On May 12th, J Hus will drop his debut album, Common Sense. One of the most anticipated albums of this year, Common Sense is a diverse body of work featuring tracks with a host of talent including Burna Boy, MIST, MoStack and Tiggs Da Author. We have already been a taste of what to come with pre-released tracks, “Common Sense”, “Did You See” and “Friendly”. In the build up to it’s release, Hus also kicked off his UK tour with many shows sold out including special guests Nadia Rose, Lotto Boyz and Young T & Bugsey. While we wait on the new disc, GRM have rounded up seven of the most essential J Hus tracks that you need on your playlist;
N.B: The track are not in a ranking order and features have not been included
1. “Friendly”
“Friendly” is a catchy track with a glossy video to match. It’s all seemingly filmed on an estate somewhere out in East London, and is worth a watch alone for the exquisite pairing of his now iconic “Fanta with no ice” lyric to the image of a single cup of watery Fanta being poured very slowly off of an East London tower block. He said NO ICE. The track itself smashed its way across the internet, matching irresistible charm against some impeccable production.
2. “Did You See”
At the top of this year, J Hus had been popping up all the shop with features with Nines (“High Roller”), Dave (“Samantha”) and Stormzy (“Bad Boy”). But then the East Londoner broke his solo silence with the release of his track titled “Did You See.” Hus sings easily over a bodacious bell vamp, alternating between patois and flashy lyrics like “came in the black Benz / left in the white one.” It’s a difficult balance to create–that chill atmosphere you can still rock with on the dance floor–but Hus is the man.
3. “Playing Sports”
J Hus took the release of his first song in seven months (in 2016) to the people, offering his Twitter followers snippets of two songs and the option to vote for their favourite. “Playing Sports”, a typically catchy hybrid of afrobeats and grime, was the eventual winner and was yet another reminder of why we needed Hus back. Hus had previously kept a low profile since he was involved in a 2015 incident that saw him end up in hospital, but he made his return at Culture Clash in 2016 and has kept the momentum high ever since.
4. “Calling Me”
Taken from his mixtape The 15th Day, “Calling Me” was a track that helped highlight his mixture of influences when it comes to music. The track seems him blend rapping and singing and experimenting with his now signature melodies. One of the highlights of the aforementioned project, “Calling Me” told a story of juggling a number of lifestyles and the impact it has on his relationships. Brutally honest and relatable to many, the track has stood the test of time and still remains a J Hus favourite.
5. “Lean & Bop”
Back in 2015, J Hus teamed up with Doccydocs to create dance anthem, “Lean & Bop” and the track went viral. Videos were circulated of people doing their own choreography, specialised merchandise was made and there were remixes galore (including a personal favourite from Rude Kid). The visuals released via SBTV featured a number of cameos from Krept & Konan, Tim Westwood, G FrSH, Jamal Edwards and more. “Lean & Bop” helped evaluate the Stratford MC into the eyes of many…
6. “No Lie”
J Hus is certainly standing apart from his UK underground rap peers. His afrobeats-inspired style and memorable ad-libs offer something fresh in the genre. Back in 2015, after dropping a number of strong online freestyles, he released a video for his popular track, “No Lie”. The beat kicks in and J Hus holds nothing back with his infectious flow – dropping a blend of witty lyrics and clever wordplay. The track saw him named as one of the #NextGen10 by GRM at the top of 2015.
7. “Common Sense”
After two and a half years in the game, taking a break and coming back as hard as ever, J Hus has arrived at his debut album, Common Sense. The title track has dropped this week and is a reflection of Hus’ journey to this moment. Common Sense, co-produced with The Compozers and Mark Crown of Rudimental features live drums as a self-assured Hus starts as he means to go on. “I wanted to start the album very confidently, 100%. People often think of me as a singer, and I wanted to reaffirm myself as a rapper. I’ve got bars!”
Pre-order J Hus debut album Common Sense from iTunes: http://smarturl.it/DL_CommonSense
Pre-order exclusives from the Official Store- http://smarturl.it/OS_CommonSense
Pre-save on Apple Music or Spotify- http://smarturl.it/PS_CommonSense