Stanisland Magazine

New album by the genre-fluid British vocalist crafts a wondrous work of art, though it is let-down by its timid duration

Jim Legxacy is a name that has been floating around for a long time, with listeners wondering who this guy is. Then came the revelations of his co-production credits, following widespread exposure thanks to Sprinter featuring Central Cee and Dave. He now makes a name for himself through his own venture of catastrophic proportions on “Black British Music“, his debut album.

The hype is immeasurable. His genre? Still being decided, and debates continue regarding a vocal catagory. Personally, I would group him in the R&B spectrum as a singer, not a rapper. Nevertheless, does this matter? The guy makes incredible music — with caveats.

Black British Music Sounds Infectious

Stick, sos —these are incredible tracks of musical brilliance that are swiftly becoming staples within the UK climate. Fishing for a new sound, Legxacy taps into a 2000s motif that impales signature audio he is now known for.

Not only does the record emit a tight balance of music within the realms of R&B, pop, and hip-hop — the artist also finds a striking verbal tightrope on which to execute it.

D.B.A.B. tackles a thematic shift of defiance, documenting the notion of relenting and ultimatums. Its lyrics project a confrontational self-atonement. Big Time Forward‘s jumping garage-style composition takes a different aim than the rest of his work, opening possibilities for a new audience.

Tracks like Dexter’s Phone Call wrangle soundscapes of a universally appealing nature, before 3x ups the tempo with a completely different genre.

The Verdict

But, it’s the short length of time that grinds my gears. A vocalist with all the talent one can ask for expounds a soulful prognosis over a duration that barely scrapes past the requirements to be classified as an album.

Blasting this in the background at work, the commute, and meditatively, the accelerator revs up but quickly slows down, thanks to a run-time of just 35 minutes. Add individual tracks to a playlist and they noticeably end quickly. Though its inspiration, delivery and exacting punctuality quell fears of a musical drought that has been ongoing for some time.

Jim pours his heart out with certainty and truth, rendered by a demonstrably incubated and thickening poignancy. Stylistically churning grievances into an idiosyncratic and valorous narrative, it’s pungently laced with a vernacular of Black British Music identity from the outset. It’s a masterpiece, a work of seminal audio, though it is let down by its truncated length.

Stream it and Buy it

You can stream BBM on major platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Tidal. The artist has also released a compact disc version (CD) which can be purchased directly from his website.