Who Is BJ the Chicago Kid?

Find out more about the singer who's on half of your favorite new rap albums.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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BJ The Chicago Kid's been in the game longer than most people realize. His first work in the industry was on a Dave Hollister record in 2001. He sang backup for Kanye ("Impossible"). He was even in the studio with R. Kelly in 1999 or 2000.

Of late, he's been known more for his collaborations with hip-hop artists, including a spot on Chance the Rapper's critically-acclaimed Acid Rap mixtape. He's recorded heavily with TDE, and his song "His Pain II" with Kendrick Lamar was one of last year's most moving records. In fact, we celebrated BJ's work last year as well—his tape Pineapple Now & Laters made our list of The 50 Best Albums of 2012.

BJ is a fun, vivacious interview. He speaks heavily in metaphors, comparing his career at various points to cooking, basketball, and types of vegetables. He has also clearly spent a lot of time thinking through his personal and artistic philosophies. He  has a deep knowledge of his craft, from the old school days of Marvin Gaye to the new era stars like Frank Ocean, from sacred music of Mary Mary to the profane—up to and including hip-hop.

His career, of late, has definitely been on the rise. He recently signed to Motown Records, and his debut LP is due out sometime this year.

But Who Is BJ the Chicago Kid?

As told to David Drake (@somanyshrimp)

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Growing Up in Chicago

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Family

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Learning To Sing

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Singing Inspirations

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Songwriting Inspirations

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Hip-hop Inspirations

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BJ The Chicago Kid: "Growing up in church, of course, I would get the gospel. Being in the crib with my pops I would get the soul. But being on the block, man, it’s real. That’s where I heard ‘The Block is Hot,’ ‘Money, Cash, Hoes,’ ‘Money and the Power.’ 

"I remember one time, my boy bought a brand new Pathfinder. He put sounds in it and he played [Dawn Penn’s ‘No No No’] all day. The only way you knew he was around, you’d hear [bangs beat on table]. This is years old and I’m stunned by that. I understand that now when I create music. Even if I’m talking about love, let’s throw an 808 on there because I know my guys like that. Let’s make it tangible. Let’s make it grasp-able. Let’s put it right in front of them.

"If you like broccoli, but you’ve never had asparagus, you’re probably going to aspargus, cause it tastes a little bit like broccoli. But your same steak is there, seasoned well, same good potatoes there, still got your same glass of wine, your beer right there next to it, or your water. Everything you love is still there, it’s just a slight niche up from what you doing.

I feel like that’s what I’m bringing to the game, that niche up. I’m a fan of hip-hop, how could I not do it aggressively? Some of my best friends are Gangster Disciples, Black Stones, Vice Lords, Four Corner Hustlers; I come from an aggressive environment. So, because I’m a professional and because I do music, I have aggression to me in certain ways. That inspires to me to take things by force, musically.


 

Some of my best friends are Gangster Disciples, Black Stones, Vice Lords, Four Corner Hustlers; I come from an aggressive environment. So, because I’m a professional and because I do music, I have aggression to me in certain ways.


 

"That’s a part of what I’m doing, because I’m really trying to bring something real back. When I was growing up, kids could actually go outside and play. Kids on the computer now. ‘Go outside? Yeah maybe tomorrow. Y’all going to the gym, I might hoop, but I’m on WorldStar, nigga.’ That’s the generation. So I believe even in bringing this kind of music back, at least bring back that feeling. If I could just do that, I’ll feel like I’ve done something. Because that feeling is untouched, it’s missed.

"But this is the same feeling that we sampling, these records that T.I doing, that Ross doing, that Ye doing. It’s the same shit. So y’all going to mean to tell me when this nigga do ‘White Dress,’ it’s not another knock for these motherfuckas to open that soul door when I come? I come from that same cloth. I’m singing the same sample, that’s who I am. So he ain’t doing nothing but letting you know I’m coming. And he a rapper. So I appreciate it. Every rapper that keep soul samples going and all that shit, I appreciate that. Because that soul thing is different. It scares a lot of people.

"I’m not scared of it, but this my way of looking at it. I’m going to live up to it, but I’m not going to live in it. Most soul singers is tragic-enders, man, straight up. Tragic enders. Whether it’s death or they still living, and it’s just a fucked-up situation. So I’m going to live up to, I’m going to give y’all all this shit. But I ain’t going to live in it."

