Album Review: Jim Legxacy Raises The Bar On Black British Music

There have been more eyeballs on UK Rap in the last fortnight than there has been for a long while. From Skepta’s comments about UK lyricists that has resulted in a somewhat tepid beef with Joyner Lucas, to Drake planting his flag on British soil at Wireless, all the way to an incongruous send from Big Zuu towards Eminem, the current climate feels energised, disruptive, and at times misguided. 

Amongst all this noise and agitation there have been some shining moments. The passing of the torch to a new generation, including Fakemink’s mainstage moment last weekend, looks set to usher a new era into the mainstream. From Len and Lancey to Fimiguerrero and YT, these emerging talents are rapidly becoming the stars of today. Amongst them however is a prodigious talent whose rise feels as important as anyone’s over the last decade – Jim Legxacy.

At this stage of Jim’s career, the South East London artist has already dropped two stellar projects, CITADEL and HNPM, as well as producing Sprinter – one of the biggest songs to ever come out of this scene. His use of melody, sampling, and wounded and lyricism have made his work instantly recognisable, but his latest release, Black British Music, or BBM, has seen Legxacy hone his craft and create a project that displays his uniquely personal experience whilst also creating a completely novel, BBM universe, encapsulated by Lauzza’s direction on the music video for the lead single, ‘Father’ as well as a voiceover that runs through the project.

We start the release with ‘Context’, where across liminal production Jim details his tragic journey since his last tape. The loss of his sister, his mother having multiple strokes, a brother going through psychosis, and one of his breakout hits, Candy Reign (!), being taken off streaming services would have felt as if the world was caving in at a time where his growth was about to be exponential. The numbness of this introductory offering is instantly juxtaposed with the hopeful, warm hook of ‘Stick’, where Jim demonstrates some smart penmanship as he talks of ‘Selling Charli(e) to the brats’. 

Legxacy’s production across the album manages to effortlessly toe the line between deeply original and indisputably referential. Every track has multiple easter eggs where Jim will for a split second splice in a sample from the UK Rap lexicon. We can also move effortlessly between genres, sliding between a 00’s Indie feel on ‘06 Wayne Rooney to the bouncy drum patterns of Big Time Forward. 

There is something unconforming about the album that taps into the myriad of influences that have shaped the artist, as he himself says, ‘I was on the block listening to Mitski’. We also get interpolations of a number of songs that have shaped Black British Music, from Snow’s Informer, to J Hus’s Did You See and Dave’s Wanna Know on 3x, where Dave then joins the party and interpolates his own verse on ‘No Words’. There are fine margins with this kind of homage to a bygone era, as it could feel as if there is a lack of originality, but with so much innovation alongside it, this can be a welcome respite to ground the listener. 

On top of this sonic universe that Jim Legxacy has created, his lyricism and performance also come to the forefront. He dovetails effortlessly with Fimiguerrero on Sun, as well as delivering some venomous verses on I Just Banged A Snus In Canada Water. We can also hear a literal outpouring of emotion on Issues of Trust coupled with lyrics of brutal honesty, which is mirrored nicely with the melancholia of Dexters Phone Call, featuring an ethereal cameo from Dexter In The Newsagent.

Since arriving on the scene back in 2021, many have tipped Jim Legxacy to reach new heights, drawing comparisons with seminal artists including Jai Paul and Frank Ocean. It is here on BBM that this artist has reached those heights, offering up a project that is both ingrained in UK Rap culture but also completely stepping outside the boundaries that many in the scene find themselves trapped in. There is no box ticking, forced beef, or unnecessary features to hit streaming quotas. This is beyond UK Rap – this is Black British Music, and it feels as if this is the start of something far bigger.

Star Rating: 5/5