jb2

Jesse Boykins III is a singer I am still discovering – his voice, his music, his spirituality. I totally slept on his music when a friend of mine told me to listen to him because he was « the new (and nowadays the only one) neo soul singer » – dixit Jamal. As for me neo soul is Bilal and D’angelo, nobody can really do better than them but we have to leave a chance to the new generation, mine, the youngest. I listenned and weren’t that much impress at first. Then I saw a video live of Amorous and I totally felt in love with the music. The song is beautiful, Jesse Boykins III is really great on stage. He looks like he did that forever; He is natural, funny, plays with the audience (the feminine part of the audience, lol), is in harmony with his band. It’s really pleasant to see artists like this on stage, just having a great time and so giving a great time to the public. This is why I contacted him to ask him a few questions about his music, his influences, his move to NYC, his friendship with Bilal and the future. Yes, Jesse Boykins III is working on a new album called « Love Apparatus ».

You were born in Chicago but grew up in Jamaica. How long did you stay there and what was the music you were listening to ?
I was in Jamaica for about 8 years… most of my childhood. I grew up listening and being around mostly gospel, church hymns but my uncles always jammed reggae in the car and when the family get togethers.

Why did you move to Miami and what did you do, musicaly speaking ?
At the time my mother was in miami, while I was in Jamaica. I just wanted to be with my mom, hence the move. I owe a lot of my sound and influence to my move because that is where I met my mentor Ms Shenita Hunt. She was my middle and high school choir director. She basically open my ears as far as what and how I listened to music.

How was it to come to NY to the New School University ?
The New York move happen so fast. I remember getting a phone call on tuesday requesting me to make the orientation and being on a flight the next day, with one suitcase some socks and underwear, a pair of jeans, 3 t shirts and a sweater. I forgot to pack a towel… HA! I was glad to be in a new surrounding though. I was on edge for my 1st week in NY.

Is it where you met Bilal, Glasper & the musicians from the Beauty Created?
Yeah, Bilal and Glasper were both students there prior to me attending so they would always be on the scene at jazz spot and little school gigs. I had listened to Bilal CD that summer about a million times so when I first saw him I was a little star struck but it took him about 4 time to remember who I was. The forth time is when I asked him to be my voice trainer, it was my sophomore year. Cats like Glasper would come through to the school and chill with us take us to lunch and tell stories about the music and just living in NY. I appreciated those times because thats when I learned the most.

Can you tell us about your friendship with Bilal? I heard he gave you some voice lesson.
Bilal Oliver is very underrated as a person. He is a wise individual and has been through a lot. It beams in his music. I make sure to remember every conversation I have with him, because I always feel like he is testing me. I remember our first voice lesson. I went to his house in Jersey at the time, we didn’t even sing. I just remember listening to “Kind Of Blue” (Miles Davis) and him asking me how the music made me feel. No one had ever done that. He taught me how to connect with every element of a song. He taught me singing was spiritual no matter what you sing about. He taught me music was spiritual.

Are you planning to collaborate with him ?
I would def love to work with Bilal on a record. Yes, I’m sure it will happen. There is a timing for everything.

jb1

Let’s talk about your albums now. How did Dopamine come out ? Did you work alone for this one ?
I look at Dopamine as a 20 minutes therapy session. At least, that’s what it was for me. Just sitting down and remembering all the moments in a relationship. The good, the bad, the great, the terrible and turning it into music, people as a whole could relate to. I initially started working on it myself but my good friend and band mate Marion “Ojay” Ross III (trumpet player) would come through and drop some knowledge on me. I always had cats play on my tracks and I would edit it to my liking, production in a nutshell (Steve Wyreman, Jeremy Most, Anthony Coleman, Jamire Williams, Justin Brown Warren Fields, Devory Pugh, Earl Travis : now the Beauty Created). Most of what I wrote was poems and I just put melody to it.

I would like you to tell us the story of The Beauty Created from the very beginning with the guitarist Steve Wyreman to the end with the search of the album’s name.
I remember moving into a new apartment and unpacking boxes I had in storage for about a year and a half and I had this collection of movies. Most of them were Spike Lee movies. So I pretty much started like that. From there myself and Steve would just be jamming and freestyling things I thought was worth recording. After we would lay his guitar parts. We built from there but it usually led to the band at my house recording on top of everything me and Steve started. It was a NY Summer coincidentally when Spike shot most of his movies. So I would write and record with a Spike Lee Movie on but muted. That’s the original inspiration for the album. I named the album “The Beauty Created” because I saw it as a way of showing my band my appreciation for them because they influence me greatly and I would play music for friends before I released it and they always said “this is beautiful”, only seemed right.

You did some collaborations as with Afta-1, Theophilus London, Melo-x with a production of ?uestlove etc. Did you heard of them before living in NYC ?
No, I met all these cats while living in NYC… just doing shows and being in the same place at the same time. Brooklyn, they all influence me a great amount. Afta is actually from and in California. I heard his stuff through a friend and just hit him up. But Theoph and Melo thats Brooklyn. Great artists with a great vision.

jb3I read some interviews of you and a lot of questions were about women (how they act during your shows etc) and relationship. Aren’t you afraid of becoming a king of a new sex symbol for women and be seen less like a true artist? Is it something you try to think about ? (one of the best exemple is D’angelo)
I definitely think about it but I feel the music will always speak for itself. It’s hard singing songs about love and relationships and not being looked at a certain way. If I was singing political songs or something and still being looked at that way then I would worry about the whole true artist thing but I feel as long I still put out honest music for myself then everything else is cool. At the end of the day you can’t always have control of how your depicted by other people. So I’ll just stay focused. and Positive Energy in any form is good to me.

Something I wanted to know is about you being involve in every aspect of your music (production, cover, lyrics…). You are not only a singer, aren’t you ?
I always joke around and say I just sing but no. I see myself as a visualizer and a conceptualizer. That’s basically what a songwriter is anyway. I do more than just song-write though… I self record and arrange most of what everyone has heard. If not everything. It is easy to express a vision you see when you can handle the aspects needed to do so. So I pride myself in being able to sit down in front of Protools and Created whatever it is buzzing around in my head.

When did you start doing shows and how is it so far ?
I remember my first official Jesse Boykins III show was like summer before senior year. At this little spot called “Remote Lounge” in NYC. I had a 3 pieces band and we opened for a dance group. I was extremely nervous. It was the 1st time I had actually heard my originals with a band but I like doing shows because it helps me document and see my progression in a more authentic physical form. A lot of artists are afraid to perform but I Love it.

What is the biggest thing that happened in your musical career since Dopamine ?
I can’t say but I think I’ve accomplished a lot in a year and a half. I would probably say being given the #2 vid for BETJ on the Billboard Charts for Tabloids, it’s the most apparent. And secondly the release of “The Beauty Created” in Japan. Two things I really didn’t have on the list of goals starting off.

Are you working on a new album ?
Yes, I am in Creation Mode. Working on a new album titled “Love Apparatus”. Release date not yet determined, but maybe next Spring/Early Summer.

There is something I like to ask american artists… Do you know some french artists?
I only know one, Edith Piaf. I am slacking I know…

What should we wish you for 2010 ?
More shows in Europe and just outside of the US and I will never say no to new fans.

Thanks to JB3 !

The interview is just in english for the moment because my computer just messed up and I have lost the translation that took me two hours …
L’interview est pour le moment seulement en anglais car mon pc a buggé et le fichier s’est perdu, traduction qui m’a pris deux heure à faire… Si la traduction vous intéresse, n’hésitez pas à me demander.