterdam, the UK, Germany, Africa, Jamaica, Korea, Malaysia … some of those places I didn’t even look up until someone from there hit me. I had to look on the map to see what part of the world they were in.

LMG: By releasing your remix album of “The Beauty Created” as a free download, you joined a growing movement of artists that are giving their music away for free as a strategy for heightened brand exposure, fan expansion and ultimately more bookings. Do you think free is the future of music?

JB: I have neutral feelings about the “free music” thing. These days I feel like people don’t have a clue how hard and how many hours it takes to write, produce, arrange, mix, and master one song (at least my music), much less a whole album. And, when your finally finished that long process, you go online and see all these blogs posting it for free. It hurts a bit even though it’s them showing love, it’s your living. But, as an independent artist that loves the stage and to perform for audiences, the “free music” thing is a good look because you want an audience no matter what. You need an audience. So, I’m neutral/balanced in that.

LMG: Many elders reared on music from the ‘70s through the ‘90s find a lot of music targeting the youth market to be unlistenable; do you think that’s a function of older generations just not being hip to the new or do you find a lot of the music targeting folks your age to be awful too?

JB: I would honestly say that most music on mainstream gives the wrong message. Everything is materialistic or compares material and money to love, but in the older generation love stood alone. That’s just my opinion. I try to not make my music so basic and empty, but with substance and moral.

LMG: As someone with an ear for tradition while still being futuristic, how do you see your music bridging the generational divide?

JB: That is the ultimate goal, to connect every demographic. I appreciate what my forefathers in soul music have done, but I also see the movement and changing of music and its sound. So, I incorporate d the past and what I see for the future. My new album, “Love Apparatus,” that I’m releasing this year will hopefully show proof of my beliefs.

LMG: As a hard-core grinder in the game, in 10 years which of your peers will still be holding it down and what do you see yourself doing to be among them?

JB: I feel like in soul music once you’re labeled as a dope artist, you’re around forever (soul music being music from the heart), because there  is no gimmick behind your passion. So, consistency and honesty to my art will more than surely keep me around… and keep me grounded in my growth.

*Not familiar with Jesse Boykins III? Check out this free download of The Beauty Created Remixed courtesy of Jesse Boykins III. Learn more about Jesse Boykins here.

TAGS: Bilal, Jesse Boykins III