“You have to do what you have to do until you’re able to make room for what you love to do.”
BJ
the chicago kid
By Senyo Ador
Photography: Jakina Hill
D
raped in a rookie Michael Jordan jersey, some camouflage shorts and a pair of Jordan 3s, BJ the Chicago Kid waltzed casually into sound check with a paper bag of Harold’s Chicken in tow. What image could be considered more South Side of Chicago than that? If it wasn’t for his powerful voice or highly coveted songwriting talents B.J. would be hardly discernible from any other of mid-20
to 30 something in Chicago. Endowed with a strong sense of musical self and an everyman personality, B.J. is far from your run of the mill Chicago R & B crooner. After graduating from Percy L. Julian high school BJ entertained a job in retail, working at The Lark, a now closed clothing store in Evergreen Plaza, before moving to L.A. to pursue a career in music.
One may wonder how a talent who has penned hits for the likes of Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton and Kanye West was allowed to leave Chicago before being noticed. “I feel like my career and my place in life wouldn’t be what it is if I hadn’t moved out to L.A.” Unlike today, when up and coming talent are being featured on the cover of newspapers and MTV shows, Chicago’s hip-hop and R & B climate has been traditionally more challenging to its artists. The artists in turn waste no time in going to New York or Los Angeles in search of better opportunities.
“You have to do what
you have to do until you’re able to make room for what you love to do.”
“I saw a lot of negative bullshit and I also saw a lot of positive. There are a lot of good people here, but I feel that sometimes the bullshit kind of outnumbers the good people. It makes it difficult for those who really strive for the best because they end up running into more B.S. than good people.” If you are not familiar with B.J.’s work you might describe his first releases like Taste of Chicago or The New Beginning as mixtapes. On the contrary, B.J. loads his work with so original production and content that heavyweight producers like David Banner urged him not to belittle efforts like Taste of Chicago by calling them mixtapes. “David Banner was like ‘Never call those mixtapes again, just call them free albums.” Fast forward to February 21, 2012 the release date of his most critically acclaimed album to 8 Winter 2012
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