Mentors

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BJ The Chicago Kid: "Kevin Randolph, he’s one of the illest people that contributed things to my life, outside of my family. I would just sing and sing. He’s like, ‘Are you counting?’ He taught me how to count bars. He was the first guy to take that poem and say, ‘Why don’t you come to my crib, let me try to make some melodies. Let’s try to get you to sing these joints and see what it sounds like.’

"He was the first guy to ever really plant that seed. He got me my first placement ever with Ramsey Lewis. Like some OG king shit. Like now I’m older I’m like, ‘Wow.’ When I was younger I was like, ‘Man, where’s R. Kelly?’ [Laughs.] Cause I was so dumb, but smart at the same time, to be able to at least get that opportunity. That’s far more respected, no offense to R. Kelly.

"Kevin Randolph is a young guy, but he’s been a jazz professional since he was a teenager. And he’s this prodigy. But it’s very hard for musicians to make that transition to being a producer. A musician can play the most incredible shit, but a producer can play the most perfect shit in eight bars. Phew. Cold game right?

"So, he understood the transition and he began to pretty much help mold me as a songwriter, he began to help mold me as an artist. Not saying I was being a solo artist then, but he was just molding my music career [so that] whatever was to come, I would be prepared. He definitely understood that before I met him. I put a lot of some of the best music I could find in my system. Because of him, I met R. Kelly at Tracks at the studio."

"My first time seeing R. Kelly in Chicago, he had a white and black zebra du-rag on, a white wife beater, some basketball shorts, and some white Air Force Ones, mid-top, with all of the laces out. That’s how you know he was living at the studio. He was so comfortable, it was like his house shoes. And this was ‘99, 2000. He inspires me greatly, from my city. Him, and, of course, Kanye.

In my eyes, those guys, musically, can do no wrong. Without those two gentlemen, when it comes to the pride of my city musically, we wouldn’t have a lot. Of course with Jennifer Hudson and a lot of few other people, but those two are two of the main pillars of our city when it comes to music. I was working with Kanye on the Mission: Impossible joint ["Impossible"] with Twista, Keisha Cole. And my vocals got the feature love and everything. That was one of the first times I heard my voice on the radio.


 

My first time seeing R. Kelly in Chicago, he had a white and black zebra du-rag on, a white wife beater, some basketball shorts and some white Air Force Ones, mid-top, with all of the laces out.


 

"I did backgrounds on that and I sing at the very end. A lot of people was like, ‘I thought that was a sample.’ I was like ‘Yeah. Cool.’ [Laughs.] I’m a blessed individual, man. I’ve had many chances to witness some very life changing events. Like doing the Grammy’s with Usher and James Brown. Or being in Teddy Pendergrass’ crib before he passed away and he talked to me like, ‘So you sing, huh?’ Like he Tony Soprano and I’m the young kid trying to come and be a part of the mob. Like, checking my temperature.

"But he’s in a wheelchair with his mouth directing but he got Gucci’s on his feet. He’s still a boss in his way. He still hold the prestige that he’s built all these years, regardless of what happened. It was an honor to get checked by that man in his house. ‘So where you from? What part? So you sing? What you sound like?’ I wish I could’ve had Marvin do that. I wish Michael Jackson could’ve did that.

"I would love for it to happen with Bill Withers. I’m a huge fan of Bill Withers, he’s still living. Stevie Wonder. I would love to continue to meet my forefathers and the greats because this generation is full of instant mothafuckers. You go buy a camera, now you’re a video director. You hang with songwriters, now you’re a songwriter. We don’t have big homies these days to be like, ‘Nah I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t say that on the Internet, 'cause it’s going to look bad and you’re going to cut your bread off.’

"That’s needed in this generation so much. We wouldn’t have all this bullshit going on. This is an instant generation. It’s like quick grits, you rip the pack, you put hot water, and you mix it up, and you got your grits. I just pray we get some more substance."

Getting Into the Industry

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Working With Kendrick Lamar and TDE

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The Making of Pineapple Now & Laters

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Performing Live

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His Upcoming Solo Album for Motown

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The Future

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