J Hus releases "Beautiful and Brutal Yard"

After a hiatus of three years, London rapper J Hus set the scene alight recently with his single ‘It’s Crazy’ which earned him a Top 15 across the Official UK Singles Charts. If that wasn’t enough, a mere few weeks later he came with the explosive ‘Who Told You’ Ft. Drake which earned him the biggest first week streams of 18 million worldwide, and a #2 across the Official UK Singles Charts. Today, the darling of UK Rap releases his third album ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’. The album features a stellar line up of collaborators including Burna Boy, Popcaan, Jorja Smith, CB, Naira Marley, Villz and Boss Belly. For anyone that might have missed him jumping on stage for Burna Boy’s show recently, J Hus also gifted fans with the announce of his tour a few weeks back which will see him play at Dublin’s 3Arena October 28th and end with two dates at London’s The O2 November 5th & 6th. Full details below.

Just over three years have passed since Hus released ‘Big Conspiracy’ – his fourteen track second album that netted him a BRIT Award for Best British Male. Now more than six have gone since ‘Common Sense’ turned ears and cemented him as a rap champ; and in between both albums, he nabbed multiple features on prize winning, best-selling records from some of the music industry’s most historic artists (Dave, Skepta, Stormzy, Ed Sheeran). ‘Beautiful and Brutal Yard’ is that long-awaited third album from Hus. Named after the patois influenced slang term for home, the title is a reference to the two sides of Hus and his heart.

Magisterial lead single ‘It’s Crazy’ is the album’s fierce comeback track. “Why you wanna see the evil in me / When I wanna live my life peacefully”, he leers. Commandeering the spacey production that builds with each verse, Hus creeps closer into view, shouting out Omar from ‘The Wire’, and wanting to beef each and every one of his peers. It’s alive. Listen and close your eyes: you can almost see the spit glistening against the mic, the fury in your headphones. Sailing across the beat, there are instructions (“I’m the farda, giving orders”) and reflections on how little fame matters in the pursuit for power (“I don’t care if I’m a superstar”), as Hus comes back to claim his throne against the posers with lyrical menace. Repeat the hook. “The devil in me / the demon in me”. It’s all about Hus holding a mirror up to the world around us – a world that was flipped on its head since the release of his last album, for a whole myriad of reasons.

‘Beautiful and Brutal Yard’ builds on that early afro swing atmosphere. Second single ‘Who Told You’ reminds us of Hus’ unmatched talent for creating supreme shutting-down-the-block party music: just picture yourself holding a red plastic cup filled with your favourite drink on a hot summer day in London, blasting out the hook “who told you bad man don’t dance / who told you gangsters don’t dance” and stepping into a realm where dimly lit rooms are filled with stunning women in tight dresses, while men exude confidence with their 'waps' snugly tucked at their hips - this is the energy Hus once again awards his listeners. But just when you think it couldn't get any better, no other than Drake emerges, and with his effortless rap flow he hands the track the final stamp and clearly becomes the unrivalled summer anthem of 2023. The long overdue collaboration offered a full circle moment for these two music titans. During his sold-out London show at the O3 aka O2 arena on April 5th 2019, Drake welcomed Hus home in the most epic way possible by inviting him on stage in front of 20,000 screaming fans - it was a truly emotional and celebratory night for fans, to say the least.

The P2J produced ‘Massacre’ is big boss, beach side music. Hus walks across Latin American sounding sonics, using his voice as an instrument, changing tone as he bends around the production and instructs: “It gets real hot, man need aqua / J Hus activate all your chakra / Open the book to the next chapter”.

'Palm Trees' has a sultry late night feel with tales of "tantalizing" skin, "friends with benefits" and a want to read palms near palm trees, told over lightly plucked acoustic guitar. On another acoustic guitar featuring track named ‘Masculine’, Hus is joined by Burna Boy – marking another legendary link-up for the pair after their run of iconic moments: on ‘Play Play’ from ‘Big Conspiracy’ and ‘Cloak & Dagger’ from Burna Boy’s 2022 album ‘Love, Damini’. On this one they go verse for verse, shuffling warmly back and forth across the beat. “I love to play the villain”, sings Hus, softly. “I like to make a killing / in the disco”. Then Burna Boy’s in. After Drake’s appearance on ‘Who Told You’ near the beginning of the record, it’s one of the album’s many high-profile collaborations that mark Hus’ status as a globe trotting industry vet.

These show stopping collaborations are packed across Beautiful and Brutal Yard. All testament to the multiple worlds Hus straddles with his critically acclaimed, genre-fusing music. Drill fans in particular will be pleased to see self-crowned genre king, CB, pop up on the high-octane, manic collabo ‘Cream’. “They know I’m an alien / I feel like erasin’ them / I’m the farda / I’m raging ‘em”, Hus says near the beginning of the first verse, in another reference to his UK headman status, as skittering drill drum patterns collide with twinkling synths. Synth lines from Fumes and The Elements sound like a spaceship coming down to land, then CB comes in: “I came to war / you came to talk.”

This reload worthy collaboration with fellow east Londoner and friend CB marks new sonic territory for Hus. As does Gambia to Nigeria link-up with fellow superstar artist Naira Marley. Landing firmly in Lagos’ summer heat, it’s another example of how Hus takes listeners places. ‘Militarian’ is the name of the track. It’s also how Hus refers to his fans and a reference to the spiritual ethos that’s been imbued in the content of his music since day one. “They know we’re an African badman / anywhere we go we gotta stand strong”, he breathes, “when they ask me where I come from / I tell them straight, I’m an African.” Hus then goes on to mention how he shares that kinship with afro-bashment legend Naira: “Nigerian / Gambian / Militarian / Marlian”.

Jorja Smith pops up on slowed down heater ‘Nice Body’ – a track about sticking with one another toward the future and an end goal. “I know you've got some trauma that you’re hiding / life is rough, but we’re surviving " sings Jorja, with the pair joining in showstopping unison before the end of the verse, ultimately finishing each other's lines as Hus strolls back into view.

Elsewhere, Popcaan is beamed down from space to bring a high-pitched, laser-canon vocal to the terminally warped, psychedelic stomper ‘Killy’. It's one of the album's most trippy moments – built, as Poppy references, for sipping "Remy". Those other-worldly vibes continue on ‘BimBim’ – a track that's illustrated with haunting vocals that seem to emerge in unison from the grave, somewhere behind the clouds, or the next life.

For Hus, all roads lead back to the music. Look close at the album title ‘Beautiful and Brutal Yard’ and spot the acronym: baby. Whether it’s brutal, beautiful or shuffling somewhere between the two, music is Hus’ baby. On his third studio album, this has never been more clear and present. The stage is set. The man has many names – Uju Militer, The Farda, Ezmalay, The Ugliest (so named after his clothing brand of the same name). But there’s only one J Hus.

Beautiful And Brutal Yard:

1. Intro (THE GOAT)

2. Massacre

3. Who Told You (feat. Drake)

4. Militerian (feat. Naira Marley)

5. Palm Tree

6. Nice Body (feat. Jorja Smith)

7. Masculine (feat. Burna Boy)

8. Come Look

9. Cream (feat. CB)

10. Comeback (feat. Villz)

11. Alien Girl

12. Fresh Water/Safa Kara

13. My Baby

14. Problem Fixer

15. Killy (feat. Popcaan)

16. It’s Crazy

17. Bim Bim

18. Come Gully Bun (Gambian President) (feat. Boss Belly)

19. Playing Chess