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Tag: BJ the Chicago Kid
BJ the Chicago Kid has what it takes to carry any song alone on 1123
R &B singer Bryan James Sledge, aka BJ the Chicago Kid, has the kind of commanding voice most rappers seek out when they’re looking for a guest artist to make a good song great—and to loosen their inhibitions in the process. On Sledge’s second album for Motown, July’s 1123, he turns the tables, showcasing guest […]
Curator Adia Sykes on a voice that takes you back to the golden age of soul
Current musical obsessions of ESS codirector Olivia Junell, curator Adia Sykes, and Reader music editor Philip Montoro
Guess who’s coming to play at Taste of Chicago this year?
The Flaming Lips, Black Star, and George Clinton are among the big names at the Grant Park festival in July.
Chicago Dance Month, BJ the Chicago Kid, and more things to do in Chicago this week
Battlefield, Centennial Brooks, and more happenings from April 3-6.
BJ the Chicago Kid’s emotional restlessness keeps him grounded
BJ the Chicago Kid is ostensibly an R&B traditionalist: he’s reimagined Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” as a posthumous duet with the singer, he repeatedly alludes to the importance of the church in his lyrics, and he even sang the national anthem at President Obama’s farewell address here in Chicago. But it’d probably be more […]
The best photos from #ObamaFarewell
Photos from #ObamaFarewell at McCormick Place Tuesday night
Backstage Pitchfork portraits of Digable Planets, Empress Of, Circuit des Yeux, and more
The Reader set up a temporary studio in Union Park to take intimate black-and-white shots of Pitchfork festival artists.
Pitchfork Fest on Saturday was mostly a joy to behold
On Pitchfork’s second day, RP Boo and Jlin inspired fancy footwork, while Sufjan Stevens and Brian Wilson served up different doses of sadness.
Photos of the Saturday crowd at Pitchfork Music Festival 2016
Portraits of the crowd at Union Park on July 16
Who else should fans of hip-hop, R&B, and soul see at Pitchfork?
Who else should fans of hip-hop, R&B, and soul see at Pitchfork?
Pitchfork’s hometown heroes
Pitchfork booked a record-breaking nine Chicago acts this year.
The alleged David Cameron-Brexit-O’Hare-pizza connection, and other Chicago news
Also, Chicagoan Raj Fernando is at the center of a Trump-Clinton feud.
Obama nominates Skokie native to high court, and other Chicago news
Also, BJ the Chicago Kid remains a south-sider in the Los Angeles music scene.
J.Kwest makes room for rap in the house of the Lord
By defying the Christian reluctance to embrace rap, Hyde Park pastor and MC J.Kwest hopes to help people find God in their daily lives